2005 SAUVIGNON BLANC SONOMA The Sauvignon Blanc (12,000 cases aged six months sur-lie with some barrel fermented) is a crisp, elegant effort revealing notes of honeyed grapefruits, figs, and crushed rocks. It is a pretty, medium-bodied, fresh, food-friendly white to enjoy over the next year.

Spicy and rich. Clean, ripe, fruit-forward flavors. Cherry, blueberry and plum. Nice and bright. Medium complexity.

2004 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve is a gem.

No wine is more responsible for the popularity of California Chardonnay than the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates Vintner's Reserve. When they build the California Wine Hall of Fame, it will be one of the first inductees. The Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates 2004 Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, however is a much more refreshing take on the varietal. It's drier, crisper, spicier, better balanced, lighter in oak, and more clearly pronounced in tropical-fruit, citric and apple flavors than earlier releases. It does the state's Chardonnay vineyards proud.

It seems as though the Vintner's Reserve wines, the lowest rung on the K-J ladder, has found another gear and are once again close to being the industry leaders in this price category. The '03 Syrah has plenty of horsepower, with bold dark berry fruit notes and a flattering earthiness that gives this wine a touch of character.

Yes, you can have richness, bold flavor and elegance in one wine and this Chardonnay pulls it off. From its ripe tropical, lemon-lime and apple fruit to its complex spice, hazelnut and mineral notes to its toasty yet mouthwatering finish, Carmel Road is one smooth ride.

2003 ``Arcanum,'' by Tenuta di Arceno, Toscana (cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot): black raspberries and black plums; big, rich, generous and spicy with tart finish; $95. Miami Herald July 20, 2006 WINE Wandering but grounded, he's `a servant of the soil' Fred Tasker ftasker@MiamiHerald.com Pierre Seillan seems a little too down-to-earth to be a globe-trotting, jet-setting ''Flying Winemaker'' -- one of those charismatic characters who flits about the world running winemaking operations at a dozen wineries in half a dozen countries. But he seems like one to his wife, Monique, who says she seldom sees him at their homes in California and France. ''If his mistress were a woman, I could compete with that,'' she sighs. ``But his mistress is his job. What can I do?'' Seillan began to wander in 1997 after 30 years of winemaking in France's Bordeaux region. That's when he met Jess Jackson, who, with his wife and fellow lawyer, Barbara Banke, has create a far-flung empire of wine operations in the United States, France, Italy, Chile and Australia, including notably Kendall-Jackson in California. The winemaking styles of Jackson and Seillan proved sympathetic, and Seillan today oversees red wine operations at several of Jackson's wineries as consultant or winemaker. He makes a red wine called ''Le Désir,'' a blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and merlot, at Jackson's Vérité winery near Healdsburg in California's Sonoma Valley. He makes the red wine called ''Arcanum,'' of the same grapes, at Jackson's Tenuta di Arceno, in Italy's Tuscany region. Now Jackson and Seillan have teamed up to buy Chteau Lassgue, a 60-acre grand cru vineyard and winery in Bordeaux's Saint-Emilion region. ''Saint-Emilion is the most serious appellation in Bordeaux,'' Seillan says. ``It's not one of your generic Bordeaux areas.'' Seillan and Jackson were impressed with the vineyard's limestone soils, which give wine that French hint of minerality, and its perfect southwest sun exposure, which is crucial to getting grapes fully ripe. There's also a beautiful old chteau on the property, where the Seillans live part of the year. At the chteau, Seillan is turning out two wines from different plots with different soils. One is $35, the second is $50. Neither is a ''second wine,'' he insists, simply ``another wine.'' Reflecting Seillan's style, both are subtle wines based on merlot, with a French restraint and minerality. ''I am a servant of the soil,'' he says. ``It's not the other way around. I want wines that are fruity, with power but finesse and elegance, not too much tannic astringency.'' Visiting Miami, Seillan also was showing off wines he has made at Jackson's Verité and Tenuta di Arceno wineries. Both show his subtle touch, his ability to create intensity and complexity without bombast. And next year -- maybe later -- Monique hopes to slow down her flying winemaker and spend more time in France, fixing the plumbing and redoing the paint on their 18th century chteau. ''It needs repair, but all the money must go into the wine,'' she says, sighing again. ``Someday . . . ''

This wine, a rich but not intensely flavorful style of Sauvignon Blanc, is a change of pace from the super-flavorful versions that California is increasingly producing in emulation of New Zealands wines. It is dry and medium-bodied, with rich texture of its high (14%) alcohol and yet refreshing crisp acidity. Although its aromas and flavors are fruity (pear, orange rind, and some tropical fruit) partially thanks to a significant amount (23%) of Sauvignon Musque, they are fairly subtle. No oaky character is evident; in fact, only 10% of the wine is fermented in oak barrels. Flavors show very good concentration and length. A wine to enjoy young; its great with bitter vegetables such as broccoli rabe, with goat cheese pizza, and with stir-fry chicken.

Cool cassis, cherry. Good balance, burnt fruit character, shows promise. 2 years.

La Crema is one of a growing list of Russian River wineries producing tasty, distinctive Pinot Noir. This wine shows the inviting cherry-berry and spice side of Pinot, with medium to full (but not over-ripe) fruit and good length. Of note is the wine's excellent structure and supple finish. 92 points.

The color of this bad boy is light to medium ruby, while the nose is a blend of ripe fruit, boiled tea and leather. It has dry, medium flavors, and is a bit light on the lush supple fruit you want from Pinot Noir. There is some heat in the finish. It is hard to tell if this wine, made from organically grown grapes, is serious or not, but for the price, it should be. 90 points.

Lovely fragrant, ripe berry fruit. Bright and breezy, juicy style with good concentration and balance. Very drinkable up to 3 years.

Anyone who follows Wine Access magazine will remember the California chardonnay issue that came out earlier this year and our coverage of winemaker Randy Ullom's pursuit of the perfect clones for his many Kendall-Jackson chardonnay labels. It would appear he has the Vintner's Reserve completely dialed in. Its lively, fresh style sets a new standard for high-quality, affordable California wine, where the fine-tuning of whites has been a slow process.

93 Points - Hartford Court 2003 Sonoma Coast Stone Cote Vineyard Chardonnay. Featured as one of the 100 Best Wines of the Year

Anakota Helena Montana Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley); Mountain grapes have yielded an intense, concentrated young Cabernet, grown on the Sonoma side of Mount St. Helena. The wine is brash, dry and astringently tannic now. But it possesses a classic elegance and refinement and a remarkable core of cassis fruit. How could it not develop, given the balance and harmony? Best 2008-2015. Cellar Selection.-S.H.

Anakota 2002 Helena Dakota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Knights Valley); It's sometimes overlooked that Jess Jackson produces very small quantities of competitive wines such as this. This 100% Cabernet is a mountain wine, dens in tannins and very dry, yet intense in classically Cabernet black currant fruit. The all new French oak feels natural. As good as it is, more refinement is necessary, but Anakota is a label worth watching.-S.H.

A rustic and voluptuous red balanced by mouthwatering acidity, this wine grows at K-J's estate vineyard, which rises more than 1,000 feet above sea level. Saline flavors run through it, like salty figs or spiced plums, mellowed by the richness of new oak. Its firm tannins will sustain the wine as it ages.

89 Points Hartford Court Three Jacks Vineyard 2004 Russian River Valley. Close to its mate above in depth and in richness, it may be a touch less fruity overall, but its never short on that score, and its oaky, ripe apple and pear qualities persist from first sniff to lasting aftertaste. Like its partner, it has all the stuffing needed to improve with age.

this affordable middleweight offers a nice bit of honest Zinfandel fruit and is not overrun by ripeness. It has a few coarse edges that should lessen with time.

Here's a Pinot that shows all the classic, cool-climate qualities of the variety, from silky tannins and crisp acids to cherry cola flavors and a spicy finish.

This is a pretty nice, average Cabernet, dry and balanced, with good fruit flavors.

Also represents an upgrade in quality. It exhibits a dark ruby/purple color, pleasant mocha and berry fruit, medium body, and a clean, surprisingly complex finish.

Reveals a juicy, spicy, earthy, red berry and black current-scented bouquet, sweet tannin, a good texture, and a strong varietal character.

Exhibits blueberry and blackberry fruit notes along with notions of crushed rocks, spicy oak, and tobacco leaf. Sweet and rich with soft tannin, terrific fruit intensity, an earthy/mineral component, and a long finish. It should evolve nicely for 15 or more years.

Reveals this region's classical tropical fruit character, primarily pineapple, along with hints of honeysuckle, vanilla beans, and a delicate touch of wood. Its rich, full-bodied palate, and Burgundian, leesy-like minerality and texture suggest it should drink well for 3-4 years.