Like a zephyr on a perfect afternoon, the Heller Estate Chenin Blanc 2007, Carmel Valley, is supremely attractive and refreshing. The grapes, 89% chenin blanc and 11% riesling, come from the property’s strictly organic vineyards. The wine is a pale straw color. The bouquet — and that’s the correct word — wreathes lemon balm and lime peel with lemongrass, dried thyme and tarragon, camellia and jasmine; a few minutes in the glass bring up hints of almond and almond blossom. Acid is as tart as a schoolmarm’s tongue, yet the wine sports a lovely texture, soft and almost talc-like while remaining spare and elegant. Flavors of spiced peach and pear, with a touch of lime, lead to a trace of grapefruit bitterness on the zesty finish. This is way too good to waste on aperitif duties — though even aperitif wine should be good; try it with a classic like trout amandine or with shrimp dredged in Southwestern spices and kissed by heat and hickory smoke from the grill.

Excellent. About $25.

Visit hellerestate.com.

The label of the Clayhouse Vineyard Adobe Red 2006, Central Coast, tells us that the wine is intended for “that rebellious, hedonistic red wine lover inside of you.” Well, yeah, I guess that’s me all over, always the rebel, though while I don’t detect anything exactly rebellious about the wine, it is absolutely drinkable and delicious. You wouldn’t find a blend of grapes like this anywhere in the world except in California — 58% zinfandel, 17% syrah, 13% petite sirah and 12% malbec; the inspiration seems to be half southern Rhone Valley, half southern Golden State.

Smooth and drinkable, indeed, but with spice and sass, the wine features pungent aromas of ripe and intense black currant and black raspberry with wild plum, all permeated by smoke, tar, bitter chocolate and cloves. These qualities segue seamlessly into the mouth, where are added hints of cranberry and rhubarb, black tea, cedar and black olive. Tannins provide a firm structure, burgeoning on the finish with notes of moss, bark and underbrush. Now through 2010 or ‘11 should do the trick. I rate the wine Very Good+. At about $15, it ranks as a Good Value.

We drank this with pizza made at home for Movie Night. Toppings on the pizza were chorizo sausage, fresh tomatoes, chopped green pepper and radicchio with a few slices of roasted red pepper, a scattering of thyme, rosemary and oregano, and then mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Movie Night was disappointing. We were watching In the Valley of Elah, which was quite engrossing, when at minute 57 the DVD began stuttering and pausing and simply would not proceed. Very annoying. It goes back to Netflix for a replacement tomorrow.

The label shown here is for the version of the Adobe Red 2005, from Paso Robles; can’t wineries keep their websites up to date? Come on, it’s all about my needs.

Visit clayhousewines.com.