Luxury Sport Sedan

"I don't usually care much for wine," blurts technical editor Kim Reynolds after swigging a sip of the 2005 Jours de Bonheur, a 2007 release from Demetria Estate, "but this pinot noir is very nice." Owners Sandra and John Zahoudanis and winemaker Michael Roth see to the day-to-day demands at Demetria, a small winery in Central California's Santa Ynez Valley that produces a modest output of around 7500 cases per year. According to Sandra, renowned winemaker Andrew Murray used to reside on the estate, which sits a stone's throw from the Firestone and Fess Parker vineyards as well as the former residence of an infamous moonwalker. "Just over that ridge is Jacko's Neverland Ranch," she says, pointing south toward rolling hills that, due to an especially wet winter, resemble a mound of avocados. Following a few seconds of awkward silence, she poses a most appropriate question: "So, who wants another taste?"

On this warm spring day, Reynolds is treating his palate and shnoz-stimuli generally subjected to the earthy and bold blend known as Starbucks Sumatra-to intense flavors of cherry and raspberry and aromas of cinnamon and lavender. "Wow, I really like this pinot," he repeats to the group, which includes your scribe, editor at large Arthur St. Antoine, road-test editor Scott Mortara, and photographer Brian Vance, all of whom are enjoying the fruits of Demetria's labor. "Good thing we're done driving for the day," proclaims St. Antoine, who, after eight hours of zipping around Santa Ynez's challenging country roads, is already feeling the effects of multiple, generously poured samples.

Of the aforementioned sommeliers, er, editors, the most noteworthy is Reynolds, who's been brought along not just for his quick wit, dry humor, and uncanny ability to assess a car's nuances, but also because he authored the previous sport-sedan shindig ("Sideways," November 2005), in which the BMW 545i, Cadillac STS, Infiniti M45, and Mercedes E500 let their juices flow in nearby Paso Robles. The gold-medal ribbon? Wine steward Reynolds awarded that to the 545i. For this taste test, save for a losing vehicle from the prior group receiving a complete redesign or a new V-8, invitations were not extended; thus, nay to the STS and M45 but yea to the invigorated E550 Benz. Naturally, the BMW, now in 550i guise, was summoned to defend its title, with two robust newcomers-the Lexus GS 460 and Jaguar XF Supercharged-thrown in to challenge for editors' pick. Who'll garner the gold this go-around? To the presses!