Hartford Court Winery, a.k.a. Hartford Court,...produces a dozen or more Pinot Noirs, but my favorite usually is its Far Coast Vineyard, near Annapolis in the north. This baby needs time; it will be long-lived, and is destined to be one of Hartford Court's greatest wines.

This seventh release from Hartford's sole estate vineyard in the Carneros appellation has a shy nose of red cherry, mushroom with a touch of leather and sweet oak. More vibrant red fruit - rhubarb and pomegranate - plus sweet herb, licorice and leafy berry on the palate.

Intense blackberry and Asian spice. Ripe, with silky tannins and a mineral streak. Voluptuously fruity yet with a solid backbone.

Intense, spicy wild-berry nose. Minerals, cola, dark plum, vanilla and forest floor. Tight, focused finish. Dense, chewy, fresh. Drink now-2017.

A great match with lamb. Complex and toasty with jammy cherry fruit flavors. Exotic, with notes of rose petal, cola, toast and spice.

Floral coffee notes, then bright mulberry fruit, with fine-grained, firm tannins, a hint of mocha and a tangy finish. I wrote in my notes that it has the delicate strength of glass and wire. Not sure exactly what I meant, but somehow it seems right anyway.

Rich nose, cherries, clove. Juicy and supple, but with a taut and ample length.

Hartford's been making this vineyard-designate since the winery's first vintage and has (justifiably, I think) gotten a fair amount of praise for the wine. The site is cold-they get frost from August now and then-with a lot of older vines, and the wine it produced in '05 has lifted boysenberry aromas with fruit that follows suit; the fine acidity keeps it all together, as herb notes rise in the finish. Delicious Pinot.

Herbal and floral aromas with hints of violet, toasted oak, and dark berries. Still young and frisky, needs to mature to justify its lofty price. Concentrated fruit and firm tannins hold promise of lush complexity to come, as well as a longer finish.

Slightly medicinal nose with black currant and cola notes; subdued cherry, berry and fig flavors with a touch of greenness. Low production.

Rich, quite full Pinot Noir, good attack. Good fruit, but more on attack than in complexity. Big solid wine. Up to 5 years.

Ripe, open, concentrated and compact, the perfumed aromas of this full-bodied wine smell of blackberry jam and lots of vanillin oakiness, and the dense, fleshy flavors are equally unabashed…

Stressing ripeness in its somewhat outgoing aromas of jammy, almost syrupy, blackberry and spicy, nutmegy oak…

The sweet, young, berryish fruit aromas show both lots of immediate appeal and plenty of depth. At entry, the flavors are much like the nose with forward blackberry fruit that gives substance to the frontal impressions. Well-structured and fairly weighty on the palate….

This impressive and very forward wine is quite consistent with the winery's outstanding 1994 vintage Zinfandel release. The pretty aromas put its first rate oak on full display yet deep blackberry and chocolate tones push into prominence and without giving in to that oak. Supple on entry and showing handsome, if slightly plummy fruit, the wine is still youthfully ragged in midpalate but is firm and well-balanced and is fully capable of improving for the next two to five years.

Toasty cola and black cherry notes surface despite a hollow core. Backed by somewhat rough-edged tannins.

Elegant yet dramatic, with jammy, oaky flavors.

Like others in this tasting, the wine shows its ripeness as the first order of business, and while that trait night ordinarily put us off a bit, this wine has made a virtue of its intensity, its depth, its mix of berry concentrate and dark chocolate and its incredible richness. It will lose fruit as it ages further, yet it promises to retain richness and its inviting early texture, even as it also loses tannin.

This is a terrific, rich, ripe and very tasty Zinfandel. Its fairly intense aromas convey a clear sense of fruit extracts seasoned by sweet oak. Supple on entry and almost succulent in mid-palate, the excellent balance of the wine provides the needed structure and support for these qualities, and its flavors and aftertaste are filled with the berryish characteristics that are so distinctive to Zinfandel. This one can be enjoyed anytime within the next half decade.

A stunning wine that could pass for a top Batard-Montrachet from Burgundy. Rich and deeply flavored, but also fresh and well-defined, thanks to excellent acidity.

Deep flavors of baked apples and ripe pears.

Classic style. New oak. Fantastic weight, depth and flavour. 2-10 years.

Massive concentration and depth. Classic style. New oak but balanced. Still youthful but pronounced fruit. Fantastic weight, depth, and flavour. Long finish.

Attractive notes of apples, toast and sweet citrus fruits in the nose find parallel character in the direct, well ripened flavors of this neatly balanced, mid-sized Chardonnay. Composure, rather than unbridled richness, is the keynote here, and, if just a touch narrow at the finish, the wine will find useful service with both lighter chicken or meaty fish dishes.

Youthfully bright fruit aromas are considerably enriched by buttery tones and plenty of creamy oak in the appealing nose. Mouthcoating on the palate, the wine is smooth an well-textured. Fruit is the lead player throughout but lees and oak flavors contribute complexity and seasoning that add to the wine's overall richness and sense of depth. Well-balanced, the wine will continue to gain interest over the next few years and will enhance the enjoyment of savory chicken or veal preparations.