Claret-like but the wine has the long finish of zinfandel. An enticing whiff of raspberry.

Claret-like but the wine has the long finish of a zinfandel. An enticing whiff of raspberry.

an underrated varietal that's making a comeback.

Low-keyed, but fairly correct in aroma with oak-accented notes of berries its essential theme, this simple, relatively straightforward Zin counts cleanliness and good balance among its major virtues.

The outstanding 1997 Legacy offers copious quantities of smoky, toasty oak, jammy black currant and cassis fruit, full body, and moderate tannin…

Ranked 17: Stonestreet's Chardonnays are seductive, both in flavor and price.

Ranked 59

The most opulent, sexy, and immediately charming of this admirable quartet of Lokoya Cabernets is the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain. It exhibits a saturated purple color in addition to an explosive nose of licorice, cedar, roasted herbs, and black plums and currants. Full-bodied, with a voluptuous texture, low acidity, and heady alcohol, this offering possesses considerable tannin, but it is beautifully submerged by the wine's depth of extract and high glycerin. Impressive, with a flamboyant personality.

…reveals crème de cassis/mineral aromas, a superb mid-palate, and a full-bodied personality with impressive length and purity. It is not for readers desiring immediate gratification as it requires 4-5 years of cellaring.

Softer in the mouth, but full-bodied, dense, and rich, it is an immensely impressive effort.

It offers a distinctive kirsch, black cherry liqueur, and loamy soil-scented character to its full-bodied richness. Along with the Diamond Mountain, it is the most expansive and charming of these blockbuster Cabernets. Full-bodied, with admirable depth and purity, this wine can be drunk over the now as well as over the next 20 years.

An earthy, gamy, briery, bramble-like perfume jumps from the glass of this medium ruby-colored, luscious, decadently rich effort.

…exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color in addition to a toasty nose, chocolate, black currant, lead pencil, and smoke. Full-bodied, with high tannin, this pure, concentrated wine needs another 2-3 years of cellaring.

Reminiscent of some of Domaine Parent's old fashioned Pommards I enjoyed in the early seventies, its medium ruby color is followed by aromas of overripe plums, blackberries, cherries, and toast. Full-bodied with a nicely layered, plump texture, this low acid, luxuriously rich, expressive Pinot Noir is one of the sleepers being made in California.

It exhibits honeyed lemon and buttery fruit, sweet, toasty pineapple and honeysuckle-like flavors, a fleshy texture, and an elegant, moderately long finish.

"It displays some tropical fruit, but is more dominated by a flinty, lime, and citrus character. Rich, with medium to full body, this classy, concentrated Chardonnay should drink well for 1-2 years.

Revealing a similar tannic firmness and copious black currant fruit, the 1997 Cabernet is a spicy, lavishly wooded effort.

The 1997 Chardonnay is an excellent value. …it exhibits a big, roasted nut, smoky, Meursault-like nose with copious quantities of honeysuckle and rich, buttery, tropical fruit. Lavishly rich and mouthfilling, this widely available Chardonnay should have immense crowd appeal.

…this tropical fruit and honeysuckle-dominated wine reveals smoke, gorgeous fruit, excellent purity, and a medium to full-bodied, luscious finish. It is a crowd-pleasing Chardonnay with abundant power and intensity.

It is a fat, big, rich delicious effort bursting with peppery, spicy, cherry fruit with a touch of blackberries. Interestingly, the blend was 78% Zinfandel, 8%Sangiovese, 3% Syrah, and 11% Petite Sirah.

All the Zinfandel varietal characteristics - black cherry, pepper, briery fruit - are present in moderately high levels.

Medium ruby-colored, this seductive, sexy Pinot offers candied cherry/strawberry flavors infused with smoke and toasty oak. Full, fleshy, and heady, this is another crowd pleasing, exceptionally well-made wine.

…displays an obvious nose of mocha, white chocolate, and berry fruit. Fleshy, full-bodied, and tannic, it requires 8-12 months of bottle age, and should drink well for a decade.

…exhibit dark ruby/purple color, abundant spicy oak, medium body, and moderate tannin. …cuts a more structured, richer mouthfeel, with tobacco, cassis, and licorice characteristics.