designation: Porter Bass Vineyard

description: Oak currently stars in this tight, immature Chardonnay. Its parts haven't melded together. The smoky, caramelized wood is over here, the pears, green apples and mangoes are over there, and the acidity is free-floating all around. Needs time. Wait until mid-2009.

designation: Barbed Oak Vineyard

description: Rich and powerful, this well-oaked Chardonnay needs a little time to come around. As it stands, it's a tense, dry, nervous wine, tight in acids and steely minerals, rather like a young Chablis. Give it a few years for the pear and tropical fruit flavors to sweeten and emerge.

designation: Vent d'Ange

description: The breath of an angel is the best translation of the name. The wine is more earthbound, but still has considerable elegance, the texture very fine, layering spice, acidity and flavors of licorice, mineral and ripe berries. With its smoothness, it is almost ready to drink try it this winter.

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description: Banana, exotic fruit, mango and vanilla make up the aromatic profile of this beautifully luminous Ribolla Gialla. The wine delivers excellent grace, harmony and wonderful vibrancy in the mouth, with pure peach and apricot flavors on the long finish.

designation: Reserva

description: A blend that adds Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to Portuguese varieties is always going to give an international character. So while this is a powerful and delicious red wine, packed with dark tannins and black berry and stone fruits, it is also hard to place it. New World, perhaps? It certainly has the right fruity character.

designation: Snapdragon

description: The wine opens with a beautiful nose; fresh and forward, with creamy, leesy, textural flavors. Spice, mint and fresh green herb is nicely matched to tart, tangy fruits tangerine, orange, and citrus. Flavors persist into a clean, refreshing finish. Try it with spicy foods, such as gumbo, jambalaya and some curries.

designation: Chateau de Crouseilles

description: It was wise to wait to release this wine, because even now, its tannins are powerfully in evidence. But it also shows great fruit, solid black plums giving density. There's a smokiness from the wood that also brings spice and vanilla.

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description: Shingleback's 2007 Chardonnay is a full-bodied, richly textured rendition that avoids excessive weight by focusing on the crisp, citrusy aspects of the grape. Smoke and toast add complexity, while ample acids provide freshness and zest on the finish. Drink now.

designation: L'Orage Red Wine

description: This is two- thirds Cabernet Sauvignon, one-third Cabernet Franc, picked at 24 brix. Despite the moderate ripeness it is a substantial effort, opening with aromatic spices and wild cherry fruit, then following with flavors of cured meats, resolving into thick and herbaceous tannins. Upon first opening, the wine is compact and firm, with plenty of acid. Tannins add a chewy, earthy character and the wine shows some suggestions of barnyard and leather in the nose and in the mouth. It's full-bodied and flavorful, more a European than a California style, with the herbal character overriding any sweetness in the fruit.

designation: Hanlin Hill

description: This comes across as a bit broader and softer than many aun Rieslings, perhaps because it tips the scales at a relatively high 13% alcohol. Orange sherbet notes are joined by lime flavors that finish long, tart and tangy. Drink now-2017.

designation: Celilo Vineyard

description: Rich Cushman made this wine; it nicely expresses the minerality and tight fruit that characterizes this excellent vineyard. This is at first a rather austere, compact wine, but it is dense with layers of flavor and representative of one of the most unique terroirs in the Pacific Northwest.

designation: Chateau Leret Monpezat

description: Very young, dominated by its bitter tannins, then with tight blackberry fruits. It is like a coiled runner, waiting to sprint, its freshness promising a good development. It certainly needs time.

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description: Great job with a Cab this dry and balanced, at such a fair price. Shows classic balance and elegance, with black currant, anise and smoky oak flavors. Now through 2009.

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description: Definitely a nice package for the money. The nose is pretty and dark, with black cherry as the lead aroma. The palate is zesty and healthy, with cherry flavors, good acidity and overall balance. Nice flavors and texture for a value-priced wine. Mixes 78% Syrah with 22% Cabernet.

designation: PGV White Wine

description: This unique white wine blend is 52% Viognier, 43% Pinot Gris and 5% Muscat Blanc, and the combination works quite well. The Pinot Gris anchors the middle, with plenty of flesh and fruit; the Viognier brings sliced orange and apricot flavors, while the Muscat piles on the pretty aromatics. It's full-bodied and loaded with fruit flavors that hold on through a lingering, lip-smacking finish.

designation: Reserva

description: Sophisticated barrel aromas of butterscotch, dusty peach and apple cider are inviting, while the palate shows good intensity along with flavors of apple, pineapple, peach and vanilla. While this is toasty, well-oaked and modern in style, it avoids being heavy and flat. Still, drink now for optimum balance.

designation: O Rosal

description: On the brink of excellence, with a creamy, more funky nose courtesy of the 30% Loureira and Cai?o Blanco added to Albari?o. Flavors of ripe tropical fruits show light green accents, while the finish is steady and a little pithy. Perfectly good white wine, with a punch-like quality. Imported by A.V. Brands.

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description: A very nice Pinot Noir, made in a style to drink now. Despite the approachability, it shows elegance and style in the crisp structure that frames cherryskin, cola, anise, clove and pepper flavors.

designation: Am Fusse des Berges Ruster Ausbruch

description: A mouth-filling sweetness is the hallmark of this wine. For its style, it is concentrated, honeyed, with rich fruits, the dry edge of noble rot a counter-balance to all the sweetness. The acidity is there, but is overwhelmed by all this richness.

designation: Handal-Denier Vineyard

description: Showing a big improvement over the so-so 2003, this single-vineyard bottling by Wellington is still a little rustic. But it has a rich, bright core of briary wild blackberry and cherry fruit flavors, with an enormous array of Asian spices, and is dry and firmly tannic into the finish.