2014 Capensis Chardonnay, Western cape, South Africa, 94 points - This Chardonnay specialist shows once again how South Africa's Cape is ideal terroir for this variety. Refined and elegant; creamy and lightly toasted with soft vanilla tones. Gorgeous.

This is Jackson Family Estate‘s first foray into South Africa – and what a debut by winemaker Graham Weerts and vineyard manager Rosa Kruger who sourced the fruit from exceptional sites in Stellenbosch, Overberg and Robertson. The wine carries the 55% new French oak with ease to reveal a profoundly complex Chardonnay with heft, depth and well-judged acidity. Stone fruits, pear, herbs, lees and hay notes and long saline finish, make this a very complete and complex effort. A star in the making. Drink:2016-2026

Medium-deep ruby color; complex black cherry and blueberry aromas with notes of dried savory spices; dense and complex on palate with full black cherry and blueberry fruit, great structure, toasty oak and a balanced, very long finish. WOW! This is a terrific Pinot with a long life ahead of it. Cambria has shown it can really kick it up a notch with this series of single clone bottlings.

Big resiny, smoky, black cherry jam, mineral, compost and liquorice root nose with a hint of tobacco and compost. Ripe, round and elegant with soft, supple tannins. Very flavourful with black cherry, raspberry, smoky, mineral vanilla and liquorice root flavours. Long, balanced and intense.

It's not the first time that Cambria's Katherine's has performed at the top of our chardonnay tasting - the past two vintages have both scored 90 or above. This may be a big, buttery wine, with lots of corn-silk richness, but it is also remarkably fresh, continuing to express a lively, honeyed ocean-coast minerality the day after it's first opened. The firm, compact structure is all seashells, layered in white. That contrasts the earthier elements of mushrooms, ferns and dried honeycomb. In balance, it stays cool for all its size and alcohol, a zesty, substantial white for pork or turkey long-brined then roasted.

Here's a strong argument for more syrah in the Santa Maria Valley, especially at the Tepusquet vineyard where Cambria grows 19 acres of the variety. This isn't the most complex wine in the world, but it feels so good in the mouth, perfectly balanced, statuesque. Dark plum skin plays a role in the color and in the savor of the aroma. And there's a mouthwatering, gentle acidity, like that of a rich, ripe pear. The flavors are persistent and dynamic, soft and concentrated, moving out in all directions. Get a case.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is a dark, mysterious beauty. Graphite, smoke, lavender and spices are some of the notes that gradually open up. Virile and imposing, the 2013 finishes with explosive energy and tons of nuance. Drink this superb, distinctive Pinot Noir over the next 5-7 years.

Deep and hearty mulberry aromas meet with condensed rose petals, cinnamon, clove and hot gingerbread on the earthy, spicy nose of this clonal bottling by longtime winemaker Denise Shurtleff. The sip is thick and full of chaparral herbs at first, then opens toward rounded red cherry, cranberry and cinnamon before diving into fennel and peppercorn. It's amazing for one clone to be so complex.

Classic Cambria Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley, this is translucent in color, silky in texture and bone dry, yet unbelievably concentrated. Full bodied and warm in alcohol, it has massive flavors of cherry compote, cranberry, persimmon, sweet, smoky oak and crushed spice. It should age gracefully over the next six years.

Rich, juicy and deep with black cherry, caramel and soft oak; lush and dense with finesse, elegance and complexity; long and lovely.

Warm, full aromas of wood smoke, with hints of coffee and black plums. Rich and complex. Smoky, meaty flavors vie with sweet fruity ones in a nicely framed, mouth-filling treat of a wine. Well balanced and lingering.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part Two The 2015 Syrah Tepusquet Vineyard is the most impressive wine in the range today. Powerful, dense and explosive, the 2015 pulses with both energy. An exotic mélange of inky dark fruit, creme de cassis, lavender, black pepper and spice builds as this striking wine shows off its pedigree.

A vivid taste profile of Chardonnay in its finest California persona, French oak tempering the suggestions of apples, pears, melon, adding the intrigue of wood incense.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part One The 2016 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is a total knockout. Dense, powerful and unctuous, with tremendous depth, the 2016 hits all the right notes. Even with all of its natural intensity, the 2016 possesses striking aromatic presence as well as freshness to play off the generous inky blue fruit. There is almost no perception of tannin in this impeccably balanced Pinot from winemaker Jonathan Nagy. The 2016 was done with fully destemmed fruit. Don’t miss it.

There's a prominent but relatively restrained sense of cherry juice on the nose of this bottling alongside gamy meat, sagebrush and composting rose-petal aromas. The palate is framed by strong energy, which delivers red fruit, sharp red spice and tinges of spearmint and tarragon.

From a cool climate site in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2015 Pinot Noir Rita's Crown delivers beautiful minerality as well as elegance in its medium-bodied, seamless profile. Black raspberries, gunpowder, crushed rocks, and ample forest floor notes develop beautifully with time in the glass, and this beauty can be drunk today or cellared for a decade. This cuvée spent 16 months in 57% new French oak.

There’s a great deal of sagebrush on the nose of this bottling from a vine yard in the eastern Sta. Rita Hills, along with red cherry, pencil lead and sandalwood. Dark cherry and cranberry flavors power the palate, the fruit wrapped in hickory smoke. Thyme flavors carry into the tannic finish.

Lush fresh cherry nose; silky and ripe with bright cherry and tangy acidity; supple, balanced and juicy; long and lovely.

This best-of-barrels bottling is intended to impress with its weight and gravitas, and it succeeds despite exhibiting more restraint than in previous vintages. Plush red strawberry and plum fruit is spiced with star anise and clove on the nose. The palate combines a sanguine element with smoky oak notes. Vanilla bean and ginger snap flavors extend toward the finish, which proves rather refreshing.

While the 2014 Pinot Noir Monument Hill was slightly closed aromatically, it offers fabulous purity, depth and richness on the palate, with ripe tannin and a great finish. From the Nielson Vineyard outside of Santa Maria, and a mix of terroirs (sand, shale and limestone) and clones, give it a year in bottle and enjoy this beauty through 2024.

A solid step up over the classic Nielson Vineyard (it also comes all from the Nielson Vineyard), the 2014 Pinot Noir Monument is a mix of clones, was completely destemmed, barrel fermented (80%) and saw 14 months in 77% new French oak. It gives up loads of black raspberries, spice, dried flowers and underbrush/forest floor notes in its rich, textured, layered personality. It has terrific mid-palate depth, equally terrific complexity and sweet tannin, all suggesting it's going to keep for a decade. Originally founded in 1984, Byron is now owned by Jackson Family Wines with the wines made by Jonathan Nagy. The oak treatment sticks out slightly in a number of these wines, but as I hope the scores show, there’s tons to love here. These are ripe, classic Santa Barbara wines.

The pinnacle power-showing bottling of each vintage, this wine is brawny on the nose, reminiscent of hearty black cherry, bay leaf, crushed clove, roasted game and leather. The intriguingly herbal character is lavish on the palate, where dark cranberry and deep pomegranate gain complexity from peppercorn and thyme, showcasing very well-blended flavors.

From the oldest commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara County comes this heady bottling, showing aromas of deep black raspberry, vanilla bean, beef carpaccio, black pepper and sesame oil. Black and white pepper and bay leaf spice up the acid- and mineral-laced palate, where dark but sharply focused fruits of elderberry and boysenberry gain a savory touch from smoked pork.

The winery’s top-end bottling, this presents rich aromas of black cherry and blackberry pie, with sweet hickory smoke, pipe tobacco and graphite shavings. The expertly balanced palate is quite broad, with ripe pomegranate and raspberry fruit, yet it’s not jammy at all, thanks to black clove, Earl Grey tea and violet candy. Ample tannins and acidity enliven the mouth.

This best of barrels selection from Byron's considerable number of vineyards in Santa Maria Valley is a stunner. It's immediately likeable for its soft, creamy mouthfeel, and the way the raspberry, cherry, currant, bacon, cocoa and sandalwood flavors finish so rich, yet so dry. Seems too soft for the long haul despite the firm tannins, but should provide beautiful drinking over the next six years.