Intriguing adjuncts of dusty spice, nutmeg, dried flowers and loamy earth lend a complexing assist to well-defined berry-like fruit in both the medium-intense nose and very ripe flavors of this relatively involving wine. It shows its very best early on, however, and its slight lack of fruity depth is made evident as compromising heat flares up in the finish. Still, its latter-palate foibles are not of great concern, and its happy marriage of richness, range and value wins it recommendation

Good full deep red. Musky dark berries, licorice and mint on the nose. Denser than the Clone 115, with a firmer structure; less pliant and sweet but fresher in the middle. A sturdy, solid pinot with modest complexity.

Leesy, sweet aromas of pineapple, mango, flowers and spicy oak. Sweet flavors of pineapple and clove lifted by a note of wintermint. Offers good weight in the mouth and finishes with spicy persistence.

Good bright medium ruby. Slightly high-toned aromas of cherry, raspberry, mint and baking spices. Juicy and fruit-driven, with moderate flesh and concentration and a saline suggestion of extract. Finishes slightly tart-edged but bright.

Dark red. Aromas of red currant, cedar, menthol, tar and tobacco leaf, with a faint weedy quality. Juicy and fruity, with good flavor intensity but a slight greenness. On the lean side, with somewhat drying tannins. A good effort for the vintage.

Medium red-ruby. Sappy aromas of raspberry, currant, bitter cherry, graphite, mint and dark chocolate. Leanish and firm-edged, without quite the flavor development of the Alexander Valley bottling. Here the slightly dry tannins shorten the fruit. Finishes with a hint of tartness.

Longtime winemaker Van Williamson has crafted a late-harvest style wine, with 16.5% alcohol. The rich berry flavors drink on the sweet side, but the wine is saved from flabbiness by firm acids. Zinfandel from these fog-free ridgetops ripens to high sugars, and the winemaker's challenge is to make the wine balanced.

Actually from Redwood Valley appellation, a bruiser of a wine, with 15.6% alcohol. The lush, ripe berry flavors are delicious and jammy, but drink hot, and there are raisiny notes in the finish. Still, it's a big, bold example of this style, and quintessentially California.

Saturated meduim-deep ruby. Musky, meaty aromas of cassis, blackberry, animal fur and gun metal. Then quite hard on the palate, lacking sweetness and flesh. I don't find much personality here. Finishes slightly herbal and a bit dry.

The linalool scent of Fruit Loops carries this floral, musky riesling. There's no structure, just sweet fruit, ready to chill for afternoon tea.

Smoky and caramelized, this has a burn to its alcohol, yet there's also a friskiness...

The '97 Stature cab is made largely from Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain fruit. Intense black pepper, blackberry jam, cassis, chocolate, and smoky licorice mark the nose along with barnyard and tobacco tones. Huge on the palate. The finish is lone and stylish with vanilla, cherry and pepper flavours. A wonderful wine with a big future.

New re-plantings have focused on various clones giving the wine big, overripe peach and floral tangerine aromas along with spicy, smoky, green apple, honey and mineral tones. Rich and round with butterscotch, spiced apple, smoky lees, and mineral flavours. Intense yet elegant and balance.

Open spicy, floral, clove, apple and pear nose with ripe melon, vanilla, lees and butter well integrated. Very rich and viscous with a touch of oiliness. Big melon, mango, clove, lees, spice flavours and a long baked-apple, butterscotch finish. Very refined and long, top quality here.

Open and complex nose with intense blackberry, cassis jam, tobacco, barnyard, eucalyptus aromas. The wine has a rich mid-palate with intense vanilla, smoky, blackberry, tobacco, and earth flavours and some ripe but noticeable tannin. Long, intense and balanced.

Buckeye cab is mountain-grown, and aged in 82 percent French oak. The nose is sensational. Ripe blackberry, waxy, minty, peppery licorice aromas and some barnyard, blueberry, violet tones. Very rich and round with ripe, soft, chewy tannins. A big, intense hillside cabernet with great character. Very fine value.

Open nose with lanolin, honey, mineral, creamy lees, citrus and floral aromas. Rich and round with good acidity. Long pineapple, honey and apple finish. A touch hot, like the 98 but a bit more elegant and with better acidity balance, although less ripe tropical fruit characters.

Put aside any preconceptions you may have about the Kendall-Jackson style, the wine that struck gold with a touch of residual sweetness, and taste this new release made by Randy Ullom. You'll recognize the Jackson touch in the wine's size and ripeness: It's big and full, with sweet peach scents. But it doesn't finish sweet, and it goes far beyond anything you might have tasted before from this producer: This is a complex, winey chardonnay, built on a robust layering of flavors that last in a gentle, unhurried way. In fact, you could sip and study it over the course of hours, trying to unravel the layers of smoked meat, apple mash and applewood smoke, pear and dry peach. The promise of ripeness is there in the initial aroma and carries through...

Open black cherry, spicy, cola, earth and pepper aromas with a touch of barnyard and strawberry jam in the background. Round and moderately rich with supple mouth feel. Finish is soft and balanced with earth and strawberry. Very good quality for current and near-term consumption.

A blend of six different vineyards and multiple clones, and unfined and unfiltered. Very nice buttery, citrus, floral, nutty aromas with peach, melon and spice. Richer and rounder on the palate with and a nice melon, creamy finish. Elegant and long with good acidity balance. Good value.

Unfiltered Chardonnays always give us pause because their hazy appearances can often be accompanied by an array of unusual and unwanted characteristics. Not so here, however. This wine is clean and fruity throughout with sweet, gala apple notes and creme brulee notes of oak showing the way. A similar sense of focus is integral to the wine's medium-intensity flavors, and while this version of Chardonnay is not the most dramatic to be found, it is, nevertheless, a wine that is sure to be enjoyed with a wide variety of foods.

It takes some time for the completely dry pineapple flavors of this wine to develop, but as it takes on air, they go beyond the pleasantly musty scent of old books to develop fresher green tones and layers of flavor. There's an intensity to the gripping, mouthwatering acidities...

Separate lots of Sonoma fruit with some Santa Barbara, and aged in French oak. Layers of tropical fruit, pear, apple and citrus aromas complemented by well-integrated vanilla, spice, clove and smoke notes. We like the wood restraint and its bright spicy apple, toasty lees, honey and citrus butter flavours. Better than a simple California appellation indicates.

Made from old vines yielding about 1.5 tons per acre. Ripe blackberry, white pepper, earth and licorice aromas with a touch of roasted bell pepper and raspberry. Round and soft with a touch of acidity and hotness. An elegant style that is less jammy than other areas of Sonoma and ready to drink.