The 2011 Le Désir, a St.-Emilion-inspired offering, is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 36% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. My favorite of the 2011s, it displays lots of mulberry, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit intertwined with hints of underbrush as well as a subtle herbaceousness, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, beautiful density and sweet tannin. There are 2,500 cases of this 2011. Drink now-2025.

The 2011 La Muse presents a distinctly Old World profile of savory herbs, smoke, iron, tobacco, cedar and bright red stone fruits. This is a relatively soft, slender, small-scaled vintage for La Muse, but all the elements are nicely balanced. The 2011 can be enjoyed now or cellared for another decade.

Composed of 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec from Chalk Hill, Bennett Valley, Knight's Valley and Alexander Mountain Estate vineyards, the 2006 is a chunkier, more monolithic, deeply colored La Muse. It is capable of saturating the palate with full body in addition to revealing more tannin, structure and foresty, meaty, animal-like notes as well as a distinctive truffle-like component. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.

A blend of 44% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec, the 2003 possesses copious aromas of graphite, truffles, asphalt, camphor and blue as well as black fruits. Medium-bodied, stylish and elegant, the wine is close to full maturity and should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 10-15 years.

Bright ruby-red. Ripe aromas of black plum, licorice, chocolate and menthol; slightly reduced. Sweet, lush, broad and deep, with black cherry, mocha and cocoa powder flavors complicated by a balsamic note. Finishes with dusty, building tannins.

Vintage Retrospective: The 1999 Napa Valley Cabernets Brighter dark red than La Muse. Aromas of redcurrant, plum, mocha and spices. Offers a captivating plump middle if not quite the plushness or sweetness of the Merlot-dominated La Muse. A hint of minty Cabernet contributes to the wine's impression of energy and definition. If this wine doesn't show quite the dimension of La Muse, it's more savory in character. Finishes with a firm dusting of tannins that avoid dryness.

This wine has an opaque purple color, big, powerful, highly extracted flavors, amazing richness for a wine of this vintage, and a long, muscular, dense finish. It needs a good 3-4 years of cellaring, yet should keep for two decades. The 1999 is super stuff, a prodigious wine of fabulous concentration.

This blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec is a broodingly burly, masculine wine with lots of intensity and richness, but not the finesse, charm or overall complexity of top vintages of La Joie. More undeveloped and monolithic than usual, it may simply need additional time in the bottle.

Rank Number 46 - 92 Points

Spicy, peppery, cassis, black berry, sappy, leather, tobacco, smoky, plum, barnyard, coffee aromas. Dry, full, round, warm palate with grainy tannins but good finesse. Chocolate, tobacco, cassis, peppery, vanilla, leather, plum, resin, green bean, black olive flavours. Long, tight, warm palate with some tannins to shed. Needs 5+ years to come around.

Aromas of blackberries, blueberries and lavender follow through to a full body with fine, firm and silky tannins. A lemony finish that gives the wine energy.

Big and juicy tannins with chocolate, walnut and almond character. Full body, rich and flavorful. Needs time to soften.

The 2013 Chianti Classico Riserva Strada al Sasso (100% Sangiovese aged in neutral barrique for 12 months) is a plush and rich wine with dark cherry fruit, plum, moist tobacco and cured leather. The wine spreads evenly over the palate with broad intensity and a long succession of dark fruit flavors. I love the texture and fullness of the wine and the tartness is significantly downplayed, which is not easy to do with the naturally acidic Sangiovese.

A bright and pretty red with dried berry, cherry and hits of hazelnut on the nose and palate. Full body, silky tannins and a fresh finish. Clean and balanced. American owned. Drink now.

Focused and elegant, this red bursts with pure cherry and raspberry fruit, showing accents of violet and kirsch. Firms up on the finish, where dusty tannins reign. Best from 2016 through 2024.

Focused and elegant, this bursts with pure cherry and raspberry fruit.

The successful 2011 Chianti Classico Riserva does a great job of portraying both vintage and territory. This was a warm growing season that produced rich and powerful wines. Yet, the restrained nature of Sangiovese reflects themes of elegance and grace that are so specific to the Chianti Classico appellation. Bright acidity and firm tannins appear on the close.

Smooth and lush with juicy fruit and mature berries; rich, ripe and balanced, elegant and long.

The 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva Strada al Sasso is a compelling wine with power and sheer intensity. Ripe fruit and black currant mingles with exotic spice, espresso and leather. The finish is extra long and smooth. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022.

The 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva Strada al Sasso is a gorgeous wine that bursts open with a huge sense of balance and intensity. The seamless bouquet offers generous dollops of red fruit, spice and cola that are stitched together in harmonious fashion. This Riserva is determined and long-lasting thanks to its velvety texture, integrated acidity and full-bodied approach. Owned by California's Jackson family, the estate is located in the Castelnuovo Berardenga sub zone that performs very nicely in cooler vintages such as 2008.

Pierre Seillan made five different blends at Arceno in 2003; this one, based on cabernet franc, is the most elegant and impressive (the blend also includes 24 percent cabernet sauvignon and 17 percent merlot). Franc seems to pick up on the same kind of Tuscan tannin that well-grown sangiovese can, staunch and spicy with the feel of the earth. The fruit has a green peppercorn edge and a crushed stone minerality. Give this a few years to absorb some of the oak, then decant it for pepper steak.

Finest Chardonnay, from a vineyard made famous by Helen Turley. It boasts buttery citrus, grapefruit, and honeysuckle notes, full body, and great fruit presence with notions of minerals, orange skins, lemons and pineapples. A beautifully textured white with a French grand cru white Burgundy-like length, it will drink well for 4-5 years.

Pinot Noir World Series

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.