TASTING NOTES : Touring Northern California

* 1989 Chateau De Baun “Chateau Rouge” ($5): A blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Petite Sirah, the wine has the spicy character of Russian River fruit. There’s enough richness to match well with lighter-styled chicken dishes, but it’s delicate enough to go with salmon. It’s best to decant this wine because it improves with air.

I’ve seen the wine selling for as low as $3.79 a bottle--a great value. Chateau De Baun also has a companion 1990 Chateau Blanc ($5) that is 60% Symphony, 40% Chardonnay. It is nearly bone dry and a great match with spicy dishes and hearty seafood.

* Mirabelle ($12): The label doesn’t indicate who made this non-vintage sparkling wine, but the producer is Schramsberg and the quality is startlingly high for such a reasonably priced wine. (It should be less than $10 in most markets.) The aroma is classically toasty, but with excellent fruit. The body is rich enough to match with food with light cream sauces. Late this year Schramsberg is set to unveil a new prestige cuvee as well as its first product from a joint venture in Portugal.

* 1990 Greenwood Ridge Zinfandel, Alexander Valley ($12.50): An amazingly complex wine for one so young. The spiced raspberry fruit is stunning and the taste is lush and long. Winemaker Van Williamson uses a number of new techniques to make his red wines and this one is superb.

* 1990 LVC Bistro Syrah ($8): McDowell Valley Vineyards winemaker John Buechsenstein fashioned this attractive, deeply flavored red wine along the lines of a Rhone such as Lirac. It blends Syrah with Carignane and Grenache. The LVC stands for Les Vieux Cepages, the designation McDowell Valley uses on its regular Syrah, a deeper, richer wine that sells for $14. This one is an excellent value. This wine is far better than a companion wine, LVC Bistro Red.

* 1990 St. Supery Chardonnay ($12.25): I love Chardonnays that are crisp enough to enhance food; this one has the tart/citrusy elements perfect for grilled halibut. The aroma is grapefruit-and pear-like with enough oak so you know it’s there, but not so much to overpower the wine. And the acidity really brings out the flavors of simpler foods. Serve at 55 to 60 degrees; chilling it too much robs it of its complexity.

* 1990 Cain Cellars Musque ($12): It is believed that one “clonal selection” of Sauvignon Blanc, called the Muscat clone, yields a wine that is spicier than the other more herbal clones of the variety. Cain Cellars winemaker Craig McLean made an excellent example of this type--but only a small amount (633 cases) was produced. It is delicately spicy, yet has almost Chardonnay-like nuances from aging in oak.