Bright ruby. Seductive aromas of red and dark berry preserves, cola and smoky herbs. Sweet, sappy black raspberry and cherry-cola flavors are framed by velvety tannins and gain weight, spiciness and a licorice pastille quality with air. The spice and cola notes carry through a long, alluringly sweet, youthfully gripping finish. I'll bet this will be better with a few more years of aging.

Inky ruby. Spicy cherry, red currant, licorice and pipe tobacco on the nose, all lifted by a gentle floral topnote. Big and rich but juicy, offering sweet red berry flavors and notes of candied violet, cherry pit and rose. Impressively broad and focused cabernet with good extract and building notes of bitter cherry skin and herbs. Finishes with youthfully gripping tannins and a jolt of peppery spice. I'd stash this one away for a while.

Bright yellow. Nectarine, orange, peach nectar and candied ginger aromas display more energy than I'd expect from a wine with this much sugar. Smooth and lightly spicy,with seductively sweet citrus and pit fruit flavors. Offers very good clarity and finishing notes of ginger and honey. Offers an intriguing blend of vivacity and candied fruit character.

Bright green-tinged yellow. Complex aromas of peach, nutmeg, smoky minerality and coconutty, vanillin oak. Silky and broad, with impressive volume to the stone fruit and spice flavors. A note of citrus zest firms the finish. I'd give this a year or so to fill in.

Tasted in January, this Merlot was still quite unresolved. Oak dominated, with its characteristics, vanilla and caramel notes, while underneath was a substantial core of cherries, blackberries, currants, cocoa and roasted almonds, reminiscent of a granola bar. It's a distinguished Merlot, but one that wants a few years in the cellar.

From the Los Alamos region, this young, firm Pinot wants a little time in the bottle to mellow. Tasted in January, it's unresolved in tannins, fresh acidity, oak (76% new) and primary cherry and raspberry fruit.

A new price point tier for K-J, in between Grand Reserve and Highland Estates. Bright and racy in cool-climate acidity, with layered flavors of lemondrop candy, lemon chiffon pie and buttered toast. Delicious and savory. The grapes are from the Santa Maria Valley and the Los Alamos region.

Vivid red. Sexy, highly perfumed bouquet of strawberry, raspberry, potpourri and minerals, with a bright note of blood orange gaining strength with air. Impressively pure, with fresh red berry and floral flavors and a seductive sweetness. The finish strongly echoes the raspberry note and leaves a tangy trail of minerals and candied flowers behind. The wine's intriguing blend of sweet and tangy should make it extremely flexible at the table.

Ruby-red. Smoky raspberry and cherry aromas are complemented by cinnamon, dried rose, musky herbs and sexy oak spices. Supple red berry and floral flavors are firmed by silky tannins and pick up a suave spicecake quality with air. Suggests dark fruits on the broad penetrating, persistent finish. This benefits from aeration.

Lightly hazy yellow. Smoky aromas of white peach, fig, wild herbs, iodine and vanilla. Round and fleshy on the palate, with intriguing flavors of tangerine, pit fruits, smoky lees and flowers. There's lively acidity here, but it comes on late, adding energy to the wine's sweet fruit. Silky, understated chardonnay with impressive finishing sappiness and cling.

Bright ruby. High-pitched aromas of crushed dark berries, bitter chocolate, licorice and Indian spices. Juicy, dense and spicy, with sappy, intense dark berry flavors lifted by zesty minerality. Quite dry but ripe and penetrating, with a building element of exotic Christmas spices. Finishes with gentle tannins and very good persistence. These vines reportedly average around 85 years of age.

Good full ruby. Aromas of blackberry, licorice and coffee torrefaction. Juicy, minerally and sweet, with very good depth of flavor and a sexy wildness. The coffee note carries through in the mouth, where it's joined by forest floor and floral notes. Finishes quite long, with substantial dusty tannins and lingering sweetness.

Bright, saturated ruby. Youthfully brooding aromas of blackberry, mulberry, cocoa powder and licorice, with slow mounting spiciness and a hint of dried violet. Deeply pitched dark berry and bitter cherry flavors are slow to unwind, showing serious structure without coming off as hard. The gripping finish is a touch rigid but packs a lot of rich fruit. Give the bottle a little age.

Light, bright yellow. Sexy, highly perfumed nose displays textbook varietal aromas of peach, pear, flowers and orange peel. Round and fleshy on entry, then tightens up in the middle palate to offer tangy orange and green apple flavors. The finish leaves sappy pear and sweet citrus notes behind. I find this very pretty.

Inky ruby. Ripe but subdued aromas of blackberry, cassis, olive and licorice, with complicating suggestions of dark chocolate and herbs; this smells a lot like syrah. Spicy and tightly wound on entry, then ripe and smooth in the middle, with subtle sweetness to its deep dark fruit flavors. Supple tannins dust the fruit-driven, spicy finish. This is pretty impressive version of the variety, even in the context of the best Argentine renditions.

Yellow-gold. Smoky pit fruits and white flowers on the expressive nose. Then sweet, juicy and dense, with powerful nectarine and tangerine flavors and good stony cut. Weightier on the finish, which features a note of honeysuckle and surprising nervy persistence. This is distinctly rich but in not way heavy. At once balanced and powerful.

Good full ruby. Brooding aromas of cassis and black cherry. A step up in density and breadth from the Monument Ridge bottling, conveying a small-berry intensity to its dark fruit flavors. There's more mid-palate stuffing here to support the wine's substantial tannins. This is from gravelly volcanic soil at an altitude of 2,200 to 2,400 feet.

Vivid ruby. Expansive and exotic scents of cherry-cola, sandalwood, licorice and fruitcake. Seductively sweet, nicely focused cherry and cassis flavors are lifted by a zesty mineral note and framed by supple tannins. The spicy note repeats on the long, penetrating finish, which leaves a sweet dark berry flavor behind. This has the structure to age but there's plenty going on now. (JR)

Ripe and voluptuous, with very rich, long-lasting berry, cherry, mocha and spice flavors, liberally oaked and wrapped into fine, sturdy tannins. Lacks a bit of complexity, but otherwise a beautiful Merlot that trades on the variety's opulently fleshy sensuality.

Yellow-gold. Complex scents of ripe melon, spicecake and oyster shell, with a hint of white pepper. Juicy, palate-caressing honeydew, chamomile and mace flavors are lifted by a slow-building mineral quality, which adds back-end incisiveness. This smoothly blends richness and energy, and finishes with very good clarity and lingering spiciness.

Rich and creamy, with complex pear, fig, melon and spice flavors that are pure, balanced, elegant and delicate, ending with a honeysuckle edge. Drink now through 2014.

(includes 15% merlot and 3% petit verdot) Medium ruby. Pure, reserved nose hints at cassis, dark cherry and licorice, with mineral and coffee nuances. Good density and texture to the dark fruit flavors, with complicating herbal and spicy elements. Finishes broad and sweet, with substantial tannins nicely supported by fruit.

Here's a good buy in a big, rich, decadently delicious Syrah. Soft and dry, with refined tannins, it offers flavors of currants, blackberries, cherries, chocolate, licorice, Dr. Pepper cola, black pepper and spices. Easy to like, yet complex.

Very rich, ripe and dry, a Merlot with a drop of Cabernet that needs a year or two to resolve. It's fat and fleshy in cherries, violets, red currants and cola, with a dusting of cocoa, pepper and cinnamon. The tannins are ample, but very finely ground.

Rich and creamy, with complex tropical fruit, buttered toast, lemondrop candy and honeysuckle flavors.