A big jammy zinfandel, with blueberry and blackberry fruit flavors. Bright and tart, full-bodied and balanced. Notes of oak and chocolate. Nice finish.

...the intense, impressively filled Edmeades 2000 Anderson Valley warrants inclusion on your shopping list.

The juicy, abundantly fruity La Crema 1999 Russian River Valley remains a highly recommended favorite...

Hartford's blended Zin is filled with exuberant aromas of jammy Zinberry fruit, baking spices like cinnamon and clove, bittersweet chocolate and black pepper. The vibrant mixed-berry flavors are rich and satisfying , finishing with a touch of warmth and softness.

This wine from Kendall-Jackson's Australian outpost offers aromas of butter, clove and tropical and citrus fruits. Dried spice flavors accent soft peach and vanilla, finishing with a touch of tangerine.

Nicely focused apple, vanilla, quince, and fig flavors integrate with toasty oak character turn ample on the finish. Drink now.

Light and brightly fruity, relatively firm in support of its berry and mineral flavors, which echo nicely.

Packs in lots of ripe, rich, complex flavors, with buttery pear, fig, apricot and earthy citrus, finishing with pretty, toasty oak and a long, complex aftertaste.

Firm, with modest pear, fig and butterscotch flavors that pick up anise and smoky notes on a medium-bodied frame.

A breezy, buttery offering, it boasts hazelnut and tropical fruit flavors, plenty of fat and lushness, and a smoky, Meursault-like character. Drink this sexy, opulent, full-flavored Chardonnay over the next several years.

The dark plum-colored, 2000 Pinot Noir Bench Break Vineyard exhibits a complex floral, currant, cherry, and blueberry characteristics. Medium-bodied, with well-integrated acidity, wood and tannin, this beautiful effort is nearly exceptional. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. Lacking the texture of the Benchbreak as well as the super-friendly style of the Julia's.

...offers up big, sweet, black cherry and berry aromas along with hints of asphalt, smoke and earth. Nicely-textured, medium to full-bodied, and soft...

…rustic tannin, abundant quantities of earthy notes, crisp, tangy acidity, and medium body.

The deep ruby/purple-colored 2001 Shiraz offers straightforward, sweet blackberry aromas with a whiff of spice in the background, considerable flavor, a surprisingly rich texture, and admirable suppleness. It is a big, fruity, round, delicious Shiraz to consume over the next two years.

The winery in McLaren Vale has produced a light to medium-bodied 2001 Chardonnay revealing plenty of tropical fruit with a hint of oak. Stylistically, it reminds me of the popular, well-made Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay. Enjoy over the next year.

This leesy, spicy Chardonnay offers notes of ripe fruit,medium body, and a fine finish. Drink this well-made, Burgundian-styled 1999...

...displays an enticing, moderately intense bouquet of Red Delicious apples and pineapples. This friendly, light, dry, crisp Riesling is made in a true German kabinett style.

The dry, crisp, fresh, light-bodied 2001 Sauvignon Blanc Vintner's Reserve exhibits notions of citrus, lanolin, honey suckle and melon.

The 2000 exhibits surprisingly good tropical fruit characteristics along with a subtle whiff of spice. Light to medium-bodied and refreshing, with admirable flavor intensity as well as texture...

The dark ruby-colored, medium-bodied 2000 Pinot Noir Julia's offers aromas of plums, cherries, smoke, and earth. Lush and elegant, with a short finish, it will drink well for 2-3 years.

Smoky, complex aromas of sage, juniper and eucalyptus. Sweet cherry flavors with an undercurrent of black pepper.

Kendall-Jackson's Great Estate portfolio includes a Chardonnay from Arroyo Seco which is as intense and complex as any New World Chardonnay.

(89% merlot and 11% cabernet sauvignon) Saturated medium ruby. Smoky aromas of redcurrant, Cuban tobacco and game. Dense, concentrated and silky; suggests almost roasted ripeness yet also possesses excellent verve and lift. This has lovely fruit. Finishes with dusty tannins and excellent length. 92 points

If unabashedly oaky and long on leesy complexities, this broadly filled youngster never forgets its fruity duties, and, from first sniff through to its lengthy finish, it keeps ripe apples well within its varietal crosshairs. Slightly oily in feel and moderately full in body, it finishes with a crisping bit of acidity and a nicely managed touch of heat that confirms its minor bias to ripeness.