Impressively concentrated, backward, and full-bodied, it exhibits aromas and flavors of blueberries, minerals, cherries, and root vegetables. Tightly knit, full-bodied, structured, and concentrated, it needs 2-3 years of cellaring and should keep from 10-12+. If my instincts are correct, this is going to be a very special Pinot Noir.

An outstanding effort, as well as a curiosity, is the 1999 Pinot Noir Marin Vineyard. Most Marin County real estate is stratospherically priced, as this county has more than its share of multi-million dollar homes as well as some of the wealthiest residents of the San Francisco Bay area. Made from a 14-year old vineyard planted with the Mt. Eden clone, cropped at a meager one ton of fruit per acre, and bottled with no filtration, this earthy, dark ruby-colored Pinot reveals abundant qualities of sweet black fruits, dry tannin, good structure, and notions of melted fudge intermixed with black cherries, plums and raspberries. Dense, deep, youthful, and unevolved, it will age nicely for a decade. Don Hartford's winemaker, Mike Sullivan, told me that, like all their Pinot Noirs, it enjoyed a six-day cold soak prior to fermentation. About 70% new French oak was utilized.

The 1999 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters Vineyard comes from the cooler northern area of Anderson Valley. Made from such clones as Dijon #115 and Pommard, this dark ruby-colored offering exhibits a sweet, raspberry, brown sugar-like bouquet as well as smoky, attractively integrated toasty scents, medium to full body, decent acidity, and outstanding purity and ripeness. Sixty percent new French oak was utilized during the aging process. While accessible, it promises to drink well for 5-8 years.

The dense ruby/plum-colored 1999 Pinot Noir Bench Break exhibits abundant quantities of vibrant berry fruit intermixed with smoke, charcoal, and mineral. The wine was aged in 100% new french oak, and is slightly more structured and denser than the open-knit Julia's Vineyard. This wine will benefit from another 6-8 months of bottle age up to a decade.

Sees about 40% French new oak and is made from totally destemmed grapes. Ot possesses ripe cherry and cranberry fruit, along with notes of pomegranate, pepper, and spice. Tangy, medium to full-bodied, and fruit-driven, it should drink nicely for 4-5 years.

tasted last year & just being released, is also powerful, but the tannin is sweeter & the wine riper, richer, & more expansive on the mid-palate. It should last for 15-20 years.

More monolithic and less evolved, but potentially outstanding, the 1999 Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch/Sanchietti Vineyard was muted the day I tasted it. Nevertheless, it is a plump, full-bodied, tannic effort with force and muscle, but not the charm or aromatics of its siblings. Those characteristics may develop over the next year, but this forceful, moderately tannic, dense 1999 does not lack concentration or intensity. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2009

Readers looking for a more understated, restrained effort will enjoy Hartford's 1999 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard (204 cases). This 90-year old vineyard produced 204 cases of Zinfandel that finished with a mere 14.5% alcohol. Offering up spicy red and black fruit aromas, medium to full body, excellent harmony, good acidity, and impressive balance, it should drink well for 6-7. All of these old vine 1999 Zinfandels are made from yields averaging under two tons of fruit per acre.

There are 2638 cases of the artisinal '98 Pinot Noir, a big, rich, earthy, animal-styled Pinot with plenty of black cherry fruit, pepper, & plum aromas as well as flavors. Medium to full-bodied & fruit-driven, with good glycerin & a silky texture, it requires consumption over the next 2-3 years.

is surprisingly soft, round, & forward for a Petit Syrah. The wine has plenty of character, an opaque ruby/purple color, & good peppery, blackberry & licorice notes. It should drink well for 10-12 years.

Among current & upcoming red wine releases, the 1998s reflect the strict selection Stonestreet employed. They usually make about 15,000 cases of Merlot, but in '98, after the selection process, there are only 6,000 cases available. A blend of 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Cabernet Franc, this wine is showing much better from bottle than it did last year. It reveals smoky, chocolatey, & black cherry notes with well-integrated oak. Full-bodied, powerful, yet slightly angular, it should drink well for a decade.

The dark ruby/purple-colored '97 Merlot offers an expressive nose of cocoa, fudge, herb-tinged blackberry & berry fruit. The wine has some tannin to shed, but it is a muscular, full-bodied, robus Merlot to drink over the next 10-12 years.

Tomato skin and black cherry aromas and flavors are presented in a fuller-bodied, more powerful, tannic style. Hardly a profound Merlot, it will last for 7-8 years.

The 1998 is a clean, crisp, straightforward, pleasant, medium-bodied Chardonnay with hints of tangerine and orange. It needs to be drunk up.

a rich, buttery, full-malolactic Chardonnay bottled with no fining or filtration. It has plenty of power & is extremely friendly. Drink it over the next year.

9500 cases, has an opaque purple color as well as a powerful constitution. There is no herbaceousness to the flavors of this surprisingly big & flavorful effort. Look for it to round into shape in 2-3 years & last for up to 15.

The 1999 Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc exhibits aromas and flavors of honeysuckle, citrus, and grapefruit in its light to medium-bodied, refreshing personality. It should be drunk over the next year.

Reveals an impressive, saturated purple color, and a blackberry and and crème de cassis-scented nose... It has copious fruit... because this wine is certainly concentrated and very well-made just

It is a straightforward, lemony, melon, and grapefruit-scented and flavored wine, with elegance, crisp acidity, and light to medium body. Drink it up, as it already seems to be drying out.

As longtime readers know, the Journey produced by Matanzas Creek is one of an increasing number of absurdly priced, good yet unexciting California wines. Of course, one can cite many examples from France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and elsewhere that are overpriced, but isn't it time consumers begin saying no to wines that prey on a group of consumers with more discretionary income than taste? There are 235 six-packs of this wine, which has a dark ruby color, as well as earthy, cherry currant, and herb-tinged aromatics intermixed with toasty new oak. The wine tastes attenuated as well as austere. If my instincts are correct, it is already beginning to drop its fruit. Caveat emptor. This chunky, spicy wine is a bad value at one-third the price. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

The 1997 Merlot is a straightforward, medium-bodied, monolithic offering with good cranberry and cherry fruit intermixed with a touch of herbs, wood, and earth. Lake many overpriced California wines, it is too expensive for what is delivers.

The 1999 Chardonnay, which was put through 00% malolactic fermentation in barrel, is a smoky, well-textured, richer effort, with notes of creamy tropical fruits and spices. This clean, medium to full-bodied white is best drunk over the next 1-2 years.

The red wines are better than the whites & cover a lot of styles. You can order the '94 Stonestreet Russian Rvr. Pinot Noir ($58).

remarkably elegant and polished, with ripe, sweet, juicy plum and wild berry, turning elegant and sophisticated, with a long, detailed finish.

*high price, high quality *deep, elegant fruit - This is the top of the top range of Kendall-Jackson's 'Jackson Family Farms Wines' and the fruit comes 79% from Napa, 21% from Sonoma with an overall blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. The colour is deep & vibrant, the fruit beautifully balanced, with none of the over-extraction of many California 'super-stars', and the wine almost but not quite ready to drink.