Here's a good, robust red wine. It's not particularly Merlot-like, with its pepper, herb, cherry, red currant and cola flavors, wrapped into sticky tannins. But it's very dry and elegantly structured, and the alcohol is moderate. fine with a nice steak or chop.

A gentle, harmonious pinot noir with strawberry and orange flavors, this is light bodied and pleasingly simple.

Silly heavy bottle. Very dark purple. Sorry but this is really most unpleasant on the nose. SO overripe! So sweet and over the top. Really I can’t see the point of coming to Bordeaux to make this sort of wine (Jess Jackson’s Bordeaux outpost). So sweet and overblown it may as well be a Russian relic. Sorry, I know this sounds harsh and I have no axe to grind but this is one of the most unpleasant bordeaux I have ever tasted.

Made from grapes grown in Jackson Estate's coastal vineyards, this tasty Chardonnay offers aromas of bright citrus, pineapple, green apple and toasty vanilla. The palate is crisp and food-friendly with tropical and apple flavors and just a hint of toasty oak on the finish. A very good value for summer sipping.

Fruit forward and authoritative. Yummy with a sweet smell.

It may be street food, but it's gourmet. Pair it with a big, rich 2007 Kendall-Jackson Syrah.

Hard to go wrong with ol' KJ. Comfort wine for comfort sipping in these hard times.

We loved the intense, complex flavors of this powerful cabernet sauvignon. It has loads of blueberry, cassis and cola flavors with hints of cedar and chocolate.

Good balance with a touch of oak. Bold, strong flavors. Grows on you.

A cab with aromas and flavors of blackberry, cherry, herbs and spice. Approachable with some nice layered flavors. Balanced.

...and the widely available 86-point Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Pinot Noir are fine reminders that quality can be had at a good price for those who search with a keen eye.

This seventh release from Hartford's sole estate vineyard in the Carneros appellation has a shy nose of red cherry, mushroom with a touch of leather and sweet oak. More vibrant red fruit - rhubarb and pomegranate - plus sweet herb, licorice and leafy berry on the palate.

Intense, spicy wild-berry nose. Minerals, cola, dark plum, vanilla and forest floor. Tight, focused finish. Dense, chewy, fresh. Drink now-2017.

A real success story for this hot vintage. Feels gracious and generous in the mouth, offering complex, fat flavors of blackberries, cherries, raspberries, mocha and cedar that turn spicy on the finish. The tannins are elaborately ripe and fine. the well-known vineyard is on the Rutherford bench, and production was 2,300 cases. Drinkable now, and should age well for at least a decade.

A very big, rich and full-bodied Pinot that may strike some as too voluminous, but it sure is delicious. Shows intricate flavors of cherry tart, red currants, Dr. Pepper cola, anise, black pepper, sandalwood and smoke, wrapped into a silky texture. Drink now through 2013.

A very nice, dry Cab Franc that shows real elegance and sophistication. The tannins are rather fierce, with a sandpapery astringency, and the wine shows a deep, pure core of red and black cherries. Delicious and complex, but those tannins need rich fare for balance. Lamb comes to mind.

Very good colour for the vintage; a very complex, full-bodied wine, with blackberry, plum, licorice and the mandatory regional dark chocolate all in abundance, the tannins ripe, the oak balanced. Most will presumably head to the US, where the alcohol (and attendant warmth) will please.

Fresh and cooked blackberry bouquet, with mocha and fruitcake spice aplenty; rich, warm and showing generosity and depth of fruit to conclude

A beautiful Viognier that showcases the variety's rich, exotic side. Offers a mouthburst of ripe grilled peaches, pineapples, green apples, honeysuckle and vanilla wrapped into a creamy, buttery texture. Try as an offbeat alternative to Chardonnay.

Made in a forward, drink-me-now style, this Bordeaux blend contains 1% of Petite Sirah. The jammy flavors of blackberries and cherry are joined with vanilla, smoky cedar and spices. Drink this direct wine before 2012.

Here's a nice Pinot Noir that shows cool, coastal influence in the crispness and overall balance. It's not a big, rich wine, but quite elegant, with suggestions of cherries, herbs and sandalwood.

A fine everyday Zin. It's bone-dry, tannic and peppery, with briary flavors of blackberries, currants, cola and herbs.

Tasted in a flight of great and famous Napa wines, this Cardinale stood at the head of the pack. Starts with a very fine nose of cedar, cassis, ripe blackberries and violets, then turns dramatic and refined in the mouth. Shows vast depth and length, with the finish a full minute of sweet fruits and spices. Marvelous tannins, so plush and elegant, so powerful yet refined. The grapes hail from Mt. Veeder, Howell Mountain, Stags Leap and Oakville, and the blend contains 14% Merlot. As good as it is now, it will improve for a least eight years.

The 2008 Chardonnay Lower Rim is another compelling effort displaying enormous flesh, richness, succulence, minerality, and acidity. Notes of steely nectarines, bright oranges, lemon zest, butter cookies, and nutmeg emerge from this serious Chardonnay. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines that I have ever tasted.

These high elevation Cabernet Sauvignons, culled out from a larger vineyard, are remarkable offerings with aging potential of 25+ years. Readers looking for slightly more structure and Mouton Rothchild-like nose of creme de cassis, licorice, black currants, cedar, and a hint of bay leaf should check out the Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota. The tannic, impressively endowed, full-bodied Helena Dakota is clearly meant for true connoisseurs with cold cellars as well as the patience to wait 5-6 years for it to evolve. It is a 25- to 30-year wine...at a minimum.