Exhibits a personality not unlike St-Emilion's Château Ausone. Aromas of incense, flowers, black fruits, crushed rocks, and steel emerge from this wine of extraordinary intensity, superb purity, full-bodied power, and backward tannin. As it sits in the glass, scents of smoke and earthy blueberries also come forth. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2021.

There is a laser-like focus to this large-scaled, inky/purple-tinged 2003. Notes of graphite, pen ink, black currant liqueur, smoke, crushed minerals, cedar, spice box, tobacco leaves, and gravity/hot rock characteristics emerge from this sensational, tannic effort. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.

Exhibits huge body and massive concentration as well as a floral, blueberry, blackberry, cassis, creosote, and scorched earth-scented and flavored personality.

Is a great effort for the price. Made firm various vineyards, all averaging 80 years of age, it exhibits a sexy, up front, raspberry, blackberry, and spice box-scented perfume, huge body, a peppery component, and a large, seductive, luscious finish with no hard edges.

This is another stunning effort revealing copious quantities of boysenberry, blueberry, raspberry, and cherry fruit as well as a striking minerality. Full-bodied and fruit-driven, it is an exquisite Zinfandel to drink over the next 5-7 years.

Exhibits a dark, ruby color, floral, red currant, raspberry, and forest floor scents, medium body, and loads of finesse as well as delicacy. I would love to insert this wine in a tasting of California Pinot Noir. Sadly, there are only 164 cases.

Boasts a deep ruby/purple color along with a sweet bouquet of raspberries, garrigue, kirsch liqueur, and Châteauneuf du Pape-like peppery licorice notes. Full-bodied, ripe, flinty, and elegant, with a French-styled personality, it, too, will drink well for 5-7 years.

From a site planted in 1906, it possesses dramatic fruit in addition to a wonderful perfume of black raspberries intermixed with kirsch, loamy soil, and spice box. Deep, full-bodied, opulent, and elegant, this is another beautifully pure, flashy Zin to consume over the next 5-7 years.

An abyss of black pepper on the nose, with some whiffs of white cotton. Imagine strapping an eight cylinder engine to a basket full of berries and black peppercorns and watching it go: That's what this wine tastes like. It's full-throttle and fruit-ripe, with lifted fruit, spice and black pepper on the finish.

Was aged sur-lie for 14 months, and bottled unfiltered. It possesses more alcohol, fruit, concentration, and orange marmalade-like characteristics. Drink it over the 1-3 years.

Boasts lovely notes of tropical fruits and orange marmalade offered in a medium to full-bodied, lush, exotic style. It is an impressive, crowd-pleasing Chardonnay to enjoy over the next 1-2 years.

A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by a lovely perfume of flowers, raspberries, black currants, smoke, vanilla, and spice box. Rich and medium to full-bodied, with loads of concentration as well as some tannin and oak to shed, it should be at its finest between 2009-2019.

Is fashioned from the rocky, mountain top Jackson Park vineyard in Bennett Valley along with a small amount of fruit from Alexander Valley as well as Knight's Valley. Its dense purple color is accompanied by wonderful notes of espresso, white chocolate, black currants, sweet kirsch, smoke, earth, fruitcake, mincemeat, and truffles. With formidable intensity, full body, sweet tannin, and tremendous delineation as well as structure, it will be at its peak between 2008-2020+

This is some of the Vale's most sought-after Grenache; it was planted by the Smart family in 1946 and narrowly escaped being pulled up a few years back. Mint, fresh herb and black pepper aromas are profound; on the palate, lifted black cherry and plum fruit is swathed in fine tannins. A wine worth seeking out, as it tends to sell out shortly after release.

A high elevation planting between 1200 and 2400 feet. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot aged primarily in new French oak. Its dense purple color is accompanied by sumptuous aromas of graphite, black currants, licorice, and smoke. This full-bodied, opulent 2002 exhibits moderately high, sweet tannin. Drink over the next 15-16 years.

Planted at elevations of 900-1800 feet...an impressive effort. The deep ruby/purple-colored 2002 exhibits a sweet nose of cassis, chocolate, dried herbs, and loamy, earthy notes. Full-bodied, with superb purity, this rich tannic, ageworthy Cabernet should be at its finest between 2008-2020.

It might be worth laying this Shiraz down for six months or a year before giving it a go, because it's still pretty closed. Only light meat aromas emerge, and some graham cracker and fruit on the palate. Finishes juicy. Will emerge as the elegant complement to the winery's full-throttle grenache-based wines.

Sees about 30% new French oak, enjoys 100% malolactic in barrel, and is aged sur-lies. This gorgeous Chardonnay displays vanilla cream, white peach, lemon butter, and popcorn-like characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, with good underlying acidity, an alluring texture, and tremendous purity, it is a fine value and, there are 77,542 cases!

Aromas of honeysuckle, orange rind, and lemon zest are followed by a medium to full-bodied, fruit-driven white displaying a subtle touch of oak. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.

...Emerges from Monterey County vineyards planted with French clones, was barrel-aged for 12 months prior to bottling. This finesse-filled, complex Pinot exhibits plenty of smoky, plum, cherry, and mineral notes along with medium body, crisp acidity, and abundant sweet red and black fruits. Enjoy it over the next 4-5 years.

Syrah aged 11 months in French oak, of which one-third is new. The deep ruby/purple-hued 2002 displays big, pepper, blackberry aromas and flavors with a notion of graphite in the background.

Perhaps the finest example of this cuvee yet produced. There are 1.9 million cases, and it is the same wine no matter when it is bottled. Approximately 80% comes from the estate vineyards, and amazingly, the entire cuvee is aged 6.9 months in both French and American oak. Lees stirring is done for about one month. Undeniably the best Chardonnay for the price in the marketplace, it offers notes of crushed minerals, intermixed with lemon custard, orange skins, and tropical fruits. This crisp, medium-bodied, elegant, dry Chardonnay is an astonishing achievement considering the quantity produced as well as its price.

Less weighty with more elegance as well as nuance. It possesses the same aromatic and flavor profiles as the 2002, but is not as generous. It, too, should drink well over the next 1-2 years.

Reveals notes of black currants intermixed with blueberries, acacia flowers, chocolate, and coffee...Layered and rich...elegant and soft. Should drink well for 10-13 years.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc sourced from vineyard sin the Mayacamas Mountain Range as well as the Alexander Valley and Knight's Valley. Notions of black cherries, lead pencil shavings, cedar, and spice box are offered in a medium-bodied, stylish format. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.