Yellow-gold. Powerful scents of roasted pit fruits, pear skin and cotton candy. Lush, slightly loose-knit tropical fruit and peach flavors provide good palate coverage and are lifted by a zesty orange peel note. Distinctly rich chardonnay with strong finishing thrust and good persistence.

Vivid gold. Exotic orange, smoked meat and dusty minerals on the nose. Creamy, sweet and juicy, with a plump texture and ripe citrus flavors that are enlivened by nicely integrated acidity. Fruity, energetic chardonnay with a firm finish.

Yellow-gold. Powerful orchard and tropical fruit aromas are complemented by notes of butterscotch and smoked meat. Weighty, chewy and ripe, with strong pineapple and brown butter flavors are lifted by brown spices. For all this wine's size there's surprising vivacity and the finish is focused and refreshingly bitter.

Deep, bright yellow. Powerful aromas of pear skin, smoked meat, lees and anise. Lush creamy and smooth, offering sweet orchard fruit and melon flavors and a strong undercurrent of baking spices. Ripe but energetic, finishing with good breadth and cling.

Made from the coolish Bennett Valley region of Sonoma County, this Pinot is marked by acidity and some sharp, herbal flavors suggesting tobacco. Yet it has enough cherries, raspberries, red currants and cola to provide richness. Drink now.

Vivid red. Ripe cherry and blackcurrant aromas are complicated by notes of beef jerky and smoky herbs. On the brooding side, offering chewy dark fruit flavors framed by dusty tannins. Gains sweetness slowly...

Bright red. Cherry and dark berries on the nose, with notes of cracked pepper and dark chocolate adding complexity. Chewy and a bit hard-edged, with deep dark fruit flavors and a hint of black cardamom. Very young and slow to unfold; the finish clings nicely and repeats the cherry note.

Dark red. Deep, spicy aromas of dark berries, cherry, smoked meat and cracked pepper; reminds me of a syrah. Weighty dark fruit flavors are framed by supple tannins that become firmer with air. A serious, even brooding pinot that I hope will loosen up with some bottle age.

Deep red. Red currant and cherry aromas are complemented by tobacco and licorice. Chewy and a bit dry, offering smoky cherry and dark berry flavors and a hint of gingerbread. Showing good complexity but there's a hard edge to this wine that I hope will soften with a little bottle age.

Ruby-red. Pungent red berry, cherry and floral qualities on the nose. Slightly clenched, with bitter cherry and dried berry flavors and chewy tannins that loosen a bit with air. On the serious side, with good finishing clarity and grip.

A snappy zin with notes of tart cherry, raspberry, blackberry herbs and black pepper. A hint of caramel. Spicy finish.

One great characteristic of well-made Cabernet Sauvignon is an almost immediate olfactory impression when the wine is poured. KJ's Grand Reserve bursts with aromas of black currant, blueberry, smoke and spice, enticing a taste to reveal rich flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate, herbs with a finish of vanilla and toasty oak.

California: rich and ripe, with aromas and flavors of peaches and apricots.

Aromas and flavors of golden apples; creamy and soft.

This issue boasts a bevy of top rated Chardonnays from some of California's premier producers, the abundantly fruity Carmel Road Monterey 2007.

A perfect balance of the rich and the vibrant, this is a textbook Napa Valley cabernet. It's blended from vineyards on Mt. Veeder, Howell Mountain, Stags Leap District, Spring Mountain and Oakville (To Kalon). The flavors layer black currant and black cherry with redder fruit tones and floral notes. Remarkably, it maintains that detail and freshness even with the youthful potency of its structure add the aggressive power of its extract; you can virturally see the tannin dripping down the sides of the glass. A lovely young wine to decant for Kobo beef, this has the stamina for aging ten years or more.

Is intensely dark and meaty, ripe with blueberries, cherries, cedar, cinnamon and a wafting smokiness. Aged 11 months in 100% new Vosges French oak.

Cambria 2007 Barbara's Pinot Noir is a limited-production inaugural release. Long and lengthy, it is produced from four clones planted in decomposed granite soils. Here, earth meets blackberry; a big mouthfeel and chalky tannins are serious components added to the creamy vanilla and spiced core.

Displays weight and density; in fact, Shurtleff calls it the densest yet from this vineyard, the highest point of the estate, formed from ancient decomposed granite. Youthful yet round; notes of sandalwood and cola mesh with an underlying earthiness.

While ripe and earthy, also shows its delicate side: pretty and ethereal. The vineyard - named for Barbara Banke's youngest daughter, now 21 and a college senior - lies on the cooler western edge of the Cambria Estate.

A small-production gem that zings with sweet melon, white peach and ripe pear. The vines may be on the bench, but the fruit plays in the majors.

The Cambria 2007 Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay is made from 35-year-old vines located in one of the coolest areas of the Valley. Winemaker Denise Shurtleff describes the hallmark of this wine as being bright fruit flavors, enhanced by lemon cream pie and limestone undertones. The roots are deep here and the soil is mineral-rich, says Barbara Banke, Cambria Winery proprietor. We planted this vineyard in 1986 and named it after our daughter Katie. At 15 miles inland, it's a straight shot from the ocean, with lots of cooling morning fog.

This issue boasts a bevy of top rated Chardonnays from some of California's premier producers. The rounded and appley Cambria Katherine's Vineyard 2007.

Big and rich, with oak and sweet pineapple aromas and flavors; creamy; long finish.

La Crema 2007 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California Pinot Noir is another complex Russian River Pinot Noir offering traces of fragrant flowers, black cherry and citrus rind. There's a lot to like in this sumptuous wine.