US

Feels young and gritty in the mouth, with astringent tannins and a core of cherry-berry fruit. This wine is seriously in need of decanting, but it doesn't seem like an ager.

US

Simple, fruity and pretty sweet, with dessert-type raspberry, vanilla and spice flavors. The sweetness benefits from excellent acidity. This is a nice beach or picnic-type wine.

US

Soft and juicy, with ripe blackberry, chocolate and coffee flavors that finish somewhat tannic. Ready to drink now, it's an easy Cabernet for steaks and chops.

US

Almost equal parts Syrah, Grenache and Mourvdre from the estate vineyard. This is a real step down from Bone Rock, mainly because of overripeness. It shows sugary sweet cherry pie, vanilla and caramel flavors, and the alcohol weighs in at 16%. What a notoriously hard vintage this was.

de

A plump, off-dry Riesling imported in relatively large quantities (30,000 cases), this is a notable reintroduction to the grape variety. Has basic Mosel characteristics of green apple and lime aromas and flavors. There's even a soft, slightly mineral finish.

US

INOXfrom the French inoxidableis Chehalem's stainless steel fermented and aged take on Chardonnay. It is consistently their best effort, with bright, acid-driven fruit that is a complex blend of pineapple, green apple, golden apple and Asian pear. It doesn't try to be more than it is, and it has a wonderfully persistent finish.

it

A beautifully luminous golden color sets the stage, followed by abundant notes of fresh fruitespecially mature peach and apricot. The aromas are very generous and intense, almost oversized, yet this dessert wine is fundamentally genuine, delicious and syrupy sweet.

au

Said to be inspired by the garagiste movement in Bordeaux, this full-bodied wine is dense and well structured, combining eucalyptus notes with cassis, cedar and vanilla flavors, plus a rich chocolaty component. It's a bit fleshy, suggesting a drinking window from nowC2015. The wine is mainly (61%) Cab Sauvignon.

it

This Fiano-based wine offers the generous pear and peach aromas often associated with this native grape from Campania plus its trademark structure and caressing consistency (it is oak aged for six months). But what sets it apart is the elegant manner in which these elements are brought together.

US

Babcock's Grand Cuve hasn't changed its style over the years. It remains dense and sappy in youth, showing extracted cherry, raspberry and cassis fruit, with complex notes of bacon, leather and spice. Not particularly subtle now, it should gain elegance in a few years. Best late 2008 through 2012.

es

This is showing mineral, saline, spice, peach and melonall good signs. The palate leans toward tropical, with pineapple leading the way. With no surprises, it finishes clean and a touch fleshy. An excellent Albari?o that's maturing quickly. Drink now.

fr

Closed up and firm with a hint of vanilla, honey and refined acidity. There is some crispness here, green apples and a plum skin character. This is going to be serious Chardonnay; the minerality already in evidence.

US

Much improved over the unripe 2005, Fritz's 2006 is quite a delicious and sophisticated Sauvignon Blanc. Partially barrel fermented and with some Musque clone for complexity, it's richly textured and creamy, with a mlange of pineapple, Meyer lemon, Asian pear, lychee, fig and dusty spice flavors.

au

No Shadrach was bottled in 2002 or 2003, so this is the last vintage until the terrific 2004. Blending fruit from Coonawarra, Barossa and the Adelaide Hills, it is a lovely, Bordeaux-styled wine, rather lean and stylish, with plenty of structure to go with its hints of mint, cedar and cassis. Drink nowC2015.

fr

This is definitely young, but the fresh fruit is already very apparent. There's a lifted, vibrant apple character that opens in the mouth to give yellow fruits with a finish of steel and gun flint sharpness.

fr

This goes for the tropical fruit side of Chardonnay, a big mouthful of round, rich fruit, yellow pears, apricots, lifted by a touch of kiwi. There is a final crispness to keep the whole fruit salad in order.

US

This wine wears its 15.8% alcohol better than any similarly heady wine out there. Yes, it's a bit hot, but the heat comes across as a slight chili pepper edge to the blackberry and dark unsweetened chocolate flavors, and the wine is, in its own way, balanced and elegant. Hard to imagine a more perfect barbecue red.

US

Kunde has a remarkable consistency with their estate Viognier, and the 06 shows off the variety at its best. The wine is fully dry and very crisp, and avoids over-the-top flavors in favor of yellow citrus fruits, dates and spices. Try as an alternative to a rich Sauvignon Blanc.

US

You'd have to call this a pretty wine, elegant even, with lifted cherry fruit over juicy, citrusy acids. It hits a bit of a wall around the mid-palate, but it moves through and on into a substantial finish that's balanced and clean. Herbal notes are subtle and refined, and as with all the Le Cadeau wines, this will benefit from additional years in bottle.

US

This is really a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. Soft and polished, it shows herb and cassis flavors, wrapped in rich smoky oak, with a long, dry finish. The tannins are quite strong now, giving the wine a chewy toughness and suggesting moderate aging. Hold until after 2008.