Magenta. Medium-bodied. Full acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately tannic. Cherries, brown spice. Piquantly spiced and lively, but essentially mild in its flavors. Finishes with a warm sensation.

Deep ruby. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted Quite tannic. Smoked meat, herbs, dried black fruit. Firmly structured, with aromatic smoky oak notes and a long dry finish. A distinctive style for hearty lamb and beef dishes.

Magenta. Medium-bodied. Full acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately tannic. Cherries, brown spice. Piquantly spiced and lively, but essentially mild in its flavors. Finishes with a warm sensation.

An oaky style that succeeds. Ripe and intense with a pretty array of pear, grass, herb, melon, and cedary oak, finishing with a smoky, toasty edge and plenty of flavor.

Deep garnet. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted and tannic. Cinnamon, red cherries, vanilla. Well spiced and ripe fruited with an unusually assertive nose. Strikes a nice balance of fruit and oak, then finishes with a dry, mildly woody character.

Purplish ruby. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted. Quite tannic. Chocolate, black pepper, black fruit. A velvety, supple wine with lovely spice character and a sweet impression. Tannins provide good grip in the finish. Near term cellaring is suggested.

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.

Purplish ruby. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately tannic. Cinnamon, cherries, herbs. Lean and spicy throughout, with delicately balanced fruit and a pleasant finish.

A nice thread of persistent raspberry and spice accents that linger on the finish.

Marked by earthy currant and leathery flavors; picks up herb and mineral notes on the finish, when the tannins kick in. A little age should soften it. (Also appeared 6/30/96).

"Serves up an attractive core of ripe plum, cherry, and berry flavors with light toasty oak shadings; it loses its focus on the finish, when the flavors become more diffuse." (Also appeared 6/30/96).

A complex and rich chardonnay with exotic aromas and flavors of apricot, toasted coconut and yeast. Has a lovely, lingering aftertaste.

Tangy with nectarine fruit and a long, crisp finish.

Richness piled upon richness is the story here as lovely oak becomes an equal partner to deep, well-ripened cherry and raspberry-like fruit in the nose, and the two continue their happy alliance in the wine's lavish, impressively stuffed flavors. Full, fleshy and almost fat in feel, the wine is never soft but is keenly balanced throughout and finishes with a very long and layered finish. Worthy of a prized place in the cellar, it is capable of growing for four or five years and might well last for twice that long.

Rich oak is everywhere, to be sure, but ripe fruit abounds in both the creamy aromas of deep, neatly extracted flavors of this sweet and spicy youngster.

Oak and sandalwood spice. Fairly unctuous on the palate. Ripe and oaky, mildly honeyed. This one has plenty of richness.

Intriguing notes of smoke and soil rise as accents to blackberryish fruit in the rich, but not-quite-outgoing aromas, and, once in the mouth, the wine displays the same kind of oaky-earthy richness but with an amplified sense of depth and supportive fruit. Nicely integrated tannins that should help see it through some four to six years.

An ample Pinot Noir that never stints in its delivery of ripe cherries and very rich oak, and its solid sense of fruity extract is fully up to the task of supporting its lavish barrel influences. Fat, full, genuinely mouthfilling and quite long on the palate, the wine demands to be partnered with foods of corresponding richness.

One doesn't expect to find fruit this ripe and fully formed in Mendocino Zinfandel, but then 1994 was an exceptional year for this cool-climate region. You'll find cedary overtones from barrel aging, medium body and delicious drinkability. You might have to hunt a bit, as production was not large. Don't be daunted by the price; the wine is worth it.

A classic zinfandel, this gem is rich, mouth-filling and delicious without being unduly weighty. Ample fruit suggests blackberries and loganberries, and despite the full body, tannins are not too weighty. There's plenty of structure, but you'd want to drink this wine fairly soon to appreciate that great fruit at its best.

Has hints of spice and pear. A good, quenching quaff.

Intense yet with a sense of elegance and finesse with ripe pear, melon, nutmeg and apple flavors. Finishes with a light touch of oak and a fruity aftertaste.

Pleasantly fruity, with spicy cherry and wild berry flavor.

Ripe tropical fruit aromas; smoky oak notes on fleshy fruit; creamy texture; long, fruity finish.

The tar aroma is typical of Nebbiolo, plus there's a hint of tobacco and leather. Flavors are tightly wound.