A revelation. Reminiscent of a Sonoma version of Dalla Valle's Napa classic, Maya, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as aromas of creosote, charcoal, blackberries, currants, licorice, and toasty oak. There is enormous concentration and mass in the mouth, a great, multilayered mid-palate, a sweet tannin in the long, seamless finish. This prodigious 2001 oozes with complexity as well as flavor. What an achievement! Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030.

The terrific 1999 Cardinale (a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot) possesses a murky purple color as well as a sweet nose of vanilla, Asian spices, licorace, and blackberry/currant fruit. Full-bodied, dense, and chewy with moderately high tannin, this large-scaled, pure red will handsomely repay cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2007 - 2020+.

A colossal effort, the 400 case cuvee of 2000 Hartford Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard (from vines planted in 1904) boasts a mere 16 % alcohol. Raspberry liqueur intermixed with briery, berry fruit, and a distinctive pepper earthiness are characteristics of this full throttle, balls-to-the-walls Zinfandel. Dense and huge yet surprisingly well balanced, it will drink well for 5-6 years.

Finest Chardonnay, from a vineyard made famous by Helen Turley. It boasts buttery citrus, grapefruit, and honeysuckle notes, full body, and great fruit presence with notions of minerals, orange skins, lemons and pineapples. A beautifully textured white with a French grand cru white Burgundy-like length, it will drink well for 4-5 years.

Exhibits an opaque blue/purple color along with scents of graphite, smoky oak, minerals, and blackberry/currant fruit offered in a ripe, opulent, full bodied, super-extracted style. The acidity, alcohol, and tannin are all beautifully integrated. It appears to be the most prodigious Cardinale since their sensational 1997. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020+.

The fabulous 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Cougar Vineyard is unquestionably the finest of these three vintages. It possesses a saturated blue/purple color, gorgeous aromas of creme de cassis, smoke, graphite, and vanilla, and fabulous purity of fruit. Layered and concentrated, with sweet tannin, it should drink well for two decades.

There are 811 cases of the 2000 Chardonnay Stone Cote, a provocative effort remniscent of a Chevalier-Montrachet in its greenish light straw color, gorgeous perfume of honeyed citrus, nectarines, white peaches, and steely, liquid minerality. Full bodied, tightly knit and super-endowed, it is a brilliant white that should evolve for 5-7 years.

From a 95-year old vineyard, the 2000 Hartford Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard (520 cases, 15.8 % alcohol) has fine acidity, giving definition to its big, briery, raspberry and cherry flavors presented in a full bodied, concentrated, delicious style. This hedonistic fruit bomb will drink well for 3-4 years.

A rare offering from some of northern California's most expensive real estate, the 2000 Pinot Noir Marin Vineyard is a 315-case cuvee exhibiting tremendous earthy, plum, fig, and meaty-scented aromatics, and sweet, root beer-flavored fruit with a hint of cocoa emanating from the full-bodied palate. This stunning effort displays a grand cru Gevrey-Chambertin-like character. It should drink well for 5-8 years.

More serious, the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard possesses terrific color saturation in addition to sweet, concentrated blackberry and currant fruit intermixed with underbrush and smoke characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, layered, and impressive, it is one of the finest Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignons I have tasted. Given its opulence, it will be accessible young, and should age well for 10-15 years.

Offers more intensity, layers of flavor, and enticing texture as well as length.

It possesses a Bordeaux-like profile (although it is fuller-bodied than most Bordeaux) with notes of cocoa, chocolate, black cherries, cassis, and liquid minerals. Smoky, rich, and sweet on the attack, with firm tannin in the finish, this still young, unevolved red required 3-4 more years o cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018.

A wine of undeniable complexity. More evolved aromatically than the 1999, it reveals notes of minerals, licorice, coffee, black fruits, and smoky oak. Although it can not match the 1999's sheer volume and intensity of flavor, the 2000 is full-bodied and rich, with hints of roasted tobacco, sweet blackberry and espresso-tinged fruit, and a long, opulent finish. It should drink well for 15+ years.

Creamier and juicier with intense tropical fruit notes. Dense and fruity, with a green hue to its straw color, it should drink well for 4-5 years.

Along with Turley Cellars and Robert Biale, Hartford has become one of northern California's most compelling Zinfandel producers. That is evidenced by the following five Zinfandels, all heavyweights from a difficult vintage. The 2000 Hartford Zinfandel Russian River (1000 cases, 15.9 % alcohol) is a sexy, sweet, ripe effort with oodles of briery, berry fruit intermixed with pepper, earth, and new oak. There is good acidity, but this is not meant for aging so enjoy it over the next 3-4 years.

Reveals a complex aromatic display of plums, red currants, cherries, earth, and spice. It possesses delicate flavors, low acidity, fine ripeness,and a seductive, premier cru Cotes de Beaune-like personality. This is the only Pinot Noir offering where the acidity seemed moderate rather than high.

The dense, dark ruby color of the 2000 Pinot Noir Seven Bench Vineyard is followed by pure aromas of red and black fruits intermixed with acacia flowers. Medium to full-bodied, but tight-fisted in the mouth as well as angular in the finish, if it fleshes out with aging, it will turn out ot be a spectacular Pinot given its olfactory fireworks.

St. Emilion look-alike, this wine is difficult to fully understand. The aromatics justifiy a mid-ninety point score, but the palate merits an upper-eighty point rating, so where does that leave us? It possesses a dense saturated purple color, a phenomenal bouquet of dried Provencal herbs, sweet black fruits, spring flowers, and scorched earth, and medium body, but the finish is a bit compressed for all the perfume and impressive attack. It will unquestionably be an outstanding wine, but it is not as remarkable as the 2001. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.

It was nearly impossible to judge the closed 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard. While unquestionably a very good wine, I was unable to determine if it was an exceptional effort because of the high tannin and unformed nature of what I tasted.

Possesses less weight and depth than the 1999. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by beautiful sweetness upfront, but hard, austere tannin in the finish. There is a lot going on, but my instincts suggest the tannin level may be troublesome. Antici

The high acid 2000 Pinot Noir Arrendel Vineyard (from the cool climate Green Valley area) exhibits a dark ruby/purple color along with a huge, intense bouquet of sweet black cherries intermixed with liquid minerals and herbs. Made from frightfully small yields of less than one ton of fruit per acre, this 800-case offering possesses a low pH (high acidity compresses the texture, giving the wine a lean, austere personality), but there is trememdous complexity aromatically. If it fleshes out, it will merit an outstanding rating.

Inky in color, tannic, and dense, with plenty of muscle and structure, but not as much sweetness or charm as the 1999. The harvest was extremely late as this is on one of the windiest and coolest sections of the Alexander Mountain Estate Vineyard. Neverthless, this is a very good effort that will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2014.

Lighter, but fruity, elegant, and pretty, the 2000 exhibits a more evolved personality, displaying notes of coffee, black cherry and currant fruit, and spicy new oak. Although meduim-bodied, it does not have the depth or persistence fo the 1999 and 2001. Nevertheless, it offers plenty of charm.

With respect to Matanzas Creek's Chardonnay, the new winemaking techniques include largely indigenous yeast fermentations, whole cluster pressing, and lees stirring. That is evidenced by the 2001 Chardonnay, which exhibits a creamy texture along with notes of minerals, oranges, and tropical fruits presented in a medium-bodied, clean, delicious, dry style. The wood influence is kept in the background.

Another high acid, austere-styled Pinot Noir is the 2000 Dutton Ranch/Sanchietti Vineyard. It offers up scents of plums, sweet as well as sour cherries, toasty oak, loamy soil, and flowers. The flavors are tough-textured, austere, and angular because of the high acidity/low pH. It should drink well for 5-7 years, possibly longer.