Pale yellow-straw. Highly complex, Burgundian aromas of apple, peach, flowers, minerals and musky spices. Tightly wound, dry and vibrant, with mineral and crushed stone flavors dominating the palate. Wonderfully delicate and delineated wine with a very long, adamantly dry finish throwing off notes of mint, spearmint oil and resins. I'd love to throw this into a tasting of top white Burgundies.

Very pure, focused, intense, a Chardonnay whose minerality and fresh acidity provide grounding and structure to the elaborate, decadently good flavors. Exotic, with waves of tropical fruit pastry, lemondrop candy, golden mango, pineapple, crème brûlée, buttered toast and dusty Asian spices.

Medium ruby. Knockout nose combines black cherry, minerals, dusty spices and wild herbs. Wonderfully deep and sweet, with a creaminess leavened by inner-palate violet perfume. The lowest in acidity and highest in pH of this trio of wines and it shows. The palate-staining finish is broad, chewy and dense, with lingering spice and herbal nuances and lovely floral persistence. Today the wine's tannins are buried in fruit.

Full medium ruby. Crushed cassis, licorice, menthol, minerals and violet on the very dark nose. Very concentrated and juicy but a bit youthfully imploded, with fruity, peppery acidity giving energy and lift to the middle palate. The very long, rising finish features building tannins and lingering black fruits.

Bright, deep ruby. Vibrant, complex aromas and flavors of cassis, licorice pastille, spices and flowers. Penetrating, dense and juicy, with a slowly building sweetness that carries through to the very long, tannic, gripping finish. Still youthfully imploded but with the structure for an extended evolution in bottle. Classic 2007 in style.

Pale, bright yellow. Initially closed nose opened to reveal steely, Puligny-like white peach, nutmeg, mint and crushed stone aromas. Dense but airy and dry; tactile and silky-smooth but with a lovely light touch. Today this very subtle young wine is showing more minerality than primary fruit. Finishes broad and weightless. Give this a couple years in the cellar. This stunning set of chardonnays made by winemaker Graham Weerts, who is from South Africa, was one of the revelations of my tastings of California wine this spring.

Bright full ruby. Sexy oak complements aromas of crushed cassis, black cherry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. Pliant and dense but with a captivating light touch to the dark fruit and violet flavors. Classic firmly structured Napa cabernet, finishing impressively long and lively, with fine-grained tannins. Winemaker Chris Carpenter is able to select from Jess Jackson's Artisans & Estates' best cabernet vineyards around Napa Valley.

Bright yellow-straw. Pungent lime zest, green tropical fruits, pineapple and snap pea on the nose. Densely packed, tight and minerally, with terrific definition and a tactile quality reminiscent of peach nectar. Very concentrated, vibrant wine with a long, lightly saline finish. From vines planted at an altitude of 1,800 feet.

Pale, hazy gold. Pungent aromas of pear, grapefruit peel, saffron and smoky minerals. Juicy, intense and mineral-driven, with impressive extract to the flavors of lemongrass, orchard fruits and citrus pith. The wine's vibrant acidity adds delineation to a long, juicy, intensely stony finish. I really like this wine's interplay of richness and energy.

Good full ruby. Reticent but pure aromas of dark berries, minerals, licorice, spicecake and lead pencil. Supple and spicy but not overly sweet, with excellent intensity and a graceful quality to the vibrant dark berry and violet flavors. Finishes firmly tannic, floral and long, with noteworthy verve. This combines alcohol of 15% with a moderate pH of 3.62.

Red-ruby. Plum, spicecake, violet and flinty minerality on the nose, plus an exotic suggestion of white fruits. Concentrated, dense, ripe and dry, with a smooth texture given definition by rocky minerality. Not at all a sweet style, but broad, smoky and impressively long, finishing with fine-grained tannins.

Bright yellow-straw color. Pure but reticent aromas of apricot, peach and sexy brown spices. Dense, fat and ripe, with a very suave texture and subtle, dry stone fruit flavors reminiscent of Puligny-Montrachet. Really dusts the palate on the back end, finishing with an intriguing minty aftertaste.

Pale, bright yellow. Soft citrus fruits, clove, minerals and charred oak on the nose; the oakiest of this terrific set of chardonnays. Sweet, creamy and approachable; full, lush and large-scaled. Offers excellent breadth to its stone fruit flavors. The highest in alcohol of these chardonnays at 15.5% and probably best for drinking over the next couple of years.

A very fine Chardonnay, not just because it's so ripe and fruity, but more importantly because the underlying structure is so fine. Crisp acidity and some dusty tannins frame pineapple tart and zesty green apple flavors, enriched with winemaker interventions of sweet oak and creamy lees. Classy and delicious.

Good full ruby. Wild, musky aromas of medicinal black cherry and blueberry, nutty oak and bitter chocolate. Lush and sweet, with a slightly liqueur-like quality to the fruit flavors without going roasted. Shows the sweetness of the vintage and finishes broad and long, with good verve. Winemaker Chris Carpenter notes that this site is a bit warmer than La Jota.

Combines rich, vibrant acidity with fruity intensity in a very clean, opulent wine. Offers waves of tropical fruits, honeysuckle, buttered toast and minerals, with a long, spicy finish. The extensive new oak is perfectly in keeping with the size of this crowd-pleaser.

Vivid red. Heady aromas of red berry preserves, Asian spices and anise, with a strong floral overtone. Lively strawberry, raspberry and herb flavors stain the palate, with bitter cherry skin and mineral notes adding cut. Leaves smoky mineral and floral qualities behind the strikingly long, sappy finish, which also features an exotic note of blood orange. Lots going on here already.

Bright, greenish yellow. Pungent aromas of lime and orange pith, lemongrass, iodine, crushed stone and anise, plus a suggestion of jasmine. Juicy, savory and dry, with a gripping tactile quality to the bracing flavors of citrus and orchard fruits. Mint and smoky mineral notes add cut to the long, sappy, penetrating finish. Lots of Wente clone here, says winemaker Mangahas.

Vivid ruby. Fragrant bouquet of raspberry, red currant, rose, white pepper and smoky, spicy oak, plus a whiff of star anise. Suave and sweet on entry, then tight and minerally in the middle, with lovely lift and perfume to the raspberry, floral pastille and herb flavors. An edge of acidity focuses the wine's sweetness and amplifies the impression of inner-mouth perfume. This has the structure to reward a few years of cellaring but it's pretty delicious now.

Opaque ruby. Explosive aromas of dark berry compote, cola, vanilla bean and incense, along with suggestions of exotic spices and licorice. Large-scaled, broad and impressively deep, with a liqueur-like quality to its boysenberry and mulberry flavors that's given bite by sneaky acidity. Finishes quite sappy and penetrating, with lingering notes of sweet cola and dark berries.

Outstanding '08s: Vibrant yet complex.

Deep ruby. Explosive, high-pitched aromas of blackberry, blueberry and licorice. Densely packed and sweet, with terrific inner-palate energy and violety perfume to the black fruit and mint flavors. Fruit-driven, high-pitched and quite long. Seems suaver and more energetic than the Helena Dakota.

Cabernet Sauvignon with about 10% each merlot and cab franc) Good medium ruby. Complex nose melds cassis, plum, black cherry, minerals and cedar, plus hints of pepper and torrefaction. Sweet, bright and vibrant, with a slightly wild character and very firm acidity. A suggestion of wine-like coffee add nuance. I like this blend's tannin/acid backbone and length, but give this aromatic wine at least a couple years in bottle to stretch out.

Good medium ruby. Distinct medicinal cast to the aromas of black cherry, violet, licorice and menthol. Juicier, tighter and more imploded than the Keyes Vineyard example, with an element of fruity peppercorn giving lift to the middle palate. The substantial dusty tannins arrive late, allowing this very primary young wine to unwind a bit.

(100% cabernet sauvignon) Good deep ruby. Cassis, violet and licorice aromas are complicated by oaky torrefaction and lifted by a peppery element; darker and more brooding than the basic bottling. A step up in depth and sweetness but this is still a baby today. This, too, has the stuffing to support its tannins. Finishes with very good energy and length.