The more limited production, flagship cuvees are bottled under the Venge Family Reserve label. One of the newest entries in this portfolio is the 2004 Bianco Spettro, an intriguing blend of 55% Chardonnay, 38% Sauvignon Blanc, and the rest Marsanne. Crisp, elegant, dry, and fresh with terrific fruit, a striking minerality, and loads of citrus oil characteristics, it can be drunk over the next 1-2 years with an assortment of foods. Shortly before I wrote this report, I had my last bottle of one of Venge’s great Cabernet Sauvignons, the 1978 Villa Mt. Eden (a vineyard now owned by Plumpjack). Still spectacular at 27 years of age, this fabulously complex Cabernet Sauvignon is further proof that few people have as much experience and a resume as impressive as the ebullient Nils Venge.Saddleback Cellars tel. (707) 944-1305; fax (707) 944-1325; Venge Winery tel. (707) 967-1008