"Ripe, rich and complex, with tiers of spice, toast, honey and nectarine accented by hints of peach and pineapple. An up-front and openly fruity style that is appealing now." (Also appeared 2/28/97).

"Remarkable for its creamy peach and pear flavors, it picks up a nice smoke and toast nuance and then keeps the flavors lively through its long, complex finish." (Also appeared 6/15/97).

Very good. Ripe and fruity, with an elegant core of pear, honey, spice and apple flavors that linger on the finish.

Crisp, with firm tannins and just enough spicy currant and berry flavor to give it the depth and complexity you might hope for at this price.

Clean and attractive, with a core of ripe peach and citrus flavors. Fans out on the finish, picking up toasty oak and spice notes.

"Features ripe, intense, concentrated flavors of pear, spice, apple and hazelnut that are pure and refreshing, if a tad on the sweet side." (Also appeared 1/31/97).

Brilliant yellow with emerald highlights. Medium-bodied. Low acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately oaked. Vanilla, faint tropical fruits. Oak accented aromas are fully expressed on the palate with very little varietal fruit flavors to complement.

Creamy oak sweetness and elements of brush and dried herbs crowd the narrow, cherry-like qualities of the clean aromas here, and, on the palate, the wine is largely determined by its very rich, but very strident oak. Happily, that oak is very good oak, and while the wine's underlying fruit speaks with a hushed voice, it assumes a sufficient role to keep things on the varietal course. A little dry at the finish and never more than lightly tannic, the wine calls for early consumption rather than long-term keeping and will do well with savory roasts in the coming two or three years.

Brilliant yellow with emerald highlights. Medium-bodied. Low acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately oaked. Vanilla, faint tropical fruits. Oak accented aromas are fully expressed on the palate with very little varietal fruit flavors to complement.

A very nicely fruited, apple, pear and vaguely floral first sniff is quickly joined by enriching notes of sweet butter and creamy oak. In the mouth, the wine is round and supple on the palate with greater viscosity than has been typical of the vintage, and its mouthfilling flavors of ripe apples and pineapples fit handsomely with the creamy, quietly toasty oak. Firming a bit at the end, this wine will show better and better over the next one to three years.

Toasty cola and black cherry notes surface despite a hollow core. Backed by somewhat rough-edged tannins.

Dark color. Pretty aromas of cherry, vanilla, tea, meat, mushroom, earth and smoke mingle. Very complex and concentrated. Tiers of ripe, sweet stone fruit with spicy oak notes and a lively acidity. Delicious now.

Dark color. Pretty aromas of cherry, vanilla, tea, meat, mushroom, earth and smoke mingle. Very complex and concentrated. Tiers of ripe, sweet stone fruit with spicy oak notes and a lively acidity. Delicious now.

Remarkable for its creamy peach and pear flavors, it picks up a nice smoke and toast nuance and then keeps the flavors lively through its long, complex finish. (Also appeared 6/1/97).

Medium golden appearance. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Dried flowers, peach, pineapple. Sweet floral aromas lead a full, rich mouthful of juicy fruit flavors that linger on a sweet finish.

Medium golden appearance. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Dried flowers, peach, pineapple. Sweet floral aromas lead a full, rich mouthful of juicy fruit flavors that linger on a sweet finish.

A modest ensemble of green apple and herbal flavors. New from Kendall-Jackson.

The 1995 Zinfandel Vintner's Reserve is a light-bodied, fruity wine that quickly dries out in the mouth. It offers clean, correct, but thin varietal aromas and flavors. Drink it over the next year.

The 1995 Cardinale appears to be the richest and most intense Cardinale to date. ... it is deep and rich, with a sumptuous texture, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, plenty of tannin, full body, an exceptional extract and concentration. The wine's equilibrium and purity are to be commended. It will require 3-4 years of cellaring and should age for two decades or more.

The 1995 Merlot is potentially a bigger and richer wine than either the 1994 or 1993. It is powerful and rich as a result of the extended maceration (30 days on the skins) and slow fermentation (because of the use of natural yeasts). A blend of 84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Cabernet Franc, this wine possesses exceptional potential. Moreover, it will last for 12-15 years. (Also appeared 12/20/96).

I adored the 1995 Zinfandel Eaglepoint Vineyard. The wine's saturated opaque purple color is accompanied by intense aromas of black-raspberries, cherries, minerals, and spice. Opulently-textured and rich, with layers of fruit, this wine is atypical of the vintage given its wealth of fruit, surprising level of glycerin, and gorgeously proportioned, layered finish. This is a beautifully made, pure, medium to full-bodied Zinfandel that has managed to hide its lofty alcohol (15.2%) content. Drink it over the next 5 years.

Another outstanding wine is 1995 Zinfandel Zeni Vineyard. Tasters would never guess it boasts 15.2% alcohol. It exhibits a saturated plum color, and an exotic, spicy, sweet, jammy, black-cherry, strawberry and currant-scented nose with a subtle suggestion of toasty new oak. This wine possesses terrific fruit and richness, more structure and tannin than the Eaglepoint Vineyard, and plenty of spice, body, and length. Drink this well-defined, very pure, textbook Zinfandel over the next 5-7 years.

One of the few 1995 Zinfandels with a saturated dark purple color, this excellent, nearly outstanding wine exhibits pure, ripe black-cherry and raspberry fruit gently infused with toasty, spicy oak. Well-balanced without annoyingly high acidity or harsh tannin, it is a concentrated, medium-bodied, backward, rich, flavorful, intense wine. Cellar it for another year, and drink it over the subsequent 7-8. As readers may remember from my review of the 1994 Hartford Court Zinfandel, this wine is made from 81-year-old, head-pruned, Russian River vines.

The 1995 Zinfandel is lighter and less well-endowed than the two single vineyard wines, but it offers a wonderful introduction to the seductive qualities of a well-made Zinfandel. In a vintage that produced many hollow, acidic wines, Edmeades' 1995 Zinfandel exhibits plenty of ripe, tasty, berry fruit, medium body, an elegant overall personality, and excellent balance and length. The wine's 13.9% alcohol is well-hidden behind the gush of berry fruit. It is a delicious, straightforward, fleshy Zinfandel that would drink well for 2-3 years.

The 1994 Zinfandel Grand Reserve possesses better density and ripeness, as well as medium body, and moderate levels of sweet black-cherry fruit intertwined with peppery scents. ... Drink it over the next several years.