From a steep hillside site planted in the 1800's, only ten miles from the Pacific Ocean, the 2007 Perli Vineyard exhibits a deep ruby/garnet color as well as an intoxicatingly heady nose of spice box, herbs, blue and red fruits, pepper, and incense. The wine is rich and full-bodied with tart acids as well as heady, but well-concealed alcohol. It should drink well for 3-4 years.

Arrowood's 2007 Syrah Saralee's Vineyard is aged in French oak for 17 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It boasts a dense purple color along with a glorious perfume of smoked barbecue meats, grilled herbs, creme de cassis, blackberries, tar, and camphor. This full-bodied, opulent Syrah is a total hedonistic and intellectual turn-on. Consume it during its first 6-8 years of life. This is another impressive group of wines from one of the most consistent winemakers and long-time veterans of the California wine scene, Dick Arrowood. He has always had the Midas touch with white varietals, yet he also continues to impress me with what he can do with red varietals. Moreover, Arrowood is also one of the pioneer Rhone Ranger producers, and his Syrah program has been supplemented with red and white French Cotes du Rhone-like blends called Cote de Lune as well as an outstanding Viognier.

Abundant gravelly/mineral-like notes intermixed with tropical fruit, oranges, and other stone fruits as well as quince and mango emerge from this elegant, crisp offering. It may be slightly less full-bodied than the Red Point, but that's splitting hairs at this level of quality. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted.

A limited cuvee of 225 cases, the 2007 Chardonnay Journey is a beauty. Notions of white corn, creme brulee, orange blossoms, pears, and buttered citrus are intense as well as lingering. Medium to full-bodied with a subtle touch of oak in addition to lots of texture and richness, a hint of minerality, and an authoritative finish, it should drink well for 3-4 years.

A real star in this portfolio is the 2007 Grand Reserve Syrah. Exuberant, flamboyant, flowery blackberry and cassis notes, along with some meat juices and bouquet garnish, jump from the glass of this densely purple-colored wine. Full-bodied, opulent, and seductive, it should be drunk in its first 7-8 years of life.

The 2007 Highland Estates Proprietary Red Trace Ridge (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and the rest Malbec) is a beauty. Dark ruby/purple with a Graves-like nose of unsmoked cigar tobacco, crushed rocks, blueberries, black currant, and cherries, the wine is full-bodied, with silky tannins, an endearing, full-bodied texture, and a long finish. It is another impressive wine that should evolve for at least 15 or more years.

More graphite, blueberry and floral notes are found in the 2007 Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge. Coming from a high-elevation vineyard in Knights Valley, this wine if full-bodied, deep, rich, and should age nicely for 15 or more years.

In total contrast, minerality, lemon zest,crushed rock, white currants, and stone fruits dominate the crisp 2008 Highland Estates Chardonnay Seco Highlands. This is a far more mineral-dominated wine,but it's not lacking fruit, given the strong white peach notes that come through in this wine's aromatic profile. Drink between now and 2012.

The dark ruby/purple-hued 2007 Pinot Noir Hailey's Block is produced from a cold area of the Russian River's Green Valley. It exhibits a saturated dark ruby hue as well as sweet black raspberry, clove, wild strawberry, incense, crushed rock, and floral notes. This bold, deep, medium to full-bodied Pinot displays zesty acidity as well as silky tannins. It should drink well for a decade. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

Also impressive, the 2007 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters' dark ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by abundant aromas of pomegranates, blueberries, tart raspberries, underbrush, and an unmistakable blue fruit character that sets it apart from its siblings. With good underlying minerality and acidity, it should drink well for a decade. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites.

The 2008 Chardonnay Stone Cote (a block of vines within the larger Durell Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast) is an unfiltered, crisp, elegant white exhibiting notes of creamy creme brulee, white peach, apricot, and lemon blossom intertwined with hints of quince, wet stones, and nectarines. This beauty reveals unmistakable minerality as well as power allied to elegance. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites. The three Chardonnays among the current releases are all outstanding.

The 2008 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard is a cross blend of four separate sources in Russian River. Crisp, zesty notes of citrus, peaches, lemon oil, candied apples, and brioche along with tart acids are found in this lean Chardonnay as well as impressive minerality and a long finish. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites. The three Chardonnays among the current releases are all outstanding.

The dark ruby-colored 2007 Zinfandel Ciapusci Vineyard is a peppery, spicy, intense effort with fragrant aromatics as well as full-bodied flavors with plenty of spice and earth intermixed with a hint of herbs. It is a beautiful Zinfandel to enjoy over the next 5-7 years.

The two big Cabernets (meant to age for 2-3 decades) include the Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale. These two offerings will improve in the cellar, and may well outpace my conservative ratings. The unfined, unfiltered, dense ruby/purple-hued 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso exhibits abundant aromas of damp earth, black currants, cedarwood, sweet cherries, and a foresty component. This cuvee always requires a few years of cellaring, and the 2006 should last for 20 or more years.

More creamy and honeyed is the 2007 Chardonnay Alary Vineyard. Aromas of orange marmalade, poached pears, caramelized citrus, wet stones, and hints of shortbread and honey are followed by a full-bodied, stony-styled Chardonnay that can be enjoyed over the next 5-6 years. This is another impressive group of wines from one of the most consistent winemakers and long-time veterans of the California wine scene, Dick Arrowood. He has always had the Midas touch with white varietals, yet he also continues to impress me with what he can do with red varietals.

The outstanding, well-made 2007 Pinot Noir Carneros primarily comes from Dijon clones. Its dark ruby color is accompanied by complex aromatics of spice box, plums, black cherries, and forest floor. This velvety-textured, medium to full-bodied Pinot possesses silky tannins, good fresh acids and a vivacious, full-throttle style. Enjoy it over 4-5 years.

An exceptional effort, the 2008 Chardonnay Russian River was put through 100% malolactic fermentation. It exhibits a more honeyed style with notes of brioche, poached pears, and buttery citrus in its elegant, full-bodied personality. This impressively endowed Chardonnay should drink nicely for 3-4 years.

The 2008 Chardonnay Jackson Hills from Santa Barbara exhibits the classic pineapple, smoky hazelnut, mango, and orange marmalade fruit notes in a full-bodied, exuberant, flamboyant style.

The 2008 Highland Estates Chardonnay Camelot Vineyard is a creamy, full-bodied wine with lots of tropical fruit flavors, from pineapple to mango. Some buttered brioche/shortbread notes as well as creme brulee also make and appearance in this full-bodied, heady wine, which can be drunk over the next 3-4 years.

The least expensive offering is the 2008 Zinfandel Russian River, a dark ruby/purple-hued effort displaying a big, ripe nose of black raspberries, briery mountain fruit, pepper, spice, and earth with a hint of wood smoke in the background. Full-bodied, fleshy, and rich, this impressive Zinfandel can be drunk over the next 4-5 years. …proprietors Don and Jennifer Hartford not only produce superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but also some of the finest Zinfandels made in northern California.

Made from an old (some vines are over 100 years of age), dry-farmed, head-trained vineyard, the 2008 Zinfandel Jolene's Vineyard reveals a deep ruby/purple hue as well as a perfume of ground pepper, vanilla, barbecue smoke, black cherries, and blacker berries. With full body as well as invigorating, fresh acidity, it cuts a broad swath across the palate, and easily hides its lofty alcohol. It is a fragrant Zinfandel, and the tart acids seem to keep everything in balance. Enjoy it over the next 4-5 years. …proprietors Don and Jennifer Hartford not only produce superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, but also some of the finest Zinfandels made in northern California.

The 2007 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. Dense creme de cassis notes intermixed with fruitcake, coffee bean, and tobacco leaf are found in this fat, fleshy wine, which displays excellent purity, density, and richness. It should drink will for 15 or more years.

It exhibits more tannin along with similar floral, blackberry, and cassis characteristics, beautiful density, and full body. the day I tasted the wine, it was playing closer to the vest than the Saralee's Syrah. The Kuljian should evolve for 8-10 years. This is another impressive group of wines from one of the most consistent winemakers and long-time veterans of the California wine scene, Dick Arrowood. He has always had the Midas touch with white varietals, yet he also continues to impress me with what he can do with red varietals. Moreover, Arrowood is also one of the pioneer Rhone Ranger producers, and his Syrah program has been supplemented with red and white French Cotes du Rhone-like blends called Cote de Lune as well as an outstanding Viognier.

The 2007 Highland Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Raptor Peak (an Alexander Valley vineyard) is more feminine, elegant, and restrained, not as powerful and complex as the Trace Ridge, but more of a Margaux-like style of Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas the Trace Ridge more closely resembles a Pauillac/St.-Estephe style.

The 2007 Zinfandel Mendocino is a super-generic cuvee boasting a deep ruby hue as well as a stunning nose of sweet, briery black cherries, black currants, spice, and an underlying floral character. Abundant flavor, medium to full body, impressive purity, and fine elegance suggest this delicious Zinfandel should drink well for 2-3 years.