Tasting the Traumatic 2017 Vintage (And Others) in Northern California A fresh, creamy white with sliced-apple and pear character, as well as some pie-crust and praline aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Flavorful, yet tame on the palate. Drink or hold.

Vibrant ruby color and a bright plum nose; silky and mellow with plum, cassis, and blackberry, plus a refined style and nice depth; balanced and long.

Pale and substantial, this is a bright and zesty chardonnay carrying yellow notes of chamomile and the fresh green crunch of celery through a tight finish. Juicy citrus flavors balance its savor. Bring out the wine’s earthiness with snapper roasted over fennel.

From a cool, sandy site Brewer-Clifton developed in 2007, this fires on three cylinders: rich, tropical fruit (think pineapple); waves of fine, sleek acidity; and a nutty, oaky richness. The net effect is structured and racy, with a mouthwatering hazelnut finish that brings to mind a pairing with buttery roast carrots and leeks.

Made from old-vine fruit from hillside blocks planted above Santa Maria’s benchland, this is chardonnay in a classical vein. It’s sumptuous and flavorful, the pear and apple flavors driven by oak without being over the top. Powerful and stylish; for fried chicken.

Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness Translucent ruby-red. A seductively perfumed bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, potpourri, spicecake and cola, along with a building mineral overtone. Concentrated yet energetic in style, showing excellent clarity and spicy lift to the sweet black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors. Becomes nervier and spicier on the finish, which hangs on with strong tenacity and gentle tannic grip. (60% new French oak)

Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness Vivid magenta color. Displays deeply perfumed aromas of ripe red/blue fruits, candied flowers and licorice, with a suggestion of savory herbs emerging as the wine opens up. Chewy and densely packed on the palate, offering energetic blackberry, bitter cherry and smoked meat flavors and an exotic touch of baking spices. Finishes sweet, broad and very long, with steadily building tannins and lingering violet and spice notes.

Medium ruby color. Lovely aromas of fresh cherries, raspberries and red plums, topped in cola, rhubarb, white pepper, violets, and some earthy-clay notes. Plush yet zesty on the palate with dusty tannins. Bountiful but crisp fruit (cherries, strawberries, raspberries), and I get notes of spiced tea, rhubarb, cola, violet petals and earth. Plump and fruity but vibrant and complex as well, this should do well with two or three years, but it’s very accessible now, too. From a block of Pommard clone in the Londer block of this vineyard, 50% whole cluster fermentation, aged 10 months in 33% new French oak.

Golden color; smooth fruit nose; lush, rich texture, ripe but nicely structured with bright acidity; rich, balanced and long.

Rich cherry nose; ripe, deep cherry and savory notes; clean, balanced and luscious with hints of vanilla oak and toast, long and rich.

Copain (meaning ‘friend’ in French) was set up in 1999. The entry-level Syrah has the savoury, sylvan register of a northern St-Joseph. Its rounded fruits are well balanced, not overly full or intense, and shot through with an agreeable spicy streak. The oak is well integrated and doesn’t dominate. Tannins are very ripe but provide structure.

Plush and graceful, with an elegant core of complexity wrapped in velvety raspberry, spice and orange peel flavors.

Lithe and refined, with expressive rose petal, dark cherry and toasted cinnamon notes that build richness toward polished tannins.

Bright, medium red/purple hue, with a fresh fragrance of raspberry and blueberry, mixed spices and flowers. It's light-bodied and light in tannin, a fruit-driven but quite detailed wine of great aromaticity and charm.

Deepish red colour with a tint of purple. The bouquet has the trademark leafy raspberry lift of this varietal, with a hint of cedar, while the palate is tight and firm, elegant and intense, and it has more in common with St-Émilion than the Loire. Elegant, medium to full-bodied. A very tidy wine.

This white gold colored Chardonnay from Brewer and Clifton is very good. It opens with a mild oak and lemon meringue bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and savory. The flavor profile is a tasty lemon meringue pie and oak blend with nicely integrated minerality. I also detected hints of green apple and a touch of white pepper. The finish is dry and it flavors and well-managed acidity show nice length. This Chard would pair well with chicken cordon bleu.

This is a classic Napa Cabernet. Graceful and elegant and quite understated with a lovely, lifted nose of blackcurrant, spearmint, dark chocolate and pencil lead. The nose is complex and very refined with nicely integrated aromas. It is fullbodied, dense and firm and wonderfully dry, with no mocha and no jam. This is a fine elegant cabernet that will age well.

Lush and smoky stone-fruits nose with a sense of underlying power. Density and grip on the palate with impressive weight of fruit. Caramel on the persistent finish.

Thick tannins wrap around juicy jammy flavors of blueberry and black cherry in this concentrated and savory, earthy wine. Additional aspects of dried herb, tobacco and a touch of vanilla round out the full-bodied experience.

From a vineyard in the Los Alamos Valley, this bottling by Greg Brewer begins with fresh aromas of passion fruit, citron, lime leaf and wet cement. The palate is tightly wound with slightly sour tones of guava peel, presenting a very fresh, no-oak style that still has plenty of character.

Moderate garnet color in the glass. Persistent aromas of darker cherry and sous-bois. More power, intensity and finish in a mid weight plus style featuring flavors of plum, pomegranate and a citric thread. A good tannic backbone provides balance. Quite appealing, with uplifting energy and a cherry cola finish.

This faint straw-colored Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey is very good. It opens with an attractive lemon verbena bouquet with a hint of apple. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and juicy. The flavor profile is a mild oak influenced apple with notes of lemon verbena and Bartlett pear. I also detected some vanilla and oak in the background. The flavors extend into the finish and linger nicely. This Chard would pair well with chicken piccata.

Oregon 2019: 451 Tasting Notes and Scores Plentiful spices are cast across ripe dark cherries, leading to a fleshy, lithe and juicy palate that has attractive red-plum and cherry flavor in abundance. Drink over the next five years.

Oregon 2019: 451 Tasting Notes and Scores Light and bright, poached cherries and berries lead to a smooth array of finely spiced cherry flavors and a smoothly delivered, plush and smooth palate. Drink or hold.