Vivid yellow-gold. Floral, mineral-accented nose displays fresh orchard fruits, spices and a strong jasmine quality. Shapely and focused, with noteworthy purity and cut to its pear, nectarine and floral flavors. Fine-grained and gripping on the back end, finishing pure, stony and very long. Quite concentrated and tactile but there's nothing heavy about this. This got 20% new oak, the lowest amount of this year's releases.

The 2009 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard reveals an intriguing combination of expressive citrus, salt and crushed stone on a fairly large frame. The wine's balance and overall sense of harmony are first rate. A racy, saline-infused finish rounds things out in style. This is a gorgeous showing from Hartford. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.

The 2008 Chardonnay Stone Cote (a block of vines within the larger Durell Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast) is an unfiltered, crisp, elegant white exhibiting notes of creamy creme brulee, white peach, apricot, and lemon blossom intertwined with hints of quince, wet stones, and nectarines. This beauty reveals unmistakable minerality as well as power allied to elegance. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites. The three Chardonnays among the current releases are all outstanding.

Bright, greenish yellow. Pungent aromas of lime and orange pith, lemongrass, iodine, crushed stone and anise, plus a suggestion of jasmine. Juicy, savory and dry, with a gripping tactile quality to the bracing flavors of citrus and orchard fruits. Mint and smoky mineral notes add cut to the long, sappy, penetrating finish. Lots of Wente clone here, says winemaker Mangahas.

The 2008 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard is a cross blend of four separate sources in Russian River. Crisp, zesty notes of citrus, peaches, lemon oil, candied apples, and brioche along with tart acids are found in this lean Chardonnay as well as impressive minerality and a long finish. One of the best wineries in Sonoma, Hartford Family Winery, under the guidance of winemaker Jeff Mangahas, continues to fine tune an impressive portfolio of wines, all from cool climate sites. The three Chardonnays among the current releases are all outstanding.

Bright gold. Powerful scents of papaya, pear skin and tangerine, with a strong mineral underpinning. Sharply focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors pack a serious punch and gain a smoky mineral and floral character with air that repeats on the lingering finish. This is the most vibrant of this set of chardonnays.

Light gold. Leesy pear and yellow plum aromas display a waxy, minerally character that reminded me of a Loire Valley chenin blanc. Ripe orchard fruit and citrus flavors are firmed by juicy acidity, which adds refreshing bite and clarity. Nervy lime and pink grapefruit flavors build on the long, spicy finish, which echoes the waxy note. Lots of flavor and power here, but the impression it leaves is of elegance rather than weight.

Hazy yellow-gold. Smoky, leesy orange and pear aromas give way to white peach and floral honey with air, but maintain energy. Rich and chewy, with deep orchard and pit fruit flavors braced by zesty orange and lime qualities that carry through the long, powerful finish. Plenty open today but there's enough material here to reward cellaring.

Green-gold. Bright, mineral-accented melon and orange aromas, with a hint of white flowers. Crisp, focused citrus and orchard fruit flavors display impressive precision as well as excellent concentration. Fills in nicely on the finish, which shows refreshing mineral lift and outstanding persistence.

Hartford's 1999 Zinfandel High Wire Vineyard contains 15.8% alcohol, but you would never suspect that from tasting it. Bottled without filtration, this wine offers an opaque purple color as well as explosive aromas of blackberries, pepper, and spice. In the mouth, ripe cherries also make an appearance in this unctuously-textured, rich, full-bodied, exuberant, superbly-concentrated, well-balanced Zinfandel. These wines are best consumed during their robust, powerful youth - over the next 5-6 years.

Medium-dark purplish ruby; attractive, ripe, spicy, blackberry and boysenberry fruit aroma with herbal notes and hints of mint, dried herbs, and milk chocolate; full body; deep, concentrated, ripe, layered, dark berry fruit flavors with herbal notes and undertones of spicy oak; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Rich, ripe, and relatively mature flavors make this wine very approachable and enjoyable to drink now as it developed with airing in the glass, though also worthy of several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

The awesome Hartford 1999 Zinfandel Fanucci-Wood Road is a powerful, concentrated, intense effort produced from 90-year old vines. Don Hartford said a touch of Petite-Sirah was added, but that was not noticeable. It offers abundant quantities of blackberry and cherry liqueur-like aromas and flavors, along with pepper, minerals, and spice. Voluptuously-textured, intense, fragrant, pure, and decadent, this dazzling Zinfandel should drink well for a decade.

The 2017s From Sonoma The appellation 2017 Zinfandel Russian River Valley is terrific and certainly well worth seeking out. It’s also a great value. Notes of blueberries, sandalwood, peppery spice, and violet notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, pure, upfront, and straight-up delicious Zinfandel that I’d be happy to drink.

The 2017s From Sonoma From a site in the Russian River Valley that spent 10 months in 50% new French oak, the 2017 Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard offers outstanding complexity in its dark fruits, spice, and peppery herb-laced aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate, it has a pretty, juicy, delicious style that’s ideal for drinking over the coming 7-8 years.

Precise and tightly wound right now, offering expressive blueberry, white pepper and evergreen aromas that build tension toward broad-shouldered tannins.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is distinguished by a real sense of weight and gravitas. Leather, cedar, licorice, tobacco and dried herbs add layers of nuance. The Fanucchi-Wood Road is the darkest and most powerful of these Zinfandels from Hartford, which is probably attributable to a field blend that includes Petite Sirah.

The head-pruned vines at the vineyard behind Don Hartford’ house are more than 100 years old, their deep roots providing a bright and detailed zinfandel with meaty depths of flavor. It’s a little reduced at first, with some orange-zest volatility that bring up a brisk, mineral feel in the tannins. Clean, supple and seamless, this would complement roast duck with cherries.

The 2016 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley) is fresh, fruity and forward, all qualities that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Ripe red cherry, plum, spice and cola are pushed forward in this racy, succulent Zinfandel. Soft contours and bright acids add to the wine's considerable appeal. Simply put, the 2016 is gorgeous.

Already bottled, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Hartford Zinfandel is scented of baked blueberries, stewed plums and kirsch with touches of raspberry leaves, dried herbs, spice box and new leather. Full-bodied, firmly textured and with a lively backbone, it gives a great intensity of blue and black berry preserves, finishing long and spicy.

The inky colored 2016 Zinfandel Russian River Valley Old Vine is a blend from all five of the vineyards they use for their single vineyard Zinfandels. Blueberries, blood orange, violets, and exotic spice notes, medium body, beautiful mid-palate depth, and sweet tannin all define this juicy, undeniably delicious beauty. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years.

Medium-dark to dark purplish ruby; very attractive, rich, ripe, intense, spicy, briary, red, blue, and black berry fruit aroma with notes of dried herbs and black pepper; full body; rich, ripe, concentrated, briary, black raspberry and blackberry jam flavors with good depth and acid balance, and notes of mocha and black pepper; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very appealing to drink now with its forward rich fruit, though also worthy of a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Medium-dark purplish ruby color; very attractive, forward, rich, intense, spicy, raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of dried herbs and black pepper; full body; big, deep, ripe, concentrated, nicely balanced, red and dark berry fruit flavors with briary and herbal notes, and a rich mouthfeel; full tannin; long, lingering aftertaste. Very approachable and appealing to drink now, though worthy of several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

A bruiser, powerfully built and loaded with personality, offering currant, tar and licorice flavors that plow toward big but resolved tannins. Not for the faint of heart.

Blending five of the producer's vineyard-designates, all dry-farmed and old-vine, this is a high-acid red with hearty spice and components of dried herb, cedar and oak. Supple and rich, it's distinctively savory and tart on the midpalate and finish, finishing in a blur of pepper.

From head-trained vines planted more than a century ago, then aged in French oak, this is a bold, plum-driven expression of cherry and berry pie seasoned in cinnamon that's structured and exuberantly full bodied. It offers a bright streak of acidity that keeps it succulent in the glass.