The 2013 Chardonnay Estate Vineyards reveals lots of tropical fruit, especially tangerine oil.

The numerous Chardonnay vineyards are planted at 800 to as high as 1,800 feet (in the case of the Gravel Bench, Upper Barn and Broken Road vineyards). All are 100% Chardonnays largely made from the Old Wente clone with a small percentage of the Hyde clone, and are fermented with indigenous yeasts. Almost all of them spend 10-11 months in various percentages of new French oak, ranging from a low of 44% (the Estate Chardonnay) to a high of 100% (the Gravel Bench Chardonnay. The differences between the various cuvées are very subtle as they are all relatively full-bodied, rich, and aromatic with natural textures. As the scores attest, they are far more alike than dissimilar. My favorites include the 2013 Chardonnay Gravel Bench, which reveals amazing texture and richness as well as a honeyed crème brûlée intensity and striking minerality.

I loved the 2014 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard, and as in 2013, it might be the top Sta. Rita Hills release from Adam. Loaded with notions of spice, white pepper, dried rose petals and dried violets, this beauty is medium-bodied, graceful and pretty on the palate, with perfectly integrated acidity and tannin. It shows the forward nature of the vintage, yet has plenty of class.

Maybe the best wine from Adam in 2014 is the 2014 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard. Giving up the classic minerality that's common from this site, it has lots of sweet black raspberry and violet nuances, medium-bodied depth and richness and a fresh, focused, elegant style on the palate. It showed more tannic structure with time in the glass, yet given the fruit and balance, I've no doubt it will be approachable on release.

A rocking wine that's up with the best from the vintage, the 2014 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard has lots of cassis, blueberry, bramble and crushed rock notes to go with a big, rich and fruit-filled profile on the palate. Despite all the fruit, it always stays lively and fresh, has tight tannin structure and gorgeous purity. Drink it on release and over the following 5-7 years.

Siduri? Big fan. Clos Pepe? Huge fan. This wine? Whoa. Dark cherry and earth dominate the nose with hints of eucalyptus and sage. Whoa. On the palate this is a fruity Pinot lover’s delight: rich fruit, great tartness, and just the right amount of earth. This will never be confused with an Old World Pinot, but holy cow, it’s good. Outstanding.

More structured, with lots of minerality, jammy blackberry and black raspberry fruit, licorice and peppery herbs, the 2015 Syrah Sierra Mar is rich, concentrated and layered. It's another killer barrel sample that will deliver the goods on release.

Scheduled to be bottled early next year, the 2015 Syrah Garys' Vineyard is a seriously good looking Syrah that sports an inky color, terrific notes of cassis, crushed rock-like minerality and wild herbs, medium to full-bodied richness and a great finish. I love its purity of fruit and it will certainly be an outstanding Syrah and have a decade of longevity.

One of the gems is the 2016 Zinfandel Carlisle, which has terrific complexity in its peppery, spice, incense, and assorted darker berry fruits. This beauty is medium to full-bodied, layered, and nicely textured, with moderate tannin. Still aging in 20% new French oak, it’s going to deep for a decade.

.possesses copious quantities of sweet blackcurrant, licorice-tinged, black cherry fruit in its aromatics and flavors. Full-bodied, deep, and moderately tannic, this wine rolls across the palate with a layered effect. Moreover, the tannin tastes sweeter and the fruit even richer than in the Veeder bottling.

The 2003 Stature Meritage exhibits copious quantities of cassis fruit along with notions of smoke, earth, licorice, minerals, and flowers. This impressive, large-scaled, rich, age worthy 2003 should evolve for a minimum of two decades.

It possesses all the attributes of the 2001, just more of everything. A wine of considerable intensity, it displays a black/purple color as well as a powerful, sweet perfume of toasty oak intermixed with black currants and chocolate espresso, a formidable mid-palate, and a powerful, moderately tannic finish. This blend should hit its prime in 4-5 years, and last for nearly two decades.

One of the most beautiful wines in the Stature series is the impressive 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature. Sourced from vineyards such as Veeder Peak and Andy Beckstoffer's To-Kalon Vineyard, it offers up creme de cassis aromas intermixed with new saddle leather, vanilla, spice box, and minerals. Full-bodied, rich, and seamless, this voluptiously-textured, thick, juicy Cabernet Sauvignon can be drunk now or cellared up for two decades.

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Highland Estates is a fabulous wine. Dark red fruit, mint, spices, menthol and licorice meld together beautifully in this finessed, elegant wine. The black fruit has wonderful depth and more than enough purity to balance the tannins. This is a promising wine loaded with character and personality. The Highland Estates is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Veeder Peak aged in French oak, 80% new. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard offers striking aromatics to match a bold, succulent expression of fruit. Sweet red cherry, plum, violet, rose petal and spice notes all flesh out. This is a decidedly juicy, fruit-driven style for the Coast. The flavors are incisive and nicely lifted, with an attractive citrus/blood orange note that adds brightness.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard is one of the most distinctive wines in the range. Exotic, spiced aromatics add gorgeous complexity to a core of dark red and black stone fruits. All the elements fall into place in an effortless, impeccably balanced Pinot full of personality and class. The 2013 is both exuberant and intensely aromatic.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard is the most complex and nuanced of these Pinot Noirs from Arrendell. Exotic, perfumed and utterly beguiling, the Arrendell races from the glass with hints of pomegranate, blood orange, wild cherries and savory herbs. The combination of old vines and the Martini clone collide to produce a Pinot Noir of rare pedigree and class. There is a lot to like here.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters is going to need some time to open up. Today, it is the wine's total sense of purity that is compelling. Freshly cut flowers and stone fruits emerge gradually, but the 2013 remains quite embryonic and not fully formed. Still, the wine's potential is pretty easy to see.

The 2015 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard is a powerful and intense wine that captures a striking middle ground between oily richness and the more reserved style of this cooler part of the appellation. Deep in color and flavor, but not at all heavy, the 2015 exudes personality. Orange peel, butter, wild flowers and chamomile leave a lasting impression.

The 2015 Chardonnay Jennifer's is one of the most overt wines in this range and yet has fabulous balance. The richness of the fruit comes through in the wine's deep color and textural depth. Orange peel, hazelnut, spice, butter and expressive tropical notes give the wine its shape and texture. The Jennifer's is a new wine in the Hartford range and emerges from a site in Sebastopol. This is a striking wine from Hartford.

From the Sonoma Coast, the 2013 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard (396 cases) emerges from a mountain ridge north of Fort Ross. This cuvée sees about 35% new French oak, and the 2013 clearly shows the tropical fruit side of Chardonnay with lots of pineapple, mango and candied tangerine-like notes. Full-bodied with fabulous fruit intensity as well as purity, super focus, and an underlying liquid minerality that gives it an extra-special character, it should drink well for 10 years.

There are 304 cases of the 2013 Chardonnay Fog Dance Vineyard, another Green Valley hillside site just south of the town of Forestville. One-hundred percent barrel-fermented and aged in 29% new French oak, this superb Chardonnay exhibits notes of apple blossoms, lemon oil, white currants, quince and hints of tangerines and orange marmalade. The vintage’s sensational acidity and delineation come through in this full-bodied, super-concentrated 2013. Drink now-2020.

The 2013 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard is quite a bit richer and oilier than the Jennifer's. Mango, pineapple, spices, butter and French oak blossom in a wine that captures a striking interplay of intense fruit allied to bright, piercing acidity. This is another impeccable, absolutely beautiful Chardonnay from Hartford Court.

The 2013 Chardonnay Stone Cote Vineyard (from Durell) is rich, sumptuous and layered, with attractive floral, honeyed overtones and plenty of orchard fruits. Hints of orange peel, lemon oil, hazelnuts, spices and butter add further dimensions of nuance on the finish. The 2013 stands out for its voluptuous, inviting personality and silky finish.

Orange blossom, burnt sugar, hazelnuts, spices and roasted almonds open up in the Chardonnay Three Jacks Vineyard. This parcel, which sits within Dutton, is planted with a variety of clones, but it is the Rued clone in particular that add a distinctly exotic flair to both the flavors and textures. The voluptuous, oily finish is super-distinctive.