Syrahs are a little like zinfandels -- big, rich and almost sweet, great with spicy food. This one has black plum and cinnamon flavors and big but ripe tannins.

Tastes like blackberry cobbler, rich, dense and delicious. Smoky and briary with notes of herbs, vanilla and spice. Good length.

The winery calls the Bench Break Pinot on the estate its most austere so the wine offers some of the elegance and minerality of classic Burgundy in addition to the ubiquitous California fruitiness.

Black cherry and bittersweet chocolate aromas and flavors; lush and ripe.

Black raspberry and mocha aromas and flavors; rich and ripe.

Big and rich, with black plum and cinnamon flavors, creamy, with ripe tannins.

Lively citrus aromas, with flavors of toasty oak and caramel; rich and creamy.

A big wine, with 14 percent alcohol; ripe and rich and creamy, with powerful baked fruit flavors.

Subtle aromas of tropical fruit and (yes) a whiff of fresh cream; mouth fleshy but quite firm with tasteful new oak garnish.

The 2007's appear to be the greatest wines Vérité has yet produced under the leadership of Jess Jackson and his winemaking guru, Bordelais Pierre Seillan. These extraordinary wines, built for the long term (much like top Bordeaux), are fashioned from some of the finest fruit sources Jess Jackson cuvées from the beginning, and have followed their aging process (which is glacially slow). The Right Bank of Pomerol-styled 2007 La Muse is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Sensational aromas of espresso roast, black cherries, black currants, licorice, toast, and spice box emerge from this inky/purple-colored 2007. In the mouth, hints of chocolate, crème de cassis, kirsch, charcoal, and a touch of new oak are found in this full-bodied, opulent, yet structured wine. While it is the most showy and precocious of the three 2007s, it needs 3-5 years of cellaring, and should evolve for three decades or more. There are just over 1,460 cases of La Muse.

The 2007's appear to be the greatest wines Vérité has yet produced under the leadership of Jess Jackson and his winemaking guru, Bordelais Pierre Seillan. These extraordinary wines, built for the long term (much like top Bordeaux), are fashioned from some of the finest fruit sources Jess Jackson cuvées from the beginning, and have followed their aging process (which is glacially slow). A St.-Emilion look-alike, the 2007 Le Desir (44% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec) is close to perfection. Sweet, intoxicating aromas of licorice, tobacco leaf, incense, black currants, black cherries, and bay leaves are followed by a wine with extraordinary concentration, a hint of toasty oak, full body, admirable purity, and a multilayered personality. It begs for 5-8 years for cellaring, and should keep for 30+ years. Production of these wines is small, but not ridiculously so. There are just under 1,900 cases of Le Desir.

The 2008's are strong efforts. Given the fact that Vérité's wines often perform better out of bottle than they do from barrel, this may be another powerful, long-lived vintage. The 2008 La Joie (72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec) reveals sweet fruitcake, crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, licorice, and incense characteristics as well as tremendous body. It is the biggest, richest, most substantial and promising of this trio. It reveals a Pauillac-like, cedary, black currant-scented nose that suggests a first-growth Bordeaux. It too, should age effortlessly for three decades or more.

The 2008's are strong efforts. Given the fact that Vérité's wines often perform better out of bottle than they do from barrel, this may be another powerful, long-lived vintage. There are 1676 cases of the 2008 La Muse, a blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec. This full-bodied offering displays lots of black fruits, espresso roast, chocolate, graphite, and pen ink along with huge intensity, powerful, substantial tannins, and a long finish. It does not yet reveal the velvety character for which La Muse is known, but I suspect it will when tasted after bottling.

These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted. Kudos to proprietor Jess Jackson and winemakers Graham Weerts and Marcia Monahan for exploring this high elevation terroir. This has been a work-in-progress for Jackson, and he has finally hit paydirt with the following wines. Readers need to pay attention as there are some amazing Chardonnays as well as red wines emerging from Stonestreet. The relatively limited production, opaque purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 21 months in French oak) is a tannic, massive beast of a wine. Extremely full-bodied, dense, extracted, and backward, this 40-50 year wines requires at least 8-10 years patience. I'm not sure how many consumers have the requisite discipline for wines such as this, but it's good to see they are still being made, and future generations will appreciate the effort.

The 2008's are strong efforts. Given the fact that Vérité's wines often perform better out of bottle than they do from barrel, this may be another powerful, long-lived vintage. The 2008 Le Desir (61% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot, and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon) is the lightest to its siblings, it offers up notes of bouquet gami, licorice, red and black currants, cedar, and background oak and earth. Full-bodied and rich, it will offer early drinkability, and should last for 25 years.

These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines I have ever tasted. Kudos to proprietor Jess Jackson and winemakers Graham Weerts and Marcia Monahan for exploring this high elevation terroir. This has been a work-in-progress for Jackson, and he has finally hit paydirt with the following wines. Readers need to pay attention as there are some amazing Chardonnays as well as red wines emerging from Stonestreet. A big, earthy, tannic, Médoc-styled wine is the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Bear Point. There are only 231 cases of this cuvée, which offers abundant amounts of black currant, cedar, spice box, and earth notes in a full-bodied, tannic style. Give it 5-8 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20 years.

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.

This new blend from K-J focuses on Rhône varieties (viognier, roussanne, marsanne, grenache blanc) and Loire varieties (sauvignon and chenin blanc) along with some chardonnay, semillon and gewurztraminer. The biggest portion comes from Lake County (43 percent), with contributions from a range of other coastal regions. Randy Ullom blends it into a credible alternative to chardonnay, the variety that K-J made its name on. This has a rich mouthfeel and honeyed character, here appropriately tied to scents of orange rind, fresh nuts and subdued floral tones.

Clean and crisp, with classic flavors of lemons, limes and gooseberries, softened with a touch of buttercream and vanilla. The finish is fine and has a touch of sweet honeysuckle. A good value.

Clean, a touch simple and frontal but decently fruity nonetheless, this easily liked Pinot Noir also finds a passing reference to dried flowers in its aromas. Somewhat rounded at entry, then firmer across that palate, the wine is medium-full in body and shows off both supple and slightly puckery notes as it finishes.

Not really dry, this Riesling has an official residual sugar reading of 2.11. It's blended with Gewürztraminer, Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay and Viognier. This end result is fruity and spicy, with flavors of honey-splashed apples, citrus fruits and peaches.

Oaky, fat and slightly sweet, with creamy flavors of pineapples, buttered popcorn and vanilla. A good approximation of a Burgundian-style California Chardonnay at a fair price.

The 2007s appear to be the greatest wines Vérité has yet produced under the leadership of Jess Jackson and his winemaking guru, Bordelais Pierre Seillan. These extraordinary wines, built for the long term (much like top Bordeaux), are fashioned from some of the finest fruit sources Jess Jackson cuvées from the beginning, and have followed their aging process (which is glacially slow). The 2007 La Joie is pure perfection. A Pauillac-like blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, it possesses a cedary, fruitcake, black currant, tobacco leaf, blackberry, and graphite-scented bouquet. Layers of crème de cassis and blackberry liqueur intermixed with scorched earth, truffle, and toasty characteristics are spectacular as are the multidimensional mouthfeel, fabulous purity, and a 60-second finish. This 2007 will be accessible in 6-8 years, and should drink well for 35-50+ years thereafter. Only those with cold cellars and enormous patience should purchase this modern day legend. There are nearly 2,000 cases of La Joie.

A smoky, earthy zin with notes of blackberry, blueberry, caramel and pepper. Ripe fruit flavors. Long finish. Elegant. Paired with Roast Duck Legs with Honey Teriyaki Sauce.

Sweet black cherries and milk chocolate.