Readers know of my affection for the Zinfandels produced by Hartford Court. They come from an 80-year old, head-pruned, Russian River vineyard owned by Don Hartford. The 1995 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard is a terrific example of this varietal. Tipping the scales at 14.6% alcohol, it is no shy wine. It offers up copious quantities of raspberry, black cherry, briery fruit with smoky, toasty new oak in the background. Dense and full-bodied, with wonderful exuberance and lushness, it should drink well for 3-4 years. One of the star estates in the Kendall-Jackson group known as Artisans and Estates, Hartford Court is a "showcase chateau" in the Russian River Valley, just off Martinelli Road. I have enjoyed everything this winery has released to date.Tel. (707) 887-1532

One of the few 1995 Zinfandels with a saturated dark purple color, this excellent, nearly outstanding wine exhibits pure, ripe black-cherry and raspberry fruit gently infused with toasty, spicy oak. Well-balanced without annoyingly high acidity or harsh tannin, it is a concentrated, medium-bodied, backward, rich, flavorful, intense wine. Cellar it for another year, and drink it over the subsequent 7-8. As readers may remember from my review of the 1994 Hartford Court Zinfandel, this wine is made from 81-year old, head-pruned, Russian River vines.Tel. (707) 887-1532