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.

Dense and chewy, with an earthy, leathery accent to the currant, dried cherry and mineral flavors. More complex on the finish where the flavors fold together nicely. Given the tannin level, cellaring into 2000 is advised. (Also appeared 11/15/96).

Supple and harmonious, with a range of cherry, herb and olive flavors that linger. Drinks well now.

Pleasant band of cedar, spice and currant flavors, but they lack richness and lose concentration on the finish. (Also appeared 9/15/96).

"With its great black cherry aroma and fleshy, supple texture, this pinot is a real winner. It shows considerable depth, has a hint of toasty oak." (Also appeared 11/27/96 & 11/26/97).

Rich and concentrated, with an aroma of toasted nuts and silky citrus and lightly buttery flavors. Only a hint of green bean holds it back.

Kendall-Jackson deserves its reputation as one of California's finest, and their 1995 Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay is a prime example of that winery's expertise. Filled with complex fruit flavors, nicely integrated with a touch of oak barrel aging, this white is ideal with holiday food fare or with other special meals that include roast chicken, seafood, or pastas prepared with a cream or butter-based sauce.

Relatively ripe and relatively oaky, much in the in-vogue style, this nicely fruited wine features apples and lemon blossoms amidst creamy and toasty elements. Initially frontal flavors of fresh fruit give way a bit in the latter palate to green apple acidity making this a good choice for grilled seafoods like Dover Sole.

Relatively ripe and relatively oaky, much in the in-vogue style, this nicely fruited wine features apples and lemon blossoms amidst creamy and toasty elements. Initially frontal flavors of fresh fruit give way a bit in the latter palate to green apple acidity making this a good choice for grilled seafoods like Dover Sole.

The impressively concentrated Stonestreet 1993 Legacy is a show-stopping effort that is guaranteed to get even better with time.

Purple ruby. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted and oaked. Cloves, coffee, black fruits. Well concentrated, with soft textured but ample tannins and a subdued finish. Seems somewhat closed at present.

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.

The least expensive of Kendall-Jackson's reserve bottlings, this very likeable wine presents plenty of up-front fruitiness trimmed with smoothing sweetness and a subtle touch of rich oak. Its note of sweetness is rather more persistent at the finish than are its impressions of fruit, and, while sure to be popular, the wine ultimately says less about Chardonnay that it does about pleasantly gulpable white wine.

[One of ] The top 100 wines of the year.

Here is 'serious' pinot in the sense that it has clearly been vinified for aging. Fine fruit is presently restrained behind oak with which it will eventually equilibrate as the evident tannins recede. A few years' cellaring could pay dividends and probably will, given the clear excellence of pinot fruit in the background just now. However, pulling the cork at present would hardly be a crime, especially if a lightly seasoned and perfectly roasted duck were on the table.

Deep ruby with saturated rim. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted and oaked. Quite tannic. Smoked meat, earth, currants. A hefty red with bold flavors and a dense, chewy structure. Shows excellent expression of secondary characteristics. Fine grained tannins rise up at mid-palate and linger through a firm, dry finish.

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

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 (about45,000-50,000 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.

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.

Rich purple. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted and oaked. Black cherries, plums, spicy tobacco. Displays lush aromas and fine viscosity in the mouth. Flavors are well concentrated with an underlying creamy component. Shows good grip in the finish, with lingering young fruit.

Rich ruby. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted and oaked. Coffee, herbs, black fruit. Shows good fruit on entry coupled with a subtle interesting spice note. A well oaked style overall, with a sturdy backbone and densely proportioned fruit.

Ruby. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted and oaked. Earth, black fruits, dried herbs. Unusual rustic nuances billow from the glass, but settle down with breathing time. Shows lively acidity and reasonable extraction of fruit. The finish is balanced and fairly firm.

Rich purple ruby. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted and oaked. Leather, currants, black cherries. This dense, chewy red features deep fruit meshed with a rather rich oak component. Finishes long. An attractive wine for drinking now or holding.