daily wine picks

More than $30

Oct. 07, 2002: RIDGE Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains 1999 (92 points, $120)

From longtime winemaker Paul Draper comes yet another terrific Monte Bello. The '99 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, and it is a wine of great balance, finesse and grace. Well-focused, the ripe, tart, rich bl —James Laube

Oct. 04, 2002: PAHLMEYER Merlot Napa Valley 1999 (94 points, $80)

Despite a relatively shallow talent pool for California Merlot, Pahlmeyer's Merlot continues to shine. The '99 is a mouthful of wine that packs in lots of rich, deep, plush and concentrated flavors, with tiers of currant, blackberry, raspberry and wild be —James Laube

Oct. 02, 2002: OPUS ONE Napa Valley 1999 (93 points, $150)

One of the few high-end California Cabernets with a track record of more than 15 years, Opus One is still producing outstanding wines. The '99 is an exquisite, complex, stylish wine, wearing a cloak of earthy, leathery tannins around flavors of mineral, c —James Laube

Sep. 30, 2002: JUSTIN Isosceles Paso Robles 1999 (92 points, $48)

The '99 Isosceles is a wonderfully rich and complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Smooth and seamless, its layers of ripe currant, black cherry and blackberry are shaded with anise, herb and earth. Finishes with just the right am —James Laube

Sep. 28, 2002: HARTWELL Merlot Stags Leap District 2000 (93 points, $60)

A relatively new addition to the Hartwell portfolio (better known for its typically outstanding Cabernet), this Merlot is enormously complex, rich and silky, with tiers of juicy currant, blackberry, mocha and anise, also pretty, cedary oak, yet for all th —James Laube