"A full-bodied wine, with a delightful pale yellow color. On the palate, a luscious, rounded cocktail of lemon, lime and big flavored oak, complemented by uplifting acidity. Good length and depth add to its charms." (Also appeared 10/1/97 in Wine Magazine.)

Very rich in the nose with a fine balance of deep fruit and sympthetic oak, this sizeable, comparatively chunky Pinot is anything but refined in the mouth. It tastes of ripe plums and lots of oak, but its richness comes at the cost of no small degree of phenolic toughness. Elegance may well be beyond the wines ken, but a few years of softening will certainly help here.

Dark cherry red appearance with a deep cast. Medium-bodied. Highly extracted. Moderately oaked. Moderately tannic. Bramble fruits, blackberries, spice. Deep brooding dark fruit aromas. Assertive and extracted flavors show a concentrated character through a full spicy finish. Youthful and gutsy.

Platinum color. Moderately light-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Tropical fruits, strawberries, citrus, kiwi. Very pretty, fragrant nose. Nice fruit flavors are balanced with uplifting acidity. Almost silky-creamy in the mouth. Nice crispness in the finish.

Full dark cherry red appearance. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Moderately oaked. Mildly tannic. Vanilla, earth, black tea, jammy fruits. Full tea-like aromas. Jammy entry contrasts with a citrus-like acidity running through giving this an assertive edge.

Full dark cherry red apperance. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Moderately oaked. Mildly tannic. Vanilla, earth, black tea, jammy fruits. Full tea-like aromas. Jammy entry contrasts with a citrus-like acidity running through giving this an assertive edge.

Bright cherry red appearance. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Mildly tannic. Red fruits, toasted oak. Bright red fruit character up front. Simple, mildly chocolate finish. Quite youthful at present, with some high-toned acids, though still very approachable.

Full ruby red with light purple highlights. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Mildly tannic. Red fruits, earth, vanilla. Nice crisp fruit flavors on entry give way to some dry tannins through the finish. Soundly balanced and drinking well now.

Deep dark red appearance. Moderately full-bodied. Moderately extracted. Moderately tannic. Plums, black fruit, tea. Dark fruit aromas. Fleshy flavors and texture on the palate with some dry tannins coming through strongly on the finish. Quite structured, this should cellar for a year or two.

Smooth, ripe and lush, with a pretty core of herb-accented plum and cherry flavors. Turns supple and fleshy on the finish. Ready to drink.

This chocolatey, smoky, lavishly wooded Merlot is a flamboyantly-styled wine. The color is a healty dark plum. The nose offers up plenty of vanillin, smoke, and spice. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, with noticeable wood tannin and spice. It needs another 1-2 years of cellaring, but should drink well for a decade. Those readers without the patienece to wait several years a advised to decant this Merlot 45 minutes before drinking.

Fairly well balanced, with hints of herbs, citrus and melon. Finishes with bright acidity.

Fresh and fruity, with lively pear and pineapple flavors that finish bright and clean. Ready now.

All sorts of big aromas and flavors of tropical fruit, hazelnut and highly toasted oak. Slightly funky-yeasty quality will appeal to some tastes.

Favoring the ripe, dense style so prevalent in the '92s, this wine makes its way in the world for the sheer intensity of its ripe black cherry, dried plum, herb, vanilla and sweet spice aromas and weighty, mouthfilling flavors. A bit angular towards the end, it is a wine that is less likely to evolve into classical, layered Cabernet and seems better suited to marinated meats than to the typical roasts the Cabernet accompanies so well.

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.

Medium straw color. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Oak spice, mild citrus fruits. Spicy oak with floral accents on the nose. Aromas are fully expressed on the palate with rather simple fruity flavors.

Medium straw color. Medium-bodied. Moderately extracted. Oak spice, mild citrus fruits. Spicy oak with floral accents on the nose. Aromas are fully expressed on the palate with rather simple fruity flavors.

..What classic North Coast chardonnay should be. The focus is on ripe varietal flavors, balance and careful use of excellent oak. It's medium-bodied and ready now.

Rich color, butterscotch nose and similar flavors with fruit in the background are typical of the region. This is a gracious and smooth wine with a subtle finish, and I'd think of it with veal medallions with a hint of tarragon, but you wouldn't be disappointed were your choice a classic salade nicoise.

Medium straw color. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted. Figs, tart tropical fruit, grapefruit. Fully extracted flavors with firm backbone and mildly astringent long finish. This has the weight and strength of flavors to partner richer foods. Full, assertive style.

Medium straw color. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted. Figs, tart tropical fruit, grapefruit. Fully extracted flavors with firm backbone and mildly astringent long finish. This has the weight and strength of flavors to partner richer foods. Full, assertive style.

"Toasty cola and black cherry notes surface despite a hollow core. Backed by somewhat rough-edged tannins." (also appeared in the June '98 issue)

A big, ripe and intense style, with flavors of rich fig, melon, apple, pear and apricot, finishing long and full, with a smoky oak accent. Delicious now. (Also appeared 5/31/97).

"Elegant and flavorful, ripe and creamy, with juicy pear, apple, melon and fig notes that fan out on the finish where a nice touch of spicy oak adds dimension." (Also appeared 5/15/97).