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.

The 1994 Chardonnay Reserve exhibits more toasty, smoky oak, more depth, and an enticing, creamy-textured feel. This well-made, medium to full-bodied Chardonnay should drink well for 1-2 years.

...The 1995 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley, one of the hot beds for promising Pinot Noir in northern California (along with the Sonoma Coast and Russian River), is a tasty, soft, delicious, dark ruby-colored Pinot Noir with copious amounts of strawberry and cherry fruit, a nice dollop of spicy oak, and a round, medium-bodied, silky texture.

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

The 1994 Sonoma Chardonnay is a smoky, tropical fruit-scented wine with soft, creamy-textured fruit, modest complexity, and an attractive, soft mouth-feel. It should be drunk over the next 12-18 months.

The 1994 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is richer, with sweeter fruit, as well as an attractive black currant/chocolatey character, good acidity, medium to full body, and a slightly tannic finish.

Other very good efforts in the Grand Reserve program are the 1994 Grand Reserve Merlot... The Merlot exhibits medium body, plenty of mocha/coffee, ripe berry fruit, a soft texture, and fine finish. The 1994 Grand Reserve Merlot reveals tannin in the finish, but that component is not out of balance with the wine's concentration. At $40 a bottle, this wine hardly qualifies as a good value, but it should drink well for 6-8 years.

In 1995, the Chardonnay Vintner's Reserve, which has thousands of loyal followers, is once again a well-made wine. A blend of 50% tank-fermented and 50% barrel-fermented Chardonnay, this wine, which is made in enormous quantities, is remarkably consistent. The 1995 reveals lovely, buttery, ripe tropical fruit aromas and flavors, excellent purity, a soft, fleshy texture, and a ripe finish. Drink this straightforward yet mouthfilling, well-made Chardonnay over the next year.

The 1994 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard exhibits a dark ruby color, followed by a peppery, spicy, herbal-scented nose, intermixed with aromas of jammy cherries. This medium-bodied wine should be drunk over the next 1-2 years. It is a mid-weight, soft, straightforward style of Pinot Noir.

The price tag of $14 is not unreasonable for a medium-bodied, soft, slightly peppery and herbal, richly fruity, cherry and berry-scented and flavored wine." This Pinot is meant to be drunk over the next several years.

The well-made 1995 Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, light-bodied, tasty, melony-scented, fruity, user-friendly Sauvignon that should be drunk over the next year.

The 1994 Merlot Vintner's Reserve, no longer a value at $17, offers a medium ruby color, an herbal, berry-scented nose, adequate, ripe, medium-bodied flavors, and a spicy finish.

The nose offers gingersnap and black cherry. Forward fruit fills the palate; berries, cherry and ginger spice. Tasty and ripe, full bodied and generous. This is a wine for serious fruit lovers.

Warm, full aromas of wood smoke, with hints of coffee and black plums. Rich and complex. Smoky, meaty flavors vie with sweet fruity ones in a nicely framed, mouth-filling treat of a wine. Well balanced and lingering.