Matanzas has created a California Sauvignon Blanc with personality and class. French-born winemaker Francois Cordesse blended 21% of the juice in fine-grained French oak barrels and the remainder in stainless steel tanks then aged the final blend for three months in French oak. The result is a perfumed nose showing slightly muted signs of citrus zest, mineral and underlying spicy muscat. The complex flavors reflect the aromatics, with added pepper and toasted oak. Smooth and rounded, this tasteful wine finishes with class and plenty of fruit and no heat despite the 13.5% alcohol.

The 2017s From Sonoma Impressive notes of smoked earth/charcoal, pineapple, and apple blossom emerge from the 2017 Chardonnay Kelli Ann Vineyard. It’s a medium to full-bodied, rounded, supple effort that has plenty of sweet fruit, a big texture, and no hard edges. This is a beautiful, pleasure-bent Chardonnay to drink over the coming 2-3 years.

The 2017s From Sonoma The 2017 Chardonnay Bennett Valley is another charmer that delivers incredible quality. Notes of citrus, melon, white flowers, and a chalky minerality all give way to a beautifully balanced, medium-bodied, layered Chardonnay that has good acidity as well as purity of fruit. Brought up in 22% new French oak, it’s another beauty from winemaker Marcia Torres Fornon that’s ideal for drinking over the coming 2-3 years.

Creamy vanilla and smoky oak flavors shade the mix of pear, fig, apricot and melon notes in this white, making for a complex, layered effort that's deep and persistent.

Creamy vanilla and smoky, oaky flavors shade the mix of pear, fig, apricot and melon notes, making for a complex, layered effort that's deep and persistent.

For my palate this bright, light Chardonnay has all the right elements. It offers a medium body and the merest tweak of vanilla. The nuanced flavors of fresh-baked bread, bright citrus and apple fruit, plus an undercurrent of stone-minerality are a delight. Aromatically pleasing, it can boast both delicacy and muscle -- as a good Chardonnay should.

Matanzas Creek has always been a star producer of Chardonnay.  They continue their reputation with this one.  They manage to deliver satisfying concentration without wandering into the “in your face” character.   Restrained, but not silent, this Chardonnay speaks to you without shouting.  And the words are memorable.  Its energy makes you glad it continues to speak throughout the meal.  The price is not boisterous either, which helps.

Journey's 2015 Chardonnay is sourced entirely from Jackson's Alexander Mountain Estate. Deep, rich and pliant on the palate, the 2015 possesses striking richness and texture, not to mention terrific overall balance. Yellow orchard fruit, butter, mint, peach, matchstick and French oak infuse this deeply expressive Chardonnay. Beams of underlying minerality lend energy to the finish.

The 2015 Chardonnay, which comes from the Matanzas Creek and Alexander Valley estate vineyards, is primarily from the fragrant Musqué clone and the rest Wente. Aged 50% in new French oak and fermented with indigenous yeast, it spent only ten months in barrel prior to being bottled. Offering notes of honeysuckle, poached pear, peach and some lemon custard, this wine is delicate yet intense, medium to full-bodied, layered, pure and authoritative. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.

Rich, elegant style; creamy and densely textured; long and complex with depth, finesse and lift.

Honey, apricots, chamomile, tangerine, butter and spices all flesh out in the 2012 Chardonnay Bennett Valley. Tropical notes develop in the glass, adding viscosity, richness and volume, all of which works to balance the cool micro-climate in this Bennett Valley site. This is a terrific showing from Matanzas Creek and winemaker Marcia Monahan.

The winery held this Chardonnay back a year later than their far more expensive Journey bottling. Hard to say why, but the consumer is the beneficiary. That extra bit of aging has mellowed the wine, giving it a creamy, buttery richness. It has good acidity, too, that gives a lift to the ripe tropical fruits.

Bright yellow-gold. A highly aromatic, complex bouquet evokes fresh citrus and tropical fruits, white flowers, candied ginger and vanilla, with a strong mineral overtone. Deeply pitched and concentrated but impressively lithe, offering sharply focused lemon curd and pear flavors that put on weight with air. Finishes with impressive energy and cut, leaving mineral and lime notes behind.

The 2010 Chardonnay Journey is a gorgeous, beautifully balanced wine. Layers of apricot, tropical fruit, spices and French oak emerge from this striking, pure Chardonnay. All of the elements are beautifully balanced through to the creamy, expressive finish. The Journey Chardonnay is a selection of the best barrels at Matanzas Creek. The wine was fermented and aged in French oak barrels, 50% new. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

Bright gold. Musky, highly complex aromas of lemon pith, candied ginger, pineapple and smoke. Fat and palate-coating but shapely, with deep, tactile flavors of fresh pineapple, pear and gingerbread. As powerful as this is, there's surprising restraint and focus here. Finishes taut and gripping, with persistent spiciness and energy.

The luxury cuvee of 2009 Chardonnay Journey is 100% barrel-fermented and aged in French oak (50% new) for ten months prior to bottling. It reveals more caramelized tropical fruit, honeysuckle, white peach, toast and brioche notes in a full-bodied, rich, concentrated, pure style with an enticing texture as well as a long, authoritative finish. Enjoy it over the next 3-4 years. Quality is slowly rising at Matanzas Creek since it was acquired by Jess Jackson a number of years ago. He has done an excellent job bringing in winemaker Marcia Monahan and returning this estate to its glory days of the early nineties.

A very fine Chardonnay, not just because it's so ripe and fruity, but more importantly because the underlying structure is so fine. Crisp acidity and some dusty tannins frame pineapple tart and zesty green apple flavors, enriched with winemaker interventions of sweet oak and creamy lees. Classy and delicious.

A limited cuvee of 225 cases, the 2007 Chardonnay Journey is a beauty. Notions of white corn, creme brulee, orange blossoms, pears, and buttered citrus are intense as well as lingering. Medium to full-bodied with a subtle touch of oak in addition to lots of texture and richness, a hint of minerality, and an authoritative finish, it should drink well for 3-4 years.

A lovely Chardonnay that's marked by a steely minerality that braces and provides structure to the pineapple, lemondrop, honey and buttered toast flavors. Feels really elegant and creamy in the mouth. Easy to find, with nearly 13,000 cases produced, and a good price for the quality.

This light red colored Pinot Noir from Maggy Hawk is terrific. It opens with a very fragrant red raspberry bouquet with a hint of pomegranate. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced, elegant and very smooth. The flavor profile is a mild strawberry with notes of cranberry and minerality. I also detected hints of black pepper. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Pinot lives up to its name. It is very graceful and food friendly. I would pair it with a filet mignon.

This red colored Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley is impressive. It opens with a mild strawberry bouquet with a hint of red licorice and watermelon. On the palate, this wine is light to medium bodied, balanced and delicate. The flavor profile is a delicious light red plum and strawberry blend. I also detected hints of red cherry and pepper. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This very enjoyable and refined Pinot would pair well with fresh sliced Norwegian salmon.

Another Anderson Valley Pinot Noir that is light enough in color to read through, but not at all light in aroma or flavor. This small production wine features clone 2A to great effect, with aromas and flavors of strawberry, cherry, dry earth and fall spice that are plump mid-palate and finish with bright acidity and oak spice coming forward. A fine accompaniment for fish or fowl.

The color of this wine is deep and dark, and the aromas and flavors both have lots of plump black cherry, baking spice and clove tones. It’s dry, full bodied and pretty massive in terms of mouthfeel, so this is not a delicate flower and is best enjoyed with heartier fare or after some time to open. —J.G.

The most elegant and seductive is the Chambolle-Musigny-like 2012 Pinot Noir Jolie. Dark ruby-plum colored (this is also the source for Hartford Court’s Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters), it offers up blue fruits, spring flowers, and wet stones in an attractive, medium to full-bodied, well-crafted and pure style. It should drink nicely for up to a decade and be slightly more approachable than the Afleet.

Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. The nose leads with effusive aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, cherry, redwood and forest floor. Soft and smooth on the palate with a mid weight array of dark cherry and berry flavors complimented by a savory, woodsy tone that is hard to describe but very likable. Oak-driven notes of anise and toast play in the background. Juicy acidity brings the wine on target.