Tasting Notes

* 1988 Montevina Zinfandel ($7.50)--Lighter-styled wine with good spice character from Amador County fruit. Soft, quaffable wine to serve with pasta.

* 1988 Charles Shaw Chardonnay ($10)--Superb value from this winery better known for Beaujolais. The Chardonnay has excellent fruit, little of the overt buttery components seen in some wines, and grand aftertaste of French oak. A real bargain.

* 1989 Bon Marche Cabernet Sauvignon ($8)--Attractive, fruity and quaffable red wine from Buehler, from Alexander Valley grapes. The wine is toasty from oak aging and has nice flavors. Not a wine to age very long. A companion 1989 Bon Marche Chardonnay, also $8, is well made but not terribly distinctive.

* 1989 Clos du Val Chardonnay ($15)--Stylish wine made in a relatively austere style from Carneros fruit. I liked it very much, with its delicate nuances and depth; some may find it a bit lean. Needs another year or two to grow richer.

* 1989 St. Supery Chardonnay ($11.50)--Another lean, fairly crisp wine with no buttery tones, and one that shows light lemon-spice components. However, it closes up when it’s chilled too much, so serve about 55 to 50 degrees.

* 1987 Rutherford Hill Cellar Reserve Chardonnay ($18)--Curious wine, and one that may be appreciated by those who like a lot of extract and oak. Notes of onion skin and toasty-nutty elements and cedar are stronger than the fruit in this wine that smells and tastes a lot older than just 3-plus years. For fans of aged Chardonnay, this isn’t a bad buy.

* 1990 Caliterra Chardonnay (Chile) ($6)--Lovely appley fruit and a trace of oak, one of the best Chardonnays at the price I have tasted. (Of four bottles sampled, however, two were corked.)