Clean and varietal, with no filler grapes blended in to boost the color. Barrel-aged.

Smooth and supple, from cooler sites in California, with a mix of apple, pear, lemon and vanilla.

This staple of the Jackson Family Wines portfolio did well with its '08. Aged mostly in older oak, it's a brimming bowl of ripe fruit, slightly tropical and banana, and giving off peach and Meyer lemon as well. Clean and unflashy in its style, it finishes with a punch of tangy citrus.

Blackberry and black coffee aromas and flavors, full-bodied, rich and smooth, long finish.

Full ruby-red. Knockout nose melds musky brown spices, iron, flowers and smoked meat, along with an exotic suggestion of white fruits. Broad, ripe and classically dry, with a palate-coating texture like liquid velvet. Strong underlying minerality gives energy and definition to this compellingly rich and pliant wine. The extremely long finish shows an exhilarating building sweetness and noble tannins.

Bright ruby-red. Crushed blueberry, violet, licorice and dark chocolate on the explosive nose. Not quite as complex as La Muse but sweeter in the mid-palate, without any loss of definition or energy. Finishes with superb broad tannins and outstanding pulsating persistence.

Good deep red-ruby. Complex aromas of cherry, plum, musky brown spices, licorice and menthol lifted by a floral topnote. Quite dry and youthfully imploded initially, then opened to show a creamy sweetness and growing pliancy to its red fruit and mineral flavors. This has firmed up since I saw it in barrel a year ago, while La Joie has become more harmonious. The most tannic of this outstanding trio of 2007s today, with the structure for a long and positive evolution in bottle.

Pale, bright straw-yellow. Expressive aromas of nectarine, brown spices and crushed rock. Dense, thick and sweet, with seriously chewy, complex flavors of lemon zest, orange, minerals and spices. Finishes very broad and very long, with an echoing stony character. Despite its sweet fruit, this mineral-driven wine strikes me as less exotic in character than the outstanding vintages made by Marcassin in the '90s.

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.