2005 Hughes-Wellman Napa Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena, 14.5% alc., $50: This deeply colored Cabernet is for those who like theirs lush, ripe (but not super-ripe) and liberally dosed with oak; it walks a fine line between being too-too and not-quite-over the top. Kim is somewhat put off by these qualities and an initial “green-ness” that she says morphs into dill. I get some dill too, but well in the background, with the rich, well-structured black currant and blackberry setting the tone for the wine’s character. With some air, the oak on the nose evolves into a sea air kind of thing, and the wine works well (believe it or not) with a smoked chicken stir-fry. Another saving grace is the sleek, elegant personality, and while it is made in a style that I don’t usually favor, it has so many more plusses than minuses, I can’t help but like it. I’d like to try it again in three to five years, and the price tag doesn’t bother me a bit, considering what’s in the bottle. Find this wine

1989 Chateau Clerc Milon Pauillac, 13% alc.: Mellow, rich and perfectly mature, this is showing some moderate bricking to the good, dark color. It offers earthy black currant and beet root shaded with seamlessly integrated leather and tobacco. Smooth and elegant, and still with good underlying structure, so this is in no danger of fading any time soon, and it makes a perfect match for a well-marbled rib eye steak grilled medium rare. Find this wine

Imported by The Stacole Co. Inc., Boca Raton, FL

1992 Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel, 14.9% alc.: Only showing a hint of bricking to the deep, dark color, this old friend is still showing rich, ripe Draper perfume, accented with some secondary notes of mahogany, cedar, earth and a little stewed tomato, all of which echoes and expands on the palate, offering an interesting juxtaposition between the ripeness of the fruit and the funkier tertiary aspects that become more pronounced with air. The fruit and perfume is all about raspberry and black raspberry graced with a kiss of soft apple pie spices, and there’s also a note of brett that Kim likes even more than I do. This is still holding up quite well, though it’s perhaps a little past its prime if you’re looking for more ripe fruit and less secondary action. Many thanks to Kurt “Indiana” Wieneke for this fine bottle of real Zinfandel, which we hadn’t had the pleasure of enjoying since the summer of 2001. Find this wine

Sean Thackrey Pleiades XVI, 14.3% alc., $24: The current edition of Sean Thackrey’s kitchen sink catch-all red blend included Syrah, Barbera, Carignane, Petite Sirah, Sangiovese and Viognier, “to name but a few,” as he puts it on the side label, and it quite lives up to its lofty status as one of Kim’s favorite wines. Ruby garnet in color, it exudes aromatics of pretty root beer, cola, black raspberry, wood smoke and a hint of chocolate, all of which carries over onto the palate, where the fruit turns a little spicy. With a somewhat velvety, almost voluptuous texture, this is certainly not lacking in structure, but the tannins are silky, the acids are perfectly balanced and there’s nice length on the finish. This is just a pleasure to sip, with or without food, and these have a good track record for aging. Find this wine

2000 Sean Thackrey Mendicino Sangiovese Eaglepoint Ranch Aquila, 14.3% alc.: Showing good dark color with no rust as of yet, this seems to be in something of a middle period at first, being somewhat leathery, with toned down red currant and beet root flavors and aromas; however, it responds well to aeration, becoming more and more harmonious. This has come a long way since Thackrey was selling mailing list members bottles with no labels and calling it “Centaur,” and it’s really in a nice place right now, but a few more years shouldn’t hurt it at all. Find this wine

2006 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block, 55% Syrah, 17% Grenache Noir, 15% Cinsault, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Viognier, 14.83% alc., $32.99: This wine shows good dark color, but that’s about the best I can say for it. I don’t know what the “chocolate” refers to, because this wine is all heavy oak char that obscures and ruins what seems to be some pretty nice deep, dark black fruit underneath it all; in fact, for me, it comes off like tar, burnt toast and black coffee, which doesn’t strike me as particularly appetizing. I’m not sure why anyone would want to drink this now, but who knows, five years or more might make a difference. An older model might add some insight as to what this might develop into, but I don’t have the advantage of that perspective at this time. Find this wine

Imported by Vineyard Brands, Inc., Birmingham, AL

2004 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud, 14.5% alc., $10.99: Rich dark color, with bright, rich, ripe (right on the edge of what I can tolerate without going over the line) dark plum, berry and cherry flavors and aromas offset by big earthy bass notes; opens nicely with just a little as, with the ripeness coming to the fore and a hint of chocolate emerging. Full bodied, but not heavy, with the good structure to stand up to hearty food, while not interfering in the least with the sheer drinking enjoyment. I like this wine a lot; it’s in a good place right now and the quality of fruit from the 70-100 year old vines is all but unmatched at this price point. Find this wine

Imported by European Cellars LLC, Charlotte, NC

2006 William Fevre Chablis, 12.5% alc., $23,99: Medium straw in color, with the requisite stony limestone character right up front in both flavor and aroma, with a nice rich core of apple and pear fruit rounding things out and some sea air on the nose. Good weight, with nice cut and length; not too complex and still young, so it needs a year or three to develop. Find this wine

Imported by Henriot Inc., New York, NY

2006 Burgans Albarino Rias Baixas, 12.5% alc, $9.89: This is one of our go-to whites so far this spring and summer, and why not, at the great Costco price?! A rich medium straw in color, with a pretty, faintly floral nose; rich and intense on the palate, with a mélange of tree and tropical fruit flavors reminiscent of peach, apple, pear, grapefruit lime and kiwi. Good weight, plenty of zippy acidity and just a lot of appealing personality. Riper and richer than many Albarinos that we’ve had, and with less minerality, but it works so well for us that we’ve already worked our way through one case, and we might go through another before July is out. Find this wine

Imported by European Cellars LLC, Charlotte, NC

2006 Mönchhof Robert Eymael Riesling Spätlese Mosel Slate, $16.99, 9.5% alc.: Medium straw in color, with rich, almost unctuous apricot, ripe apple, honey and mineral flavors and aromas, shaded with some nice minerality underneath. The depth of fruit is matched by the bracing acidity, which bodes well for several years of development, but I’m already having a hard time keeping hands off, especially at the Costco price listed here. Find this wine

Imported by Cellars International, Inc., San Marcos, CA

2007 Left Foot Charley Old Mission Peninsula Dry Riesling, 11% alc., $16:

2006 Left Foot Charley Old Mission Peninsula Murmer, 11.5% alc., $15:

Reporting from Day-twah,