25 years after its birth Kendall-Jackson is still a family-run winery. This is not all about super-ripe fruit and high sugar levels - far from it. There is an attractive herbaceous base supporting the black currant leaf flavours that dominate the palate, although there are also hints of chocolate and spice.

Bordeaux-like. Elegant, with red and black fruit. Plenty of spice. Drink now or hold five to seven years.

Long and bright; complex and delicious.

Bursts with cherry, toasty oak and coffee aromas and offers pretty and layered wild berry, spice and caramel flavors that build richness on the finish. Drink now.

A good food zin on the lighter side. Brambly, with notes of black cherry, strawberry, cherry and plum.

The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Syrah, Saralee's Vineyard boasts notions of camphor, smoke, charcoal, blackberry liqueur, and acacia flowers. The complex aromas are matched by a deep, full-bodied, opulent wine with superb density and richness, low to moderate acidity, sweet tannins, and impressive depth.

Elegant and showy with lovely floral aromas. Expressive with notes of peach, apple and melon. Slightly grassy.

Ripe and round, clean and crisp. Aromas and flavors of apple, melon, pear, kiwi and grapefruit. A bit chardonnay-like. Medium complexity. Good mouth-feel.

Fog off of Monterey bay glides up the Salinas valley each night, helping to cool grapes throughout the Monterey appellation, resulting in graceful whites like this one, with delicate notes of pear and orange.

Fresh, fruity white. Crisp green apple, citrus, peach skin, pear and buttery lees flavours.

Extraordinary wines produced by Jackson Family from three mountain vineyards. Big, intense but beautifully balanced.

Extraordinary wines produced by Jackson Family from three mountain vineyards. Big, intense but beautifully balanced.

Extraordinary wines produced by Jackson Family from three mountain vineyards. Big, intense but beautifully balanced.

Well-defined, mildly melony fruit, a light kiss of fresh grass and a smooth palatal feel make this easy-drinking Sauvignon a most friendly wine, and, if hardly among the more expressive of this month's contenders, it is a dyed-in-the-wool bargain and comes with a very real bonus of wide availability.

Unusually grassy and green for a west coast Chard, this is zesty on the nose but then the full unctuous mango and passion fruit works show through the palate.

Freemark Abbey Chardonnay is something of a forgotten classic. As other Chardonnays have grown bigger, richer and riper, winemaker Ted Edwards has held the line. This wine does not go through malolactic fermentation and therefore has enough acidity to be light on its feet; as another effect, its aromas and flavors are not dampened by the ML muting process. In fact, the wine's fresh acidity conspires to accentuate the apple aromas and flavors. The wine definitely tastes oaked in its vanilla and smoke character, but it is not overly oaky. It is full-bodied as a Chardonnay should be, but not too big, and it manages to have soft texture despite its crispness, without the bite of high alcohol that mars many a Chardonnay for me. The winery is also known for its red wines: two Cabernet Sauvignon single-vineyard wines, the Bosché and Sycamore Vineyard. The winery has changed ownership in the past few years, and I am happy to see that the wine has survived the ordeal. If you're planning to serve this wine, don't think of it as a typical full-throttle California Chardonnay. It's more delicate and fine-boned than that. It doesn't need to be very cold, because its alcohol doesn't need that straightjacket. And it can accompany food better than an excessive California Chardonnay. I like it in a medium-sized glass with a tulip-shaped bowl, and I like it with veal or chicken fillets, grilled or sautéed. As I taste it, my mind also conjures up thoughts of grilled Italian sausages. Did you notice the price? In my perfect world, this wine would command a higher price--except that in my perfect world, most Chardonnays would taste like this one.

Cool breezes and coastal fog along with basalt soils (an ancient floor rock) are factors in Sonoma's Bennett Valley, home to Matanzas Creek Winery's 2004 Merlot. Herbes de Provence, a bit of smoke and dark black fruit permeate this full-bodied red.

If you love Merlot, this wine is for you. If you don't like Merlot, this wine is for you, too. It has the roundness and supple tannins that made Merlot the wine darling of the 1990s, yet it's so solidly structured, and with none of the herbaceous flavors and watery texture often seen in California Merlots made from grapes grown in the wrong places.

Fully loaded and fully flavored with an intense concentration of peppery black spice layered over an ever-present frame of toasty oak. Ripe cherries and plum get a measured dusting of mocha and the firm tannins persist through the finish. While approachable now, cellaring should soften and integrate each component for a complex and multi-layered experience.

Given Kendall-Jackson's track record and popularity it's no surprise that their ever-expanding line of dependably delicious wines extends to multi-appellation estates, like this Jackson Estate, which encompasses vineyards in Sonoma (79%) and Napa (21%). This is a complex Merlot, redolent of black fruit and soft velvety tannins, finishing with toasty oak.

A rich, complex wine of the kind we need more of. Packed with ripe pear, peach, mango and pineapple flavors that are well-oaked, and delicately balanced with acidity.

Silky and charming with notes of banana and lovely floral tones.

Another beautiful California Chardonnay with elegant structure and bright stone fruit.