Slightly stewed, boiled fruit nose. Warm fruit, balanced, nice chewy tannins, firm and structured. This will keep very well. Very good wine.

...bottlings are fruity, well-focused and eminently enjoyable wines that hit the mark when it comes to varietal fruit and the seductive, supple texture of Pinot Noir.

Slightly jammy but discreet nose. Fresh, vigorous, medium bodied, a touch simple and jammy. Quite spicy, lacks finesse. Good, if you like this style of Pinot.

Musky, rather wild aromas of oatmeal, smoke, iodine, and Islay scotch. Firm-eged flavors of apricot, smoke, earth and spicy oak. Some intriguing mineral notes throughout. Slightly hard on the finish, but has backbone.

Musky aromas of lemon, melon, flowers and stones. Rick and fat but dry and uncompromising. I'd like to have seen a bit more flavor. Finishes slightly warm. This needs to be served with food.

Lively and generous, a juicy mouthful of pineapple, nectarine and cream flavors, finishing with a distinctive balance between crisp acidity and polished texture.

Light and refreshing, with raspberry and beet flavors lingering nicely on a lively frame.

This is a strange style of California Viognier, but an interesting one. The usual flower and fruit notes are undercut by much crier, tart notes of acidity. It's as if the winemaker wanted to make a leaner style of wine. It succeeds, but at the cost of losing varietal character. It's fresh and clean, but easy to mistake for Sauvignon Blanc.

Soft, almost plush, here's a value-priced Merlot in a generous style, its spicy cherry and red plum flavors lingering with a hint of dusky herbs on the solid finish.

With complex aromas of blackberry, mushroom and beet, and an overlay of smoky oak, this wine tastes young, rich and sappy. It's quite dry--even tart at this young age--but with a core of berry fruit and enough dusty tannins to suggest short-term aging.

...test the superlative qualities of California's La Crema Pinot Noir.

From the Russian River Valley, this pinot noir has distinctive black cherry flavors and tantalizing spice.

dry, full-bodied, full tannin, medium acidity; One of the finest Zinfandels we have tasted in a long while.

dry, medium-bodied, medium tannin, medium acidity; A lovely wine full of dried-cherry flavor, with some notes of bitter herbs and a bit of smokiness.

dry, full-bodied, medium acidity, medium oak; Sumptuous--like lemon mousse with tart, creamy flavor and velvety texture.

dry, light-bodied, light tannin, medium acidity; Vivid tart cherry flavor, accented by a little smokiness. Light and inviting. It's well-priced too.

Bright cherry scents turn toward blueberry syrup flavors in this light and gentle syrah. What it lacks in impact it makes up for in grace, in its ease as a house pour.

dry, medium-bodied, medium tannin, medium acidity; Strawberry, blackberry, green pepper flavors. Simple but serviceable.

Blended from a range of vineyards, virtually all from the Napa Valley (one percent from Alexander Valley), this cabernet comes off soft and ripe. The sweet red jam flavors have a crispness in the finish...

dry, full-bodied, full tannin, medium acidity; This wine delivers big, bold flavors: blackberry, cassis, cherry, vanilla, and tar.

dry, full-bodied, medium acidity, heavy oak; An explosion of citrus and creamy mango flavors.

dry, full-bodied, high acidity, heavy oak; A buttery, toasty, pineapple-y cliche of a Chardonnay with a dollop of acidity.