With my three big wine competitions - Monterey, San Diego and Critics Challenge - now squarely in my rear-view mirror for another season, I've been able to return to my regular tasting schedule. Not only have I whittled down the pile of samples that awaited me, I am pleased to report that I came across a number of superb wines.

Even better, they are wines from producers I've long admired for their tenacious embrace of quality.

There is a wine here, for example, from Merry Edwards. I first met Merry nearly two decades ago. She was pursuing pinot noir in the Russian River Valley with a passion, but she also had quite a good reputation for the cabs and chardonnays she made while the winemaker at Mount Eden Vineyards, in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Merry's Pinots these days are some of the boldest and most age-worthy produced in California, and very much in the style of a premier cru or grand cru Burgundy, with plenty of tannin and earthy complexities. They aren't cheap, but few wines this good are.

I also took note of two lovely Napa Valley reds from Joseph Phelps, whose red meritage "Insignia" is perhaps America's finest red wine. I've known Joe since the early years and always marveled at his willingness to push the envelope despite the fact his wines were already being heaped with praise. Phelps has kept up with the times, which is evident in its polished 2005 syrah and cabernet sauvignon.

You don't have to shell out $200 or more for Insignia a taste of Phelps' greatness. You can spend far less and enjoy a bottle of what Joe likes to call "good old Napa Valley Cabernet." Amen to that.

And then there's Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm. He takes the prize for innovation and willful neglect of his personal financial health. I mean that in only the best way, for Grahm has been willing to walk out on a limb time and time in his career to make wines no one else finds fashionable. He affectionately calls them "ugly ducklings."

So today I commend to you two of Bonny Doon's Ca' del Solo whites, one made from the Spanish grape variety Albarino, and a dry muscat that knocked my socks off.

Great wines from fabulous producers dedicated to quality more than most. You deserve no less.

TASTING NOTES

Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value.

Merry Edwards 2005 "Coopersmith" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($54) - The purity of fruit. Ripe, rich raspberry and blueberry coupled with weight and richness in the mouth set this pinot apart. It's a blockbuster, showing remarkable depth and layered complexity that is usually only seen at this stage (meaning while the wine is so young) in the slightly sweeter pinots that push the envelope on the alcohol level. Yep, this is a powerful pinot, on the order of a grand cru Burgundy from a good vintage, with exceptional length and very, very good balance. Slightly grippy on the finish, indicating it is still several years away from its optimum moment. Rating: 94.

Joseph Phelps 2005 Syrah, Napa Valley ($45) - I just love the pure blueberry, blackberry core that goes to the doorstep of jamminess without crossing the threshold. This vintage shows a fair amount of black pepper spice,and a smoked meat nuance as well. It has the weight and depth to tackle bold flavors from the kitchen and the structure to age out nicely over the next five to seven years. This isn't exactly a summer wine, lending itself I believe more to roasts and stews, but if you're thinking about an upscale barbecue and looking for a wine to pair with charred, earthy meats from the grill, stop looking. Rating: 91.

Joseph Phelps 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($54) - Cabernet lovers will flip over the deep, rich nose of ripe cassis. This is pure Napa Valley Cabernet at its best. Still youthful and fresh on the palate, with good acidity and nicely integrated tannins, this wine has yet to lose its primary fruit and lengthen out, things that will come after a couple of years in the cellar. If you've grown weary of the heavy, sweet cabs pouring forth recently from the Napa Valley, take a trip back to the way things were when Napa cabernets were well-balanced and long-lived. Open a bottle of the '05 Phelps. Rating: 90.

Veramonte 2005 Primus, Chile ($21) - This wine has changed considerably since its inception, when the winery mistakenly thought it had Merlot planted in the cool Colchagua Valley. In reality the "Merlot" was Carmenere, which thrives in warmer climes, but delivers a thin, weedy wine when it doesn't get ripe enough. Over the past several years the plantings have been adjusted and now that really is Merlot that comprises 51 percent of this red Bodeaux-style blend. The '05 is well-balanced, with an herbal note that in fact might make you think its origins are rooted in Bordeaux, and there are wonderful red-fruited aromas and spice and a freshness and complexity that make this one of the finest values in the world at this price. Rating: 90.

Ca' del Solo 2007 Estate Albarino, Monterey County ($20) - It's been a long time coming, but domestic vintners have finally caught on to Albarino, the intriguing white grape of Galicia's Rias Baixas district, which hugs the coastline of northwest Spain. California's Central Coast, particularly the cooler inland valleys that run east-west to the Pacific, seem to provide a climate that is hospitable to Albarino. Ca' del Solo's 2007 vintage from its estate vineyard in Monterey County is one of this country's finest examples of Albarino to date, displaying fresh lime and scintillating minerality in a wine that is perhaps the quintessential accompaniment to freshly shucked oysters or steamed clams. Rating: 90.

Ca' del Solo 2007 Estate Muscat, Monterey County ($17) - The 'M' in Muscat must stand for misunderstood. Sort of makes me wonder why anyone this side of Italy's Piedmont region plants the grape. But Grahm loves grapes others consider "ugly ducklings." He knows the beauty of a well-balanced Moscato served with Mediterranean tapas on a warm summer night. Everyone's skittish around muscat, however, because they are deathly afraid it's going to be sticky sweet. And, by God, many of them are. So what? Get over it, or take a stab at one of those sweeter muscats with a light fruit-based dessert. But Grahm's Muscat has another purpose. It's dry and crisp, although the honeysuckle nose could fool you. But on the palate it's dry and fresh and cries out for food. Maybe some fried zucchini blossom stuffed with cheese; maybe something as simple as fresh porcini mushrooms lightly tossed in olive oil with salt and pepper. Be adventurous. Try this wine! Rating: 88.

Robert Whitley may be reached at whitonwine@aol.com.

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