An immense style that's firmly tannic, offering a mix of herbal and cedary flavors. Hints of coffee, leather and tar commingle with earthy currant and sage notes. Definitely needs time. Best from 2003 through 2008.

Blueberry, black cherry, herb and beef notes firm up in the toasty oak nuances of the modestly tannic finish.

Firmly tannic, with artichoke, green bean, plum and currant tones underscored by plenty of toasty oak and dry tannin on the finish.

Medium-full body. Dry. Smoky oak, blackberry and spice aromas; go0d mouth-feel, layered fruit, bright and juicy flavors; long balanced finish.

Pure blueberry fruit compote on the nose, then juicy plum and dark fruit flavors come through. Again, not deep stuff, and probably not meant to be, but certainly not simplistic red wine. The blueberries and cream (from the oak) provide an upbeat finish with vanilla lingering on the finish well after the last swallow.

Well-balanced, with blackberry, toasty oak and plum flavors. Herbal tones mix with firm tannins on the finish.

Firm and tart, with chocolate, game and fresh herb flavors. Tannins are crisp in the finish. Drink now through 2005.

Filled with blackberry and strawberry fruit, it filled the mouth with soft tannins and vanillin oak. Again, it won't be the biggest shiraz you have ever tasted, but there won't be any doubt that it was well made.

...a generously fruity wine with classic tropical fruit and citrus flavors and a long finish. Its crisp acidity is a marked difference...

Very rich, oaky and a bit jammy. Sumptuous and concentrated with a chewy finish.

Scents of raspberry fill this juicy, sweet zin, a simple red to serve with a slight chill.

Here's a strong argument for more syrah in the Santa Maria Valley, especially at the Tepusquet vineyard where Cambria grows 19 acres of the variety. This isn't the most complex wine in the world, but it feels so good in the mouth, perfectly balanced, statuesque. Dark plum skin plays a role in the color and in the savor of the aroma. And there's a mouthwatering, gentle acidity, like that of a rich, ripe pear. The flavors are persistent and dynamic, soft and concentrated, moving out in all directions. Get a case.

Santa Maria Valley. This vintage-driven wine has come through with marvelously balanced ripe fruit played off against a tightly would structure and will simply get better and better over the next few years. A minerally, gunpowder note adds to the wine's range just as creamy, toasty oak adds to its overall richness, and what passes for a wonderfully solid effort seems likely to grow into even better.

Verite is the new, top-flight, merlot based red from Jackson Family Farms, Jess Jackson’s latest project after his remarkable success with Kendall-Jackson. His goal was to produce a wine of the quality of Petrus in California, and he brought in a Frenchman, Pierre Seillan, to grow it and blend it. So the wine comes with high expectations – it’s a blend of lots from the best vineyards in Jackson’s stable. And to be honest, I was more impressed tasting the wine six months ago with Jackson and Seillan than I was tasting it blind. On the first day, I scored it at 90+, clearly an exceptional wine but not showing much. It was closed in, the plummy fruit coming up after plenty of air, the texture rich and mouthcoaing, the character austere, that of a wine packed for age. So I marked it as a wine to retaste the next day, still blind, when it was considerably juicier, yet still completely black, the oak (albeit fine oak) more apparent in a cinnamon savor. Perhaps I am old-fashioned, constantly trying to find a reason, a there there in a wine of such ambitions as this clearly has. Perhaps that reason will come with a succession of vintages, as this wine defines a style, as Seilland begins to state its case. For now, it’s just about great ingredients, made well, built to age.

Ripe and smooth with a slightly syrupy, extracted quality, this black fruit-and-licorice pleasure ball delivers the goods. Full on the palate with dark chocolate flavors and plenty of toasty oak, it finishes dry, rich and flavorful; well-fruited to the end.

Santa Maria Valley. One can see similarities between this wine and its more impressive cellarmate above in the tight, brisk build they share, but whereas the previous wine is more than amply filled out, this one hews to bright angularity and will probably remain that way. Its fruit and energy raise it to recommendable levels, especially in service with dishes like Prince Edward Island mussels in a tangy broth.

Lively, with good depth to fresh herb, plum and currant flavors, nicely underscored by firm tannins and toasty oak.

Well-proportioned, with enough soft, ripe currant and cherry fruit to fill in the holes; turns tannic and austere on the finish.

Well-balanced, and with good concentration to its blackberry, toasty oak and plum flavors. Herbal tones integrate with firm tannins on the finish.

A mix of up-front, supple-textured mocha, currant and vanilla, and harder-edged tannins that gang up on the finish, firming, with leather, herb and a chewy aftertaste. Cabernet (Sauvignon) and Merlot. Drink now through 2008.

Well-focused, with rich cola, black cherry, blackberry, spice and mineral flavors that are intense and lively. Drink now through 2005.

Dark ruby, with ripe, rich, fleshy herb-scented cherry and berry flavors that offer depth and moderate complexity.

A curious wine. Mint makes a strong presence, overshadowing the tart cherry and wild berry flavors in an otherwise rich and concentrated style. Fans of minty Pinots will find this especially appealing. Drink now through 2004.