The 2000 Proprietary Red Wine (an 8,500-case blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc) exhibits a dark plum/ruby color along with aromas of red currants, dusty earth, and creamy new oak. The pleasant but unexciting bouquet is followed by a medium-bodied, short, austere red. While enjoyable, it tastes like a $20 bottle of wine. Tel. (707) 963-7111; Fax (707) 963-7867

No mistaking the earthy, barnyard flavors that run through this wine, overshadowing the rich currant and blackberry fruit. Finishes with smoky tobacco and cedary flavors along with a dry leathery taste and firm tannins. Drink now through 2012. 9,650 cases made. -JL

This estate has pulled out all the stops and produced a delicious wine of substance, finesse and great charm. It floods the palate with flavors of blackcurrants and cassis that carry ripely sweet fruit impressions deep into the taste buds, but it’s dry. The oak is elaborate and in keeping with the fruit. For all the size, it’s a feminine wine, and best enjoyed in its youth.——S.H.(12/31/2003)—— 92