TWO STARS 2004 La Crema Anderson Valley Pinot Noir. The somewhat plush but reticent cherry, red raspberry nose sits atop sweet and mildly smoky oak. This isn't a big win, but has sufficient cherry-berry fruit to balance the supple, somewhat velvety feel of a clean, quaffable Pinot Noir.

92 Murphy-Goode 2002 Terra A Lago #4 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley) This block selection combines the richness of the winery's Adams Knoll Cab with the tannic inaccessibility of the Sarah Block. The result is a wine that needs age. It displays its appellation's herbal, tobaccoey personality, with a solid core of cherry and blackberry fruit. Best to cellar until 2008, and should hold beyond that.

90 Carmel Road 2004 Pinot Noir (Monterey);Likeable for its silky texture and dry finish, this Pinot also offers high acidity and earthy, cherry, cola and coffee flavors. It's an elegant, food-friendly wine with a great deal of spicy richness and the silky texture that makes Pinot Noir so distinctive. S.H.

92 Carmel Road 2003 Pinot Noir (Arroyo Seco); The Appellation is a distinct bench on the west side of the Salinas Valley, and this fine Pinot has benefited from the cool winds and long hang time. Marked by bright acidity and intense cherry, cola and spice flavors, it's a dry, rich wine, with a silky texture and enough complexity to age through this decade. - S.H.

Ripened to black currant flavors and soft, tender tannins, this rich red ends with the scent of autumn leaves.

It's from the people behind the big Kendall-Jackson brand, and shows exceptional balance and harmony for the money. Medium full-bodied and round, it's brimming with ripe mango and pineapple flavours, complemented by nicely integrated toasty oak and bright acidity. It would be perfect to sip all on its own, or with roast chicken, salmon or even popcorn.

KJ wowed the world with its off-dry Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, selling pallets of the stuff in restaurants and grocery stores around the U.S While it made Jess Jackson a billionaire, he wanted something money couldn't buy: respect. This Syrah is a perfect example of where they are going, filled with big black fruit flavors (cherry, berry, and currant) and just enough of the grape's cranky natural aromas (black pepper, leather, and tar) to make you take a second whiff to analyze why you like it so much.

Aromas and flavors of ripe apricots, peaches, caramel; rich and creamy.

...enjoyable quaffer.

Aunt Ruby's Green Tomato Relish and Goat Cheese was paired with the 2005 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. The fresh tomatillos, vinegar and basil in the the tomato relish helped focus and soften the wine's melon, citrus and mineral character, while the wine's acidity echoed that of the goat cheese.

Cambria Estate Vineyards & Winery 2003 Santa Maria Valley Bench Break Vineyard Chardonnay: One reason bigger chardonnays are so popular, I suspect, is that their color is as deep, brilliant and hopeful as a brand new wedding band. A wine that golden just has to deliver intense flavor. The Cambria not only has the color, it delivers both a luxuriously creamy texture and a zesty citric fruitiness. It won best of class at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition early this year. The 2004 version of the wine is now in release, and given the success of the 2003 the style likely hasn't been altered.

This wine is full of intense flavours, black cherry, blackberry and black currant, giving it wonderful structure and a strong backbone, which helps the flavour to linger in the middle. It finishes with hints of vanilla. An affordable experience from a family-operated winery, which continues to create with increasing excellence.

La Crema (Los Carneros) 2004, Very Good - Great fruit, with charming, ripe flavors and real brightness. We also liked the less-expensive 2004 'Sonoma Coast' bottling.

2004 CARMEL ROAD MONTEREY PINOT NOIR Nicely balanced, this wine is aromatic (basil, plum, red cherry and pencil lead), softly fruity (pie cherry) and spicy, with a hint of tar on the lingering finish................

2002 RESERVE FUME As this effort amply demonstrates, there are advantages to a bit of maturity....It's a lot of wine for the money.

Cedar smoke nose, concentrated black fruit flavours, complex finish. Fruit sourced from Napa's To Kalon and Oak Knoll vineyards.

When one thinks of the Kendall-Jackson label, one usually thinks of decent, value-priced wines in quantity. But K-J, as it's known in California, also makes a $95 Meritage called Stature that drinks well young but has the qualities to age for many years.

Clean fruit and velvet tannins offer sleek California ripeness for steak.

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

Bright yellow. Sexy, full-blown aromas of buttery lees, peach, cantaloupe, flowers and sweet oak. Fat, velvety and sweet, with very ripe tropical fruit and melon flavors and impressive palate presence. Not the last word in refinement but stuffed with flavor. Finishes with very good persistence.

Kendall-Jackson's super Tuscan is Cab-based and very ripe. It's black as coal, with leather, earth and dark-fruit aromas. It's more soft than steely, with blackberry and plum flavors softened by molasses and licorice. A real beast of a wine that includes 15% Merlot and Syrah.

Medium red. Strawberry, rose petal, smoked meat, gingerbread, earth and smoke on the nose. Smooth and smoky in the mouth, with a velvety texture and mellow but sappy flavors of red fruits, spices and earth. Finishes broad, musky and dry, with lingering notes of red berries, minerals and rose petal.