.explosive fruit, an opulent texture, big, thick, fleshy, low acid flavors with outstanding richness, and a spicy, rich concentrated finish with the tannin and acidity buried beneath an avalanche of chewy fruit.

...smells like blackberry liqueur. Deep, with sweet tannin, low acidity, and gobs of fruit, it is a sexy, seductive Syrah that should drink beautifully during its first decade of life.

.exhibits an opaque purple colr, accompanied by a smoky, mineral, cassis, and roasted olive-scented nose, and dense, fulll-bodied flavors with abundant black fruit, licorice, and smoke.

The wine reveals the ripe fruit their Alexander Valley vineyard achieves. The use of heavily toasted Demptos barrels and indigenous yeasts for fermentation give these wines provocative aromatics. The Cabernet Sauvignon is built along the line of the Merlot, offering a hedonistic mouthful of fleshy, rich, briery, dense, berry, smoky, and herb-tinged fruit. Full-bodied, with a lashing of sweet tannin, this lusty, decadently rich, flamboyant Cabernet Sauvignon should drink well for 12-15 years.

...exhibits a smoky, tropical fruit-scented nose, followed by rich, roasted herb, intensely honeyed fruit flavors. The wine possesses good underlying acidity, excellent purity, and a long, lush, hedonistic finish. Drink this delicious, complex Chardonnay over the next several years.

...appears to be marginally superior to its 1996 counterpart. The medium ruby-colored 1995 displays a Burgundy-like black cherry, earth, herb, and smoky-scented nose, excellent richness, good texture, and a clean, refreshing finish.

...offers a light golden color, an excellent, toasty, smoky, tropical fruit-scented nose, bold, rich, nicely-textured flavors, medium body, and a longer finish than the regular bottling. Nevertheless, I would also opt for drinking this wine over the next year.

...reveals a beautiful premier cru Beaune-like nose of kirsch, sour cherries, and spice. The wine possesses excellent concentration, medium body, and crystal clear focus and purity. This fresh, vivacious Pinot should drink well for 3-5 years.

...possesses a smoky barrel component that may be concealing some of the wine's tomato/herbaceousness. It displays good ripeness, attractive strawberry, cherry, and cranberry-like fruit, tangy acidity, and a spicy finish. It should drink well for 3-4 years.

...displays a dnse ruby/purple color, followed by an alluring blackberry and cassis-scented nose with notes of smoke, tar, and pepper. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied and round, with a lush texture and an easy to understand personality. The finish is all silky tannin and ripe fruit. This forward-styled Syrah should be consumed over the next 7-8 years.

...offers excellent aromatics (tropical fruits, spice, butter) with medium body, and a good attack with pineapple, mango, and melon-like fruit. At the back of the palate, the wine is a bit short, but this is still a showy Chardonnay to drink over the next year.

.a berry-laden wine with good aromatics, a supple texture, medium body, and adequate acidity.

offers a floral, honey, melony-scented nose, medium body, excellent flavor concentration, and a dry, rich finish.

...lush, hedonistic, and well-made.

...marked by new oak. While very good to excellent, it does not possess the flavor, length, and overall equilibrium of the 1995.

.exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, followed by a sweet nose of cassis and smoky oak, and an excellent layered, supple, rich, concentrated palate with intense, ripe flavors.

...exhibits a deep ruby color, followed by a spicy, roasted vegetable, meaty nose with cherry and cranberry fruit lurking in the background. The wine is soft and round, but leans toward the vegetal side of Pinot Noir. I suggest drinking it over the next 2-3 years, before it begins to taste like V-8

.possess good tropical fruit, including some lemon zest and orange rind, medium body, and moderate amounts of new oak. They are well-made, clean competent wines that require consumption over the next 1-2 years.

.l.possessgood tropical fruit, including some lemon zest and orangerind, meium body, and moderate amounts of new oak. They are well-made, clean, competent wines that require consumption over the next 1-2 years.

Some sexy black plum and cassis fruit are present in both the aromatics and flavors of this flashy wine.

...appears to be very good, possibly excellent, but the wood is intrusive, and, again, the wine's tannin seems slightly elevated for the amount of fruit and concentration. Despite the wine's angularity, I would recommend drinking it early, as I do not believe the fruit will survive the tannin.

I also enjoyed the waxy, pungent, light-bodied, citrusy 1996 Semillon VR.

...a delicious floral and melony-scented, medium bodied soft Sauvignon that is ideal for drinking over the next year. It is one of the better values in the marketplace.

...a sweet vanillin and red currant-scented nose, plenty of ripe, spicy, cherry fruit, medium body, a good attack with noticeable oak, and a clipped finish.

The soft 1995 Pinot Noir exhibits a smoky, gamey, animal-scented nose with jammy blackcherry fruit in the background. Elegant, with good spice, and lush, sexy, overripe plum-like flavors, this medium-bodied wine is ideal for drinking now and over the next 3 years.