...loaded with tropical fruit. With huge quantities of glycerin, it cuts a broad mouthfeel, and has a textured, beautifully pure mid-palate and finish.

"...superb...displays more earth and mineral characteristics in its buttered caramel, pineapple, and custard-filled aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and rich, with terrific texture and a long finish, it should drink well..." *Mr. Parker originally reviewed this wine prior to its release. At the time of his initial review, it was known as the "Durell Vineyard" Chardonnay. Today, that product is know as "Sonoma Valley" and is the same wine.

Extracted to a black and concentrated density, this wine grips the palate with smoky, warm fruit and vast stretches of tannin. The dark plum and sharper cranberry flavors hit up against the tannin and crash into savory waves.

Super-rpeness lends this wine a complex scent of leather and fresh prunes. It's tight , yet it carries the Port-like richness of an old-style Napa red, rich as the feel of the leather seats in an old Mercedes convertible. The complexity lasts through the finish, evolving as it takes on air in the glass to reveal soft layers of mety fruit and herbs. This should age gracefully.

...dense purple-colored (Merlot) is superb. From a vineyard planted at 2, 500 feet with very poor soils...this formidably-endowed Merlot poseses aromas and flavors of roasted coffee, black fruits, iron, and smoke. Full-bodied, chewy, and muscular, yet accessible, it should drink well...

The glass-staining purple hue shows off the power of fruit, though for now it stnds behind a wall of toasted, caramelized oak. Jammy and tough, this mountain cabernet is a rough black wine that needs plenty of time to resolve.

"...exhibits copious quantities of pure black currant fruit intermixed with cedar, smoke, and spice box. It is full-bodied, opulent, rich...

With abundant amounts of Asian spices, minerals, black cherries, and cassis as well as admirable structure, this fruit-dominated, full-bodied, large-scaled, opulent wine should drink well...

This beautifully crafted red has a fine depth of color and a ripe black currant aroma. The clean scent of fruit grows more sophisticated with an overlay of dark green herbs, leather and a glimmer of burnished oak. Youthfully tannic for now, it's already well suited to a steak, but should prove more complex and satisfying with several years of age.

"Even better is the outstanding 1999...low-acid, fleshy, full-bodied Chardonnay. Offering up notes of passion fruit, apricot, peach, and honeysuckle, it is full-bodied, rich and ostentatious." *Mr. Parker originally reviewed this wine prior to its release. At the time of his initial review, it was known as the "Clark Vineyard" Chardonnay. Today, that product is known as "Arroyo Seco" and is the same wine.

...reveals more acidity and smokiness, without the voluptuous fatness possessed by the 1998. It is certainly fine, with plenty of tropical fruit and nicely integrated wood.

...substantial wine that is 100% barrel-fermented, mostly in French oak. It possesses good underlying acidity as well as abundant quantities of tangerine, orange marmalade, honeysuckle, and tropical fruit notes. The oak character is more prominent than in the Vintner's Reserve, but this is medium to full-bodied, rich Chardonnay...

It is a fleshy, medium to full-bodied, well-delineated Chardonnay loaded with tropical fruits infused with subtle, smoky oak...

... the dark ruby/purple-colored (Merlot) exhibits abundant quantities of mocha, black cherry, and currant fruit with smoke and fennel in the background. Textured, rich, pure as well as medium to full-bodied, this wine should drink well...

Although made in a lighter, leaner less concentrated style, the 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Great Estates Napa offers blueberry, camphor, and black currant fruit, medium body, and Bordeaux-like weight...

Ripe and juicy, here's a Cab that rises to the occasion, with fine currant, berry and herbal aromas, compounded with spicy oak. Very dry and fancy, it offers plenty of balance and harmony, and tastes soft, rich and complex.

...a remarkable wine for the price. Notes of lemon custard, tropical fruits, honeysuckle, and citrus combine in this fruit-driven medium-bodied cleanly made effort. The wood influence is kept in the background for fear of compromising the wine's delicious fruit characteristics.

Like almost all good Pinots from this Sonoma region, this starts out with a typical Russian River nose of raspberries, with herbal touches of mint and grass. The overall profile is a bit soft and woody, especially early on, but then it airs out nicely, showing some jamminess, lots of vanilla from the copious oak, and full length in the finish.

An exuberantly fruity, low-tannin Pinot with quite a bit of charm. Bursting with young, jammy wild-berry fruit, it tastes fruity and very spicy. Has those soft, juicy tannins that make it immediately drinkable, especially with spicy, salty foods.

Hugely successful...a remarkable wine for the price. Notes of lemon custard, tropical fruits, honeysuckle, and citrus combine in this fruit-driven, medium-bodied, cleanly made effort. The wood influence is kept in the background for fear of compromising the wine's delicious fruit characteristics.

The 1998 reveals high acidity, a nice lemony, creamy texture, medium body, and a clipped but satisfying finish. It should drink well for 2-3 years.

The 1999 Chardonnay, which was put through the 100% 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 dark ruby-colored (Pinot Noir) offers a sweet nose of currants, cherries, earth, and spice. This well-textured, fleshy Pinot is best drunk over its first 4-5 years of life.

Full, dry. Fresh berry aroma, black pepper and anise accents; intense fruity flavors, excellent acidity and tannins; good length.