A very complex Zinfandel that shows great balance despite the big number in small print on the front label. I'm in the habit of tasting first and looking later to make sure that I'm not predisposed to turn off to a Zin based on its alcohol content, as there are myriad other factors that can make the wine work across the scale, from 13% to 16.5%. The cranberry fruit element really makes this wine pop, bringing the pepper, herb, blackberry and dusty tannin texture together in a full flavored, long lingering delight. This will win the high number haters back -- if you show it blind, of course. Contains 3% Syrah.

From a north facing parcel in the Spear Vineyard, which is located just off Highway 246 in the northern part of the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2017 Chardonnay Spear offers a more masculine, mineral, earthy style in its ripe, exotic bouquet of melon, ripe pineapple, lemon, and earthy minerality and crushed rocks. This beauty takes some time to unwind but offers terrific complexity, a layered, rich texture, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. Give bottles a year and enjoy through 2027.

The 2017 Chardonnay Santos Road, which hails from Hyde clone vines in the 3D vineyard, is my favorite of the Diatom bottlings this year, offering up aromas of peach kernel, pear, honeycomb and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is the deepest and most complete of the range, medium-bodied with a glossily textural attack and fine-boned, racy structure.

DIATOM 2017 CHARDONNAY, MACHADO The nose is bright lemon and grass with hints of chalk and pear. The palate is ripe Bartlett pear, lemon and toast in a mouth-watering core with great acidity.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part Two The 2017 Chardonnay Hilliard Bruce is absolutely brilliant in the way it brings together textural richness in the focused, chiseled style that is the essential Diatom signature. Lemon peel, mineral and floral notes abound, but it is the wine's character and multi-dimensional personality that really stand out.

A richer lemon crème nose with orange marshmallow and notes of lees. The palate is a rich lemony textured core with an effortless feel, finishing clean.

Lastly, the 2016 Chardonnay Spear is another terrific wine. Clean, classic and focused on the palate, with lots of citrus rind, salty minerality, spice and exotic flower-like aromatics, it has beautiful richness, a seamless texture and impeccable balance. One of the more classic Chardonnays in the lineup, with textbook aromas and flavors, drink it anytime over the coming decade or more. The Diatom releases are made by Greg Brewer. I loved all these 2016s and they had vibrant purity and freshness, with plenty of textural richness on the palate. The Sta. Rita Hills appellation needs more Chardonnays like this.

Understated power and tension come through nicely in the 2016 Chardonnay Machado. The flavors are remarkably pure and crystalline in this focused, super-appealing Chardonnay from Diatom and Greg Brewer.

The 2016 Chardonnay Machado is terrific. Pear, apple peal, lots of citrus rind and a touch of salty sea breeze all emerge from this medium-bodied, lively and perfectly balanced Chardonnay that has bright acidity yet plenty of fruit. While it’s good today, it will be even better with 2-3 years of cellaring. The Diatom releases are made by Greg Brewer. I loved all these 2016s and they had vibrant purity and freshness, with plenty of textural richness on the palate. The Sta. Rita Hills appellation needs more Chardonnays like this.

The 2016 Chardonnay Hilliard Bruce is rich and textured on the palate, with a flavor profile that leans towards the riper end of the spectrum while retaining the freshness and energy that are such Diatom signatures.

The nose is fresh lemon and warm grains, firm and crisp green apple. The palate is honeyed and dense on palate entry with a brilliantly focused acidity balanced by a punch of fresh citrus on the finish.

COMMENTARY: A top rosé that I look forward to tasting each year, the 2016 Copain "Tous Ensemble." once again fulfilled expectations. TASTING NOTES: This wine starts out with a beautiful pastel pink color, and it just keeps on getting better. Once on the palate, this wine dazzles with bright strawberries, earth, and perhaps a shading of minerality—don't you just love those buzzwords? Pair the wine's fresh acidity and crispness with steamed mussels with an accent of red heirloom tomatoes for color coordination.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Pinot Noir Kiser en Haut is pale to medium ruby-purple and has an exuberant nose of warm red and black cherries, raspberries and cranberries with touches of dusty soil, lavender and mossy bark. The medium-bodied palate reveals lovely floral sparks accenting the red fruits with a fine-grained frame and oodles of freshness, finishing on a mineral note.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Kiser En Bas, from the lower portion of the vineyard, where there is more clay, has the breadth and textural volume to play off the wine's natural energy and vibrancy. Succulent dark cherry, plum, lavender, rose petal and spice all flesh out in this super-expressive, pliant Pinot from Copain. This is very nicely done.

The flavors really pop in the 2014 Pinot Noir Wendling. Bright, precise and nuanced, the 2014 is beautifully delineated throughout. There is plenty of depth, while darker notes shape the bottom end of the wine. This impeccably balanced Pinot will drink well for at least the next handful of years.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Syrah Baker Ranch is powerful and also a bit rough around the edges. It will be interesting to see what bottle age brings. Bright acids give the sweet red cherry, pomegranate, wild flowers, chalk and white pepper an extra kick of intensity. The Baker Ranch exudes energy and also clearly has a lot of potential but it also needs time to fully come together.

The 2015 Syrah High Rock Ranch is a very pretty wine that also has more than enough depth to balance the cool-climate savoriness and whole cluster influence. Orange peel, mint, spice, tobacco, cedar and dark red plum notes meld together. Pliant, open-knit and enveloping, the 2015 will drink well with minimal cellaring.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages Composed of 100% Syrah, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 High Rock Syrah opens with meaty notions of smoked bacon and charcuterie over a core of blackberry preserves, Black Forest cake and Sichuan pepper with hints of hoisin and tilled soil. Medium-bodied with soft, rounded tannins and tons of spicy layers, it has fantastic freshness and length.

The 2013 Syrah Baker Ranch is bold and succulent, as all the wines are here in this vintage. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and licorice are front and center in this juicy, open-knit Syrah. The 100% whole clusters add aromatic nuance, but they also are very nicely integrated, and not especially evident.

The 2012 Hawks Butte Syrah is just what I came looking for. Syrah from high elevation rocky soil, baked in minerals, meaty and powerful, and bursting with black berries, tannin and velvety texture. The one I walked away with.

Copain's Syrahs are Aging Wonderfully Darker than the 2003 and more concentrated. Lots of blueberries, plum cake, loaded with violets and black pepper. Silky smooth, still structured though with some dusty tannins. Black cherry and blueberry fruit is alive and kicking, and I love the smoke, olive tapenade, gravelly earth and violet petal elements going on here. This really is a pretty Syrah in a beautiful place.

The 2017s From Sonoma From a small 20-acre family-farmed vineyard, the 2017 Chardonnay Dupratt has a richer, deeper bouquet of orange blossom, honeysuckle, and candied lemons. Despite the richer nose, it has racy acidity, medium to full body, and a rounded, beautifully textured mouthfeel. Brought up in 10% new French oak, it’s another beautiful wine from winemaker Ryan Zepaltas.

The 2014 Chardonnay Brosseau is another gorgeous wine from Copain. Lemon confit, wild flowers, mint, sage and orange zest are all beautifully delineated in the glass. The 2014 is powerful, but also nuanced, vibrant and super-expressive. There is a real sense of energy in the 2014 that is palpable.

The 2013 Chardonnay Laurales Grade is wild, unrestrained in style. Chamomile, herbs, slate and intensely saline notes abound. A Chardonnay of real structure and pedigree, the Laurales Grade exudes class from start to finish. There is a gorgeous sense of translucency that gives the 2013 its crystal clear, nuanced personality.

Copain's Syrahs are Aging Wonderfully Wow, this is exceptional and surprising. Such lively aromas, no hints of oxidation or exhaustion here at all, just lemon curd and crushed limestone. Precise acidity through and though, yet the plush texture is awesome. Minerals and flowers and honeycomb accentuate the juicy lemon and yellow pear fruit. Wow, still going strong, and a wonderful showing. This comes from a fascinating site at 1,600 feet in the Chalone appellation with rare combo of limestone and granite soils.