Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2016 Chardonnay Signature Selection Katherine's is a gorgeous wine from Cambria. Tropical, unctuous and generous in feel, the 2016 lies very much on the more exotic end of the stylistic spectrum. The interplay of textural richness with the natural freshness of Santa Maria yields an impeccable, compelling Chardonnay that will drink well for at least a number of years.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2016 Pinot Noir Julia's Signature Collection is racy and succulent to the core. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and rose petal infuse this sumptuous, overt Pinot with tons of depth. Creamy, layered and super-inviting, the 2016 captures all the best of the Cambria house style, while remaining gracious and not at all overdone.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future Byron's 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido is creamy, open-knit and inviting. Apricot, tangerine peel, orchard fruit dried flowers and tropical notes meld together effortlessly in a striking, beautifully layered Chardonnay that shows all the pedigree and nuance this site is capable of.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay Nielson expresses all the richness of Wente Clone Chardonnay in its lush, tropical profile. Pineapple, butter, sweet French oak and hazelnut add to the wine's extroverted personality. Even with all of its intensity, the 2017 preserves a good deal of freshness and energy.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is powerful and pungent, with a blast of savory and spiced notes that race out of the glass. Deep, pliant and supple, the JSV has a ton to offer. It is also one of the more complete wines in the range. Red/purplish berry fruit, blood orange, mint and rose petal meld into the striking, nuanced finish.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future From a site in Los Alamos, the 2017 Chardonnay Bar M is perfumed, lifted and wonderfully gracious in feel. Citrus and floral notes abound in a very pretty, expressive Chardonnay that shows the aromatic style that is so common here. White flowers, mint and saline overtones add closing layers to this pretty and inviting Chardonnay from Greg Brewer's Diatom label.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir 459 brilliantly blends fruit density with structure. Creamy and ample in feel, with lovely brightness from the whole clusters, the 2017 has so much to offer. Citrus and floral overtones open up in the glass, rounding out this silky, understated Pinot. The 459 is all class.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a gorgeous appellation-level wine from Brewer-Clifton. Creamy and ample, the 2017 is absolutely delicious. Tangerine, mint, lemon peel and sweet spice notes all meld together in a striking, nuanced Chardonnay that hits all the right notes. The 2017 is positively stellar. That's pretty much all there is to it.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir Hapgood is one of the most reticent wines in the range. The aromatics are full of floral and savory character, and yet the wine is much less expressive and quite compact on the palate. Even so, there is good energy here. It will be interesting to see if the 2017 fleshes out with more time in bottle. There is certainly plenty to look forward to.

Here's a fine and fleshy, generous, ripe, dark fruit-flavoured pinot that fits a warm vintage Willamette mold accurately, well-crafted, cleverly oak-influenced. I like the ripe, supple tannins and the ripe-balanced acids, not to mention the long finish. Solidly constructed. Tasted September 2019. Value Rating: **1/2

Santa Barbara: Present & Future Cambria's 2017 Chardonnay Clone 4 is creamy, open-knit and wonderfully layered, while retaining the mid-weight sense of structure that is the signature of the Cambria wines today. Tangerine, mint, vanillin, almond and chamomile grace this attractive, understated Chardonnay from Cambria.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard is soft, supple and delicate. Bright red berry fruit and floral overtones, along with silky tannins give he 2017 its distinctly lifted, airy personality. This is a pretty delicate, understated expression of Solomon Hills Pinot Noir, with all the elements in the right place.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir Q Block Bien Nacido Vineyard is laced with expressive red/purplish berry fruit, sage, lavender and rose petal overtones. Supple silky and inviting, the 2017 is another Pinot in this range that will drink beautifully upon release.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard is fresh, airy and nicely lifted. Chalk, red berries, mint and sweet floral notes give the 2017 a brilliant aromatic upper register. The Fiddlestix is one of the more compact wine in this range. At the same time, winemaker Jonathan Nagy has succeeded in making a rare Fiddlestix that captures terrific fruit purity while avoiding some of the more rustic elements that are so common here.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future One of the highlights in this range, the 2017 Pinot Noir (Sta.Rita Hills) is fresh, perfumed and wonderfully inviting. Rose petal, blood orange, kirsch and mint give the 2017 a decidedly exotic feel that is hugely appealing. In 2017, the Sta. Rita Hills Pinot is wonderfully lifted and nuanced, with terriffc balance and class that will make it impossible to resist, even upon release. Machado and Hapgood are the core sources for this appellation Pinot.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay (Santa Maria Valley) is bright, focused and super-expressive. Lemon confit, mint, crushed rocks and white pepper add striking aromatic top notes to this finely sculpted, chiseled Chardonnay from Nielson. This is a fabulous example of Santa Maria Chardonnay at a price that won't break the bank.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Ex Post Facto is an attractive wine from Greg Brewer's new Syrah project. Fermentation with whole clusters brings out a whole range of bright floral and mineral notes to play off a core of dark red Syrah fruit. The 2017 is not super complex, but it is absolutely delicious, and, just as importantly, will drink well right out of the gate. My impression is that Brewer is still developing the idea of the wine he wants to make here. The first two vintages have certainly been impressive, but I think the best is yet to come.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2016 Pinot Noir Barbara's Vineyard is rich, racy and sumptuous. Succulent red cherry, cedar, spice and sweet oak all grace this supple, forward Pinot from Cambria. There is terrifc flavor purity, but my impression is that the Barbara's is overwhelmed by the extraction and 100% new oak, which seem to be eating away all the wine's fruit and overall depth.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2016 Syrah Tepusquet Vineyard possesses terrifc purity of its lovely aromatic presence that lifts the bright red-toned fruit nicely. There is so much potential here. Sadly, much of that has been stripped away by overly aggressive fining and filtration. This could have been - and should have been - a meaningfully more complete wine. As it is, the Tepusquet comes across as compact and lacking in depth.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County) is a very pretty wine in this range from Nielson. Tangerine, lemon confit, white flowers, mint and a touch of new oak add layers of texture to this attractive, mid-weight Chardonnay from Nielson. This understated Santa Maria Chardonnay has a lot to offer. Best of all, the Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is a terrific value, especially for a wine made entirely from Santa Barbara fruit.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2018 Viognier Tepusquet Vineyard is pretty, fresh and also varietally expressive, although it is a touch compact. Perhaps that is a result of its recent bottling. We will see. Ideally Viognier needs a bit more texture, I think.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County) is an attractive, perfumed wine to drink now and over the next few years. Crushed flowers, red berries, mint, sweet tobacco and cedar add perfume. This is an especially airy, lifted style.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is laced with hints of tangerine, orchard fruit, mint and light tropical notes. The 2017 is attractive, but it is also a bit compact. I can't help thinking that this wine is being bottled too early and/or with too much intervention.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Blanc from Nielson is an attractive, bright wine to drink now and over the next few years, while the orchard fruit and floral notes retain their youthful vibrancy. Readers should plan on giving the 2017 a good bit of air, as it does show some elements of reduction.

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