Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay 3D is the most powerful of the wines. Tropical, dense and plush, the 3D possesses notable richness, yet retains the energy that runs through all these wines. The 3D is marked by a real sense of oiliness and texture. The mix of Wente and Mt. Eden clones work so well here.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay Machado marries textural depth, aromatic brightness and structure. Citrus peel, mint, savory herb and orchard fruit are supported by bracing mineral notes that lend energy. This is such an elegant style. The cooler growing season yielded a Machado that is a bit more vibrant than is often the case.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chenin Blanc Jurassic Vineyard is a gorgeous wine that shows just how expressive this Loire variety can be in certain sites in the Santa Ynez Valley. Floral notes lift a core of green orchard and citrus fruit in a Chenin that remains light on its feet. There is plenty of depth, while all the elements are impeccably balanced. This is such a delicious and inviting wine.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard is bold and effusive from the very first taste. A burst of ripe red and purplish fruit makes a strong opening statement. Open-knit and racy, the Julia's offers terrific immediacy, if not quite the depth or complexity of other wines in the range. It will drink beautifully right out of the gate.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard is dark, fleshy and generous, and yet retains a striking sense of translucence. Dark blue/purplish fruit licorice, dark spice and lavender give the Solomon Hills its distinctive flavor profile. This inward, brooding Pinot needs a few years to come into its own. Today it is a bit mysterious, but there is a certain allure to that.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay Hapgood is elegant, lifted and classy to the core. Freshly cut flowers, bright citrus, chamomile and hints of apricot all run through the Hapgood. More than anything else I very much like the wine's weightless feel and translucent personality. This is an especially steely style, which is maybe a bit out of character for Brewer-Clifton, but it is attractive here.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir 459 is a brooding, inward wine. Menthol, pine, sage, spice and a whole range of intensely floral/savory notes make a strong first impression. The tannins are quite potent at this stage, so readers need to be a bit patient. This clone, originally from the Jura, yields a distinctive Pinot Noir with a strong tannic imprint, as is evident in tasting the 2018.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir 3D is exotic and beautifully layered in the glass. Sweet red cherry, cinnamon, orange peel and a host of floral/savory overtones open up first. The 3D emerges from a sandy site, which along with the whole clusters, yields a Pinot with notable aromatic breadth. The 2018 is deep and yet also light on its feet, with superb resonance and a real sense of vibrancy. The 3D needs a few hours of air to open up, as it has so much going on.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s The 2018 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is a powerful, reticent wine. I would give it a few years in bottle to come into its own, as it is quite a bit less showy than most of the other wines in this range. Sweet red cherry, chalk, white pepper and flowers add an attractive upper register, but the 2018 is not ready to show all its cards just yet.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Truly Rita is a fabulous introduction to the Sta. Rita Hills. A burst of sweet red/purplish fruit, mint, rose petal and blood orange caresses the palate in a sumptuous, luscious Pinot that oozes with class. This gorgeous, alluring Pinot shows all of the raciness of the Sta. Rita Hills. I loved it.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2017 Pinot Noir Julia's Signature Collection is a beguiling wine. Orange peel, cinnamon, cedar and all sorts of dried flowers give the 2018 an exotic dimension that is so inviting. Savory and floral notes from the whole clusters extend the finish nicely in a mid-weight, understated Pinot that has quite a bit to offer.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is a gentle, open-knit wine. Soft contours and the tropical accents typical of Santa Maria give the 2018 a very pretty sense of immediacy. Airy and gracious, with terrific precision, the Katherine's Chardonnay is classy through and through.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard is a pretty, elegant wine. Freshly cut flowers, red cherry, mint and white pepper are all nicely delineated. Energetic and taut in the glass, the Fiddlestix emphasizes verve and freshness more than anything else. I would prefer to drink it on the younger side.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard is laced with scents of apricot, tangerine oil, white flowers and mint. Brisk acids give this mid-weight, nuanced Chardonnay a good bit of character. A hint of reduction on the finish works nicely here.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is vivid and expressive. Like so many of the wines here, the Chardonnay needs a good bit of air to show at its best. Once that happens, the wine's textural breadth and dimension emerge beautifully. Lemon confit, dried pear, mint and dried herbs are all laced together. This appellation Chardonnay is deep, savory and phenolic, all of which make it an excellent choice for the dinner table. It is the hidden gem in this range. Vineyard sites are 3D, Machado and Hapgood.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sA powerful, intense wine, the 2018 Pinot Noir Machado has a lot of depth, but it is also not ready to show all its cards yet. Potent tannins wrap around a core of dark fruit, leather, menthol and tobacco. The Machado is a wine of real substance, bit it will be a few years before the 2018 is at its most expressive and rewarding to drink.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s Siduri's 2018 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) captures the essence of the appellation so well. Sweet dark cherry, plum, espresso, licorice and lavender race out of the glass in an exuberant, forward Pinot that is sure to find many admirers.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2017 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard is marked by strong savory aromatics. Crushed rose petal, cedar, tobacco and dried herbs all open up nicely. Here too, there is some reduction, but it gradually starts to blow off, revealing an ethereal, gracious Pinot. I would prefer to drink this on the early side.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is a very pretty, translucent wine. Sweet red cherry, wild flowers, mint, cinnamon and blood orange are all nicelty lifed, but what stands out most about the appellation wine is its superb balance and class. The 2018 is fabulous.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2017 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is nuanced, elegant and light on its feet. Rose petals, star anise, blood orange and mint add attractive shades of complexity. The 2017 is expressive, inviting and absolutely delicious.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Hapgood is marked by very strong stem component, which is likely the result of a cold site in a cold year and 100% whole clusters. It will be interesting to see if more fruit emerges.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s The 2018 Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County) is bright, lively and absolutely delicious. I would prefer to drink it over the next few years, while the red berry and floral flavors retain their youthful vibrancy. This is a fabulous appellation-level Pinot.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County) is a delicious wine that shows how compelling this vintage is. Sweet red cherry, mint and rose petal are beautifully lifted. The 2018 is vibrant, detailed and enticing.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County) is a gorgeous appellation-level wine. Apricot, tangerine oil and tropical accents grace this delicious, inviting Chardonnay from Nielson. Best of all, the 2018 should be a terrific value.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2017 Pinot Noir Barbara's Clone 667 is dark and ample in the glass, with a real sense of resonance that comes through. A veil of reduction makes the 2017 hard to read today. Perhaps time in bottle will help. If opened young, I would give the 2017 quite a bit of air. I imagine the 2017 might have more to offer than what is evident today.