Floral coffee notes, then bright mulberry fruit, with fine-grained, firm tannins, a hint of mocha and a tangy finish. I wrote in my notes that it has the delicate strength of glass and wire. Not sure exactly what I meant, but somehow it seems right anyway.

Hartford's been making this vineyard-designate since the winery's first vintage and has (justifiably, I think) gotten a fair amount of praise for the wine. The site is cold-they get frost from August now and then-with a lot of older vines, and the wine it produced in '05 has lifted boysenberry aromas with fruit that follows suit; the fine acidity keeps it all together, as herb notes rise in the finish. Delicious Pinot.

Hartford notes that you can see the ocean from this far Sonoma Coast vineyard; it's adjacent to Williams-Selyems' Coastlands vineyard, and is so cold that they only got 1/4 of a ton of fruit per acre this (admittedly, it was a cold year). The nose is less overt than Stone Cote's, with a scent that recalls orange oil. As you'd expect from that chilly a property, this is a taut, structured Chardonnay, with lemony acidity and a fresh lime-zest and mineral flavor that's very appealing.

From a single block within the Durrell Vineyard, this has a nose of smoky less and resinous notes that is truly evocative; Don Hartford said that to him it has a little of that hazelnut smoke that reminds me of white Burgundy, and that sounds about right, too. The fruit is all pears and stone fruits, with a citrusy finish. Four months in fifty percent new French oak.

From vines planted in 1907. Mighty darn good old-vine Zin, dark and jammy, with some smoky barrel and dark chocolate aromas. Then it's big, deep, rich stuff, full of peppercorn, anise, mouthfilling black fruit-really just an intense pleasure to drink. No idea what you'd pair it with-whole roast moose?-so probably the answer is just to pull the cork and enjoy it on its own.

87–89 Château Vignot. St-Emilion Grand Cru. One of the two wines produced by Jess Jackson in his St.-Emilion property. This is light, fresh, full of blackcurrants, packed with attractive vibrant fruit. —R.V.

The Best Affordable Wines to Snap Up and Drink Now The cooling influences of the pacific is evident throughout this smooth, silky wine. Pronounced fruit aromas entwine with a touch of creaminess on the nose while bright strawberry and other red fruit flavours from the backbone of a delicately balanced palate. Up to 2 years.

At La Crema, winemaker Melissa Stackhouse makes a range of subtly expressive Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Her Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, one of La Crema's most widely available bottlings is also one of her best: round and rich with ripe pear and caramel-vanilla flavors.

Here are two things to know about Kendall-Jackson's Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay: More than two million cases are made each year, and every single grape that goes into those bottles comes from vineyards owned by Kendall-Jackson. Vineyard ownership means control over viticultural practices, and that's why this wine-despite its vast production-remains so delicious: rich but finely focused, its flavors suggesting ripe mangoes and pears.

Interesting nose of elderflower and baked apples with oak playing its part but not too dominant. The palate is a replica of the nose in many ways with all its parts dovetailing nicely. A touch of sweetness on the finish.

This isn't one of Hartford's single vineyard Chards, but a blend from around RRV. It's a very elegant, balanced wine, with complexity and charm; 100% barrel fermented, it shows oak-influenced flavors of Meyer lemons, pineapple sorbet and rich Gravenstein apple butter

A big Pinot packed with berry flavor, robust, smoky. It's as rich as a flour-less chocolate cake with a thin layer of raspberry jam in the middle. Built for a steakhouse and rare filet mignon.

Jess Jackson’s new St.-Emilion estate, which includes some impressively old vines, is still a work in progress, but he is achieving higher and higher quality in each vintage. The 2006 reveals slightly too much new oak, but it is a medium to full-bodied effort with powerful tannin, impressive concentration, and a backward style. Pierre Seillan, the Bordelais winemaker responsible for such brilliant wines as Verite, is also overseeing the production of Lassegue. The winemaking team is clearly aiming for a St.-Emilion that will last 2-3 decades. The 2006 should be at its finest between 2014-2025.

Medium-deep ruby color; earthy, stewed cherry aromas; ripe, earthy stewed cherry flavors, sweet oak; good structure and balance; long finish. Nice, balanced Pinot with complex cherry flavors.

Medium ruby color; earthy, some cherry aromas; ripe, cherry flavors with earthy, slightly toasty notes; good structure and balance; long finish. Good medium bodied Pinot with pleasing flavors that will work well with most foods.

Lightly herbal and modestly fruited with a quick glimpse of sweet oak to the side of its mild hints of cherries, this slightly supple, cleanly made middleweight is both a bit lean and a bit tannic...

Aromas and flavors of cherry, loganberry, blueberry and toasty oak. Nice core of fruit. Medium complexity.

World-Class Family Wineries Its body, richness, and sweet ripeness of flavor also bring to mind the Pinots of Russian River Valley.

Intensely colored and shy at first, then opening up to show tightly wound blackberry, cassis, gravel dust, coffee aromas, nice red currant and raspberry flavors, a bit of cola and licorice and lots of rocky minerality and stiff muscular structure.

Dynamic and layered with rich blackberry compote, pound cake, cinnamon, cassis and coriander aromas. Loaded with ripe fruit but focused thanks to plenty of acidity and lots of mountain tannin.

This vast estate- 1,405 acres located in California's Santa Maria Valley- is a reliable source for Pinot that tastes expensive but isn't. This medium-bodied wine offers strawberry fruit, zippy acidity and a hint of sassafras.

Real nice, real smooth Cab. It's almost like a good single-malt scotch, with that light-heavy, rich, velvety mouthfeel and a tangy, iodine and peat tinge to the cherries and oak. Dry and polished.