Crisp and tart with maraschino cherry flavors and a hint of tannin.

Concentrated, intense black cherry liqueur flavors, opulent and smooth and rich.

Ripe black cherry and bittersweet chocolate flavors, ripe, soft tannins, smooth.

Hint of oak, very rich black cherry and mocha flavors, smooth, ripe, tannins.

Peaches, minerals and spice, crisp and lean.

The Kendall-Jackson 2006 California Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, still sweetly fruity and characteristically oaky but slimmed down a bit from earlier incarnations and thus more refreshing.

Unlike the 2004, this wine is mostly cabernet sauvignon with only 5 percent blended with cabernet franc. The fruit is bright and redolent of blackberry and cherry flavors with hints of cedar and mocha. The 2005 won't be on the market for a couple of months.

This blend of Bordeaux grapes is a charmer. Using grapes planted 2,400 feet up, it has good complexity with a voluptuous mouthfeel. Ripe plums, dark chocolate, cherries and pure fruit flavors.

Wow, what a mouthful of complex fruit. Made in great years, this reserve wine is named after Mr. Jackson's son. Both are something for him to be proud of. It is a huge wine with firm tannins, cedar, mint and currant notes stand behind the layered black cherry, cassis flavors. Only 250 cases made, so it may be hard to find.

This is one of the best chardonnays we have tasted in a long time. The oldest vineyard in the estate collection. Upper Barn straddles a 1,800-foot ridge. Its gravelly soil yields low quantities of grapes, but the fruit produces complex wines with a mineral thread. Orange peel aromas introduce a layered wine with flavors of pineapples, peaches and great spice from the French oak it is aged in.

Sixty-five percent of this wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in French oak to tame the acidity. The result is a creamy citrus flavor with plenty of apple and mineral notes. A complex wine for the price.

The 2005 Murphy-Goode Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend dominated by cabernet sauvignon (91 percent) with added petit verdot (for depth), merlot (for sweetness) and malbec (for a hint of blueberry flavor). Its deep blackberry and plum fruitiness has dried-herb notes and is well balanced by acidity and soft tannins.

Rich and satisfying, this opulent Chardonnay dazzles with sheer deliciousness. Master winemaker, Richard Arrowood has pulled out all the stops on this Burgundian-style wine. The flavors, of pineapple custard, lemon meringue, green apple butter, crème brulée and gingersnap cookie, are balanced by perfect acidity. This is by far Arrowood's greatest Chardonnay in recent memory.

This multivineyard blend is from Sonoma Valley and Dry Creek Valley. You really don't want to open it yet because it's too young. But it has great future ahead, to judge from the rich, softly fine tannins and cherry, red currant, cola, olive tapenade and sweet fresh herb flavors. Balanced and refined, this Cab defines the Sonoma style. Best 2008-2015.

Fog dance has wonderful, pure fruit aroma flecked with spice, vanilla and celery salt. On the palate, it mixes cranberry/cherry fruit with celery, licorice, orange peel and spice. The fruit comes off several Hartford-owned vineyards in Green Valley where the fog drifts in and out daily, literally dancing on the fruit.

Youthful ruby color. Ripe cherry and plum aromas are complicated by iron, cigar box and vanillin oak spice. Fleshy cherry compote and bitter chocolate flavors coat the palate and are energized by zesty minerality. Finishes sweet, broad and long, with suave mocha and dark berry jam qualities.

How refreshing to find such a widely available, well-priced pinot making the top match for our shrimp and grits. This easy-to-drink wine delivers vibrant black cherry and plum flavors with a touch of spice.

K-J has a terrific syrah in the full-bodied 2005 Vintner's Reserve Syrah, which is ripe with blackberry fruitiness and notes of black pepper.

Sourced from key North Coast vineyards, this Merlot is K-J taken up some notches: It has plenty of complexity, some ability to age, and richness. The nose is intense berries, black plums, anise, nutmeg and mocha. The palate has subtle tannins and good acidity to balance the fruit. It's aged in mostly French oak for eight months and is primarily made from Sonoma County fruit. Some wine know-it-alls pooh-pooh Merlot. Forget it!

Restaurant buyers love to hate K-J. Consumers love it. So do critics. Value. Quality. Flavor. I have nothing but respect for the continuing excellence of this brand. The Zin is not a blockbuster, but who can drink a blockbuster all the time? Just give me a varietally correct wine that has body, balance and flavor. This Zin from various regions of Northern California, has intense plum, raspberry and blackberry aromas, with cedar and spice to make it more interesting. The palate has soft tannins and flavors so concentrated, it's like crushing the fruit in your mouth. Just pair it with a grilled steak or burger. For $13 full markup, it's a steal.