Hint of oak, flavors of cassis and espresso, soft, ripe, tannins.

Pick Scents for an Aroma Party - 2008 Fog Dance Vineyards from Sonoma.

Silky and velvety soft in the mouth, coating the palate with extraordinary raspberry and cherry flavors, enriched with sweet oak, and spiced with cloves, cinnamon and white pepper. There are even notes of coca and orange zest. Yet risk acidity makes it all clean and vibrant. It's hard to imagine a California Pinot Noir tasting better than this - and what a fantastic bargain. Drink now-2014.

Hard mountain tannins characterize this Cab, which was grown above 2,000 feet in the Mayacamas. It's hugely deep in blackberries and black currants, with notes of dark chocolate and violets. Meanwhile, 100% new French oak adds an elaborate layer of smoky caramel and char that's entirely in keeping with the wine's volume. Impressive and flashy, but immature, this wine requires cellaring. Best 2012-2018.

Bright red. Highly perfumed, exotic aromas of strawberry and raspberry preserves, Asian spices, candied rose and incense. The most vibrant of this set of pinots, offering juicy red berry flavors and strong suggestions of candied rose, star anise and cinnamon. Very pure wine, with impressive finishing cut, precision and persistence.

Ruby-red. Sexy, highly perfumed scents of black raspberry, cherry-cola, spicecake, candied licorice and incense, with a strong kick of white pepper. Lush and extroverted, offering sweet red and dark fruit preserve flavors and exotic floral notes. Becomes smokier with air and finishes with impressive breadth, velvety tannins and a lingering floral quality.

La Crema is something of a Chardonnay specialist, consistently producing excellent wines from this grape grown in various California appellations. The 2008 Los Carneros Chard is a good example of the winemaker's deft touch with this grape. Although this wine has a robust alcohol by volume of 14.5 percent, the delicate aromas of lemon oil and spice shine, and the wine is creamy and mouth-filling without being too hot or too heavy. It's big enough, though, that it needs a rich pasta dish or an oily grilled fish to show its best.

This wine's elegance is apparent when it's first poured, though the earthy fruit flavors remain elusive. A day of air brings its black currant brightness to the foreground, juicy and firm. Suited to a few years of age, this will smooth any grizzled edges off a grilled butterflied leg of lamb.

Bright red. A highly perfumed bouquet displays red berry preserves, potpourri and spice cake. Juicy, sharply focused red fruit flavors become tangier with air and pick up a more serious cherry pit quality in the mid-palate. Precise and incisive on the long, spicy finish. I like this wine's balance and clarity.

Vivid red. High-pitched aromas of red berries, potpourri and Asian spices. Silky and alluringly sweet, with deep but energetic raspberry and cherry flavors and notes of smoke and candied rose. Lively and precise on the finish, which echoes the spice and floral notes.

Bright gold. Intensely spicy scents of melon, pear, lemongrass and anise, plus a hint of white pepper. Nervy citrus and orchard fruit flavors deliver refreshingly bitter cut, with a pleasant bite of white pepper perking up the lush back end. Blends ripeness and vivacity smoothly, finishing with excellent clarity and smoky persistence.

Vivid yellow. Aromas of lemon pith, nectarine, honeysuckle and salty minerals. At once dry and fleshy, offering powerful citrus and orchard fruit flavors and firming minerality. Rich but fat-free, in a very grown-up style; the finish is gripping, focused and long.

Bright ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of red and dark berry preserves and potpourri, with a deeper note of licorice in the background. A smoky quality builds with air and carries onto the palate, which offers sweet raspberry and blackberry flavors. A dense,, chewy wine that possesses unlike finesse, finishing with very good clarity and persistence.

Ruby-red. A sexy, fragrant bouquet displays black raspberry, sassafras and baking spices, with a hint of smoky oak. Sappy and bright, offering juicy dark berry flavors and a touch of candied rose. Attractively seamless, with very good back-end punch and finishing persistence.

Fresh cherry flavors fill this wine with ample fruit, soft and plush in the middle, juicy in the end. It's a finely made cabernet with a gentle structure holding all the elements in place. For flank steak.

Vivid red. Very ripe but reticent nose shows cherry and dark berries, with hints of vanilla and woodsmoke. Then sappy and fat in the mouth, offering sweet dark fruit flavors complicated by exotic spices. Boasts lush texture and very good concentration, but this is a bit brooding and dominated by its structure now. Give it a little bottle age.

Ruby-red. Complex, spice-accented aromas of cherry, dark berries, plum and smoke, lifted by a violet topnote. Dense, spicy and intense, with a smoky quality to its powerful dark fruit flavors. Aeration brings up livelier red fruits, but this could use some time to stretch out. The finish is firm, spicy and very long if a bit undifferentiated.

A simple chardonnay, this melds citrusy fruit and spicy oak in perfumed orange and clove scents. It finishes a touch sweet, with the warmth to match roast veal.

Ruby-red. Mineral-accented red currant cherry on the nose, with complicating notes of Asian spiced and cinnamon. Dense but energetic, with tangy raspberry and blackberry fruit and floral flavors and silky tannins. Becomes firmer on the finish, which repeats the raspberry note and shows very good precision.

Vivid gold. Ripe melon and peach aromas are complemented by sweet butter, dried flowers and herbs. Showing a decadent quality but this is also surprisingly lively. Full-bodied honeydew and pit fruit flavors are subtly sweet and expansive, with a hint of candied ginger coming up on the back half. Finishes with serious punch and lingering smokiness.

Bright ruby. Lively, nuanced aromas of raspberry, cherry compote, allspice and smoke, lifted by a note of orange peel. Sweet, spicy and deep, with a tanginess to the spicy red berry and orange peel flavors. The gently tannic finish features sweet red fruits and closes with very good grip and length.

Bright yellow. Lemon zest, green apple and orange on the pungent nose, with a sexy floral quality adding complexity. Juicy, faintly warm citrus flavors give way to deeper pear and melon with air. Creamy pear and honeydew notes linger on the finish, which echoes the floral note.

This is a good Sauvignon Blanc whose touch of oak adds smoky cream and vanilla. The underlying wine shows Lake County balance, with citrus, lemongrass, peach and green apple flavors accented by crisp acidity, and finished with honey.

Bright red. Pungent aromas of cherry skin and red currant, with a subtle herbal quality. Fleshy and gently sweet on the palate, offering vivid raspberry and bitter cherry flavors that turn a bit hard with air. Dusty tannins and support and carry through the sharply focused, spicy finish.

Pale gold. Fresh lemon and peach aromas are pleasantly straightforward and complemented by subtle spice and floral qualities. Light-bodied, fresh citrus and pit fruit flavors deliver good punch and are given depth by hints of melon and peach. Juicy, gently sweet and easy to drink if on the simple side, with good finishing cling. This would work well with spicy Asian foods.