The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon appears to be even more intense and powerful, with an opaque purple color, and gobs of lavishly oaked, smoky, cassis fruit intertwined with aromas of roasted herbs and high quality toasty oak. This powerful Cabernet reveals plenty of tannin, low acidity, and outsanding concentration and purity. This large-scaled, remarkably well-balanced wine should drink well young yet last for two decades.

The top Chardonnay in Cambria's portfolio is the Chardonnay Reserve, a blend of the best barrels in the cellar. Lush, ripe tropical fruit aromas and flavors are well-displayed in the 1994, as well as more high quality, toasty new oak, and a deeper, more powerful and concentrated feel on the palate. Moreover, this wine provides a hefty alcoholic kick. This is a big, boldly-styled Chardonnay to drink over the next 1-2 years.

[Among] California's most exceptional producers of Pinot Noir. "The 1995 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir exhibits more complexity, a more Burgundian, earthy, spicy nose, deep, dense, rich, full-bodied flavors, sweet tannin, and enough acidity to provide delineation to the wine's well-endowed personality.

Lastly, the 1995 Zinfandel Hartford Ranch is a worthy successor to the blockbuster 1994. Tons of new oak at first smell and taste excessive, but there is more than enough black-cherry, raspberry, and briery fruit to soak up the wood. This is a strongly-flavored, forceful, full-bodied, silky-textured Zinfandel with heady alcohol in its lusty finish. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

Offers lofty levels of fruit as well as a full-bodied, sweet-tasting, fat, lavishly-oaked style. The result is a decadent, lusty Chardonnay to drink over the next 1-2 years. Interestingly, this wine offers more than a gushing mouthful of Chardonnay fruit. The wood and underlying crisp acidity give this wine a vibrant, zingy mouthfeel. It should drink well for 1-2 years.

The 1993 Merlot exhibits an opaque ruby color, a big, exotic, chocolatey, smoky, jammy black-cherry-scented nose, rich, full-bodied, supple flavors, low acidity, and a lush, chewy finish. It is all a Merlot should be. Given its depth and richness, it should age well for 7-8 years.

The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon is a smoky, cassis, herb, and licorice-scented and flavored wine with full body, outstanding richness, good ripeness, and an impressively long finish. Although accessible, this wine should continue to drink well for 12-15 years.

For example, the 1995 Chardonnay (900 cases) was made with 100% native yeast fermentation, put through full malolactic fermentation, completely barrel fermented, and aged in 75% new oak for nearly 18 months, and bottled without filtration. There was considerable stirring of the lees to encourage greater complexity and richness. It is an impressive, young, Burgundian-styled Chardonnay with a smoky, hazelnut, buttery popcorn, honeyed pineapple-scented nose and flavors, full body, great purity and ripeness, and a long, lusty finish. It could easily stand up to just about any Batard-Montrachet made in France, although I doubt it will be long-lived. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.

I have long been an enthusiastic fan of Kendall-Jackson's Grand Reserve Chardonnay and the 1994 is an outstanding wine. This 100% barrel-fermented Chardonnay is made in surprisingly large quantities (about 45,000-50,000 cases), but there is no doubting its lavish display of tropical fruit, butter, and spicy, toasty barrel aromas. This delicious wine is authoritatively rich and full-bodied, with low acidity. While it will not make old bones, it will drink well for 1-2 years.

Edmeades is known for its delicious, fruity Zinfandels from Mendocino.

This wine reveals a strawberry, black-cherry, earthy, slightly tomato-scented nose, a seductive, creamy texture, ripe fruit on the palate, medium to full body, considerable toasty oak, and a soft, layered finish. A delicious Pinot Noir, it falls just short of being exceptional. It should drink well for 2-3 years.

Stonestreet's Chardonnays are barrel-fermented in French oak, of which one-third is new. They reveal copious amounts of flamboyant, toasty, smoky notes, along with lavish ripeness, bordering on decadence in vintages such as the 1994.

This dark ruby-colored wine, which is a blend of Sonoma and Napa Pinot Noir grapes, was fined with egg whites, but not filtered. It exhibits a smoky, sweet, black-cherry and vanillin-scented nose, round, long, expansive flavors, a seductive personality, and light tannin allied with gobs of fruit and glycerin in the lusty finish. It should drink well for 3-4 years.

It exhibits an opaque purple color, a sweet, ripe, olive, chocolate, smoky, cassis-scented nose, dense, full-bodied flavors, moderate tannin, potentially exceptional extract, fine purity, and a long, spicy finish. The wine admirably combines the purity and ripeness of California fruit with a slight degree of the austerity and restraint exhibited by a top Bordeaux.

Edmeades is known for its delicious, fruity Zinfandels from Mendocino.

It is a full-bodied Chardonnay with a red wine nose of strawberries, as well as tropical fruit and intense, toasty American oak aromas. There is nothing subtle about this medium to full-bodied, in-your-face Chardonnay. Drink it over the next year.

The 1995 Chadonnay Alexander Mountain Estate is more backward, but it should turn out to be just as rich, tasty, and enjoyable as the 1994.