Medium golden luster. Medium-bodied. Highly extracted. Heavily oaked. Walnut accents with apple aromas. Lemon and apple palate with oak on the finish.

Bright yellow gold. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Ripe tropical nose follows throughout on the palate with a glycerous mouthfeel. Attractive.

Bright pale yellow. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Zesty citrus aromas with textured mouthfeel shows a spicy note on the finish. Supple and balanced.

A smooth and supple Meritage, deeply concentrated, with a rich, detailed core of mineral, coffee, currant, cherry and sage flavors and a long, complex aftertaste where the flavors keep pumping. Drinks well now, but should be a beauty in another year or two.

Strives for complexity with its aromas and currant, cedar, plum and anise flavors, but the tannins swarm in, and it's dry and not terribly concentrated.

Clean, lightly herbal aroma, ripe melon accents; forward fruity flavors, hint of sweetness; short finish. Try with seared halibut with fruit salsa, taco salad.

.a superior petite sirah, try 1995 Edmeades Eagle Point Petite Sirah, with an aroma of chocolate, anise, pepper and clove, and a full, thick taste that's plenty tannic, but which smooths out with hearty foods. With pizza, the match is sublime.

This is a wine with a magnificent potpourri of fruit, oak and smells and tastes of the earth (both Napa and Sonoma vineyards, from Rutherford to Jess Jackson's mountain estate above the Alexander Valley) from which it sprang. This is natural winemaking at its very best.

Impressive. Has layers of complexity, with aromas of melon, grass, grapefruit, plus a hint of oak. Flavors are rich but end on a crisp note.

Perfumed floral aroma with smoky oak and gamey accents; richly textured berry flavors, slightly herbal; firm tannins; length. Try with portobello mushroom sandwich.

Opens with a lovely, elegant nose leading to delicious juicy fruit with soft, inviting mid-palate flavors.

A worthy successor to the '93...is fragrant with classic pinot perfume, silky and delicious on the palate.

Pale straw appearance. Medium-bodied. Full acidity. Moderately extracted. Tart peach, lemon, vanilla. Faint vanilla notes with lemony aromas that follow through on the palate. A red tart with subtle oak.

Very fresh, with newly mown grass and ripe fig notes; ripe lemon flavors add dimension in the mouth, framed by just a hint of spice and structure.

This one smells of creamy oak and fresh melon and pear-like vitality. A burst of fruit envelops the front of the palate while brisk acidity provides balance towards the finish. Good value.

Nicely focused in the nose, yet a bit shy on intensity throughout, this well-polished, medium-bodied Pinot gets good marks for its proper fruit, its extra bit of oaky richness and a lengthy finish. Never a flamboyant, it can improve for a few years in bottle.

Lovely wild cherry flavors with notes of spice are the immediate draw here, and the sinuous texture is well worth noting as well. You'll find the projective fruit delightful, suggestive of young Pommard from a fine producer who would emphasize texture and fruit over concentration and wood. Consumption over the next couple years is most advisable, as you wouldn't want these remarkable pinot flavors to fade, especially at the price of admission.

A dense, opaque, black/purple color and a sensational nose of Asian spices, toasty new oak, cassis and herbs. Full-bodied and intense, with underlying gracefulness and style, this is the first vintage where Cardinale has merited its lofty price.

When it comes to solidly oaked California chardonnay, the resulting butterscotch flavor is all right when apparent in moderation, all wrong when it seems to be applied with a trowel. This wine shows that flavor in moderation, with plenty of lovely fruit and its natural acidity in balance. Here's a match for thick-cut swordfish steaks, lemon-basted, grilled and scattered with pepper.

An impressive, full-bodied, low acid, dense, powerful wine, it possesses plenty of black currant and berry fruit intertwined with licorice, smoke, and vanillin scents. This layered, chewy, broad-shouldered, husky wine should be drinkable when released, and keep for two decades.

Intense and concentrated, with a range of flavors that stretches from earth to spice, cranberry and cherry.

Another excellent offering from Kendall-Jackson's inexpensive Vintner's Reserve program, this melony, subtlety herbaceous, medium-bodied wine is fresh and lively with good fruit and a crisp, dry finish.

Sweet but juicy and flavorful, offering plenty of floral, grape and honeyed apple flavors that linger on the soft, balanced finish.

Sweet but juicy and flavorful, offering plenty of floral, grape and honeyed apple flavors that linger on the soft, balanced finish.