The 2004 Merlot is, as expected, softer but still full-flavored.

The inaugural 2003 Meritage, which blends cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc, is surprisingly complex.

The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is racy with grapefruit, lime and melon.

This is an inexpensive, easy way to find out why people go nuts over Zinfandel. K-J's 05 Zin is an exotic perfume of cherries, raspberries, chocolate and white pepper, followed by ripe, fruity, spicy flavors and dusty tannins, and a finish that coats the throat.

The name primavoce refers to the leading voice in opera. There is a lot of power packed into this very reasonably priced wine. A red table wine from Tuscany that is a somewhat nontraditional blend of 57 percent merlot, 22 percent cabernet sauvignon, 13 percent sangiovese and 8 percent syrah. Vinified from fully ripe fruit that tastes of bold cassis and cherry flavors, and aged for 10 months in French oak. A pleasure to drink, this wine will pair well with heavier styled winter fare such as stews and meat/game dishes.

(50% merlot, 47% cabernet franc and 3% cabernet sauvignon) Deep, bright ruby-red. Complex, spicy nose melds currant, black cherry, licorice, iron and flinty minerality. Suave, sharply delineated and deep, with a terrific core of spice to the classy, perfumed fruit. This boasts stunning inner-mouth aromatic character and a wonderfully subtle sweetness. The noble, fine-grained tannins complement the wine's slow-mounting, extremely long finishing flavors. This should be spectacular with four or five years of bottle aging.

Most of the grapes came from the Annapolis Vineyard, with some from Seascape. While the vintage was cool, it gave incredibly long hangtime. Dry, crisp and delicate, the wine has a silky voluptuousness that makes it irresistible, with pie-filling cherry and black raspberry flavors finished with Asian spice. New French oak adds toast and vanilla sweetness. It's expensive, but still a bargain.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07 (50% cabernet franc, 39% merlot, 9% cabernet sauvignon and 2% malbec) Good bright medium ruby. Reticent but vibrant nose offers medicinal cassis, black cherry and licorice. Comparatively cool in the mouth, opening slowly to reveal black cherry, dark berries, licorice, spices and flowers. Extremely primary today but already fine-grained, seamless and utterly suave. This positively vibrates on the aftertaste, finishing with great subtle mounting persistence and minerality. A knockout in the making. These wines are at the level of quality of the very best Napa Valley collectibles at half the price. 95-98 points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07 (88% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 2% malbec) Deep red-ruby. Vinous aromas of black cherry, licorice and minerals, lifted by pungent medicinal high tones. Silky on entry, then impressively dense in the middle, with a deeply mineral character to the pure flavors of black fruits, violet, bitter chocolate and spice. Tannins are substantial but fine, and the wine's structure and freshness promise a long and slow evolution in bottle. 94-97 points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 07 (67% cabernet sauvignon, 12% each cabernet franc and merlot, 7% petit verdot and 2% malbec) Good saturated, full ruby. Musky, perfumed aromas of black fruits, violet, licorice and minerals. Thicker on entry than the Muse but solid as a rock, boasting superb ripeness and a chewy texture. A wonderfully ripe, sweet wine with uncanny aromatic persistence. The tannins are buried in fruits and minerals. This is 14.9% alcohol, the highest of the 2004 and 2005 Verite wines, the rest of which are between 14.3% and 14.6%. 94-97 points

(65% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot) Bright ruby-red. Black and blue fruits complicated by licorice, minerals and fresh herbs on the nose. Rich, broad, lush and full, even if it conveys less easy sweetness and personality today than the Muse (but then this is Seillan's Pauillac-style blend). Best today on the sensational back half, which features a major coating of suave tannins and an extremely long, aromatic finish that reverberates with subtle floral tones. Interestingly, this cabernet-based wine has a higher pH than the merlot-based Muse: 3.78 vs. 3.64.

(84% merlot, 8% cabernet franc, 5% cabernet sauvignon and 3% malbec) Bright red-ruby. Enticing aromas of plum, licorice, iron, mocha, tobacco and sexy nutty oak. Plush, spicy and sweet, with a lovely light touch to the silky flavors. Very suave wine, finishing long and firm, with noble tannins and lively acidity. Balanced to age but already accessible. Winemaker Pierre Seillan notes that the cabernet sauvignon component is to add shoulders to the wine, while the malbec contributes a spicy element.

Deep medium ruby. Inky, brooding aromas of black fruits, tar, licorice, minerals and crushed stone. Dense but sweet, with lovely mineral depths to the slightly high-toned flavors of black raspberry and currant. This boasts terrific flavor intensity and life. Finishes very long, with the suave tannins reaching the front teeth.

Saturated ruby. Intensely aromatic nose offers powerful blackberry and boysenberry aromas and sexy spice notes. Big but harmonious tannins and gentle acidity support explosively sweet, concentrated dark berry and floral pastille flavors, which utterly fill the mouth. This very rich, velvety wine boasts an impressive display of ripe berry flavors on the long, sappy finish.

Ruby-red. Smoky and suave aromas of fresh red berries and flowers. Concentrated red and dark berry flavors are complicated by violet pastille and cocoa powder tones. A lush, pliant, persistent pinot that finishes with fine tannins and a mounting raspberry sweetness. Delicious right now.

Green-gold. Bright, mineral-accented melon and orange aromas, with a hint of white flowers. Crisp, focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors display impressive precision as well as excellent concentration. Fills in nicely on the finish, which shows refreshing mineral lift and outstanding persistence.

Bright ruby-red. Complex, brooding nose offers black plum, black raspberry, cedar, licorice, tobacco and slatey minerality; reminded me of a Medoc wine. Then sweet, dense and stylish, with nicely integrated acidity giving lift to the concentrated dark fruit and mineral flavors. Serious, seamless wine, finishing with building tannins and excellent length. The addition of some cabernet from To Kalon Vineyard helps to fill out the middle palate of this wine.

Ruby-red. Very expressive, powerful aromas of blackberry and dark cherry, brightened by elegant florality. Lush and creamy, with sweet, jammy dark berry flavors, supple tannins and a gentle lift of acidity. Picks up seductive baking spice notes with air, finishing sweet and long. This is very pretty right now.

Green-gold. Intense citrus and herb aromas, with a bright mineral accent. Pleasingly bitter flavors of quinine and lime zest show very good cut and a long, tangy finish. The energy here is really impressive.

Medium gold. Exotic, spicy bouquet shows suave blood orange, peach, tarragon and smoked meat tones. Plush, juicy and deep, with ripe tangerine and candied peach flavors, gentle acidity and a sexy, buttery quality on the back. For all its lushness, this boasts excellent energy and clarity and finishes with a subtle mineral note. This evolved nicely in the glass and should be excellent with lighter poultry dishes.

Good deep ruby-red. Cassis, plum, licorice and spices on the nose. Supple, broad and sweet, with a fine-grained texture and good density to the cassis, raspberry and dark chocolate flavors. Lush and surprisingly silky-the softest of these three 2004 bottlings-but with no shortage of inner-mouth energy. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins.

Good full ruby. Brooding aromas of dark cherry, currant, minerals and mint, plus a whiff of pungent cassis leaf. Supple and densely packed, with dark fruit flavors complemented by a mineral suggestion of gunflint. Very ripe but not at all over the top. This builds nicely on the back end, with the tannins arriving late and allowing the fruit to linger. A worthy follow-up to the excellent 2003 release.

Saturated purple. Heady, smoky dark berry aromas accented by exotic, pungent spices. Deep and chewy, with ripe, sweet boysenberry and cherry fruit flavors supported by solid tannins. Really expands on the back but retains an elegant quality, finishing with an alluring silkiness.