Deep red. Sexy, explosively perfumed bouquet of raspberry, cherry, sandalwood incense, cinnamon and mace; smells like a head shop. Tangy red berry flavors gain sweetness with air, picking up deeper cherry and bitter chocolate flavors while maintaining precision. Extremely elegant and pure, with a silky texture and a long, spicy finish.

Deep red-ruby color. Smoky cherry-cola, raspberry and baking spices on the alluring nose. Intensely spicy red fruits stain the palate but are almost shockingly lithe, offering excellent mineral snap and lift. Finishes with outstanding persistence, leaving a strong impression of sweet red berries behind. This is delicious.

From the southern part of the valley, near Sebastopol, comes this young, juicy, crisp Pinot. It's marked by fruit. The freshly crushed flavors of ripe raspberries and cherries are enormously attractive, accented with toasty oak and Asian spices. But the wine has a youthful, acidic tightness that suggests aging. Best now, with decanting, and for six years.

World-Class Family Wineries Its body, richness, and sweet ripeness of flavor also bring to mind the Pinots of Russian River Valley.

Ruby-red. Smoky and suave aromas of fresh red berries and flowers. Concentrated red and dark berry flavors are complicated by violet pastille and cocoa powder tones. A lush, pliant, persistent pinot that finishes with fine tannins and a mounting raspberry sweetness. Delicious right now.

Full ruby-red. Varietally expressive aromas of wild berries, cola, sassafras, roasted herbs and smoky oak; reminded me of Morey-Saint-Denis. Sweet, dense and highly concentrated, with the wild berry flavors nicely framed by juicy acidity. Bright and classically dry, finishing young and strong. This was bottled in January of '04, while the other pinots were finished last August.

Supple a juicy, with ripe, complex cherry, raspberry and wild berry flavors, picking up touches of plum and anise. (Also appeared in 6/30 issue.)

An oaky style, boasting prominent buttery, toasty notes which lead to a rich core of currant and cherry and finish in complex flavors and aromas.

A classic zinfandel, this gem is rich, mouth-filling and delicious without being unduly weighty. Ample fruit suggests blackberries and loganberries, and despite the full body, tannins are not too weighty. There's plenty of structure, but you'd want to drink this wine fairly soon to appreciate that great fruit at its best.

A quality producer in the Russian River Valley, Hartford Court uses traditional methods for its chardonnays, including barrel fermentation and extended contact between the wine and spent yeast cells known as lees. You can taste the rich, tangy lees effect here. Full-bodied, it's imbued with peach, tropical fruit, vanilla and a whiff of smokiness.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay hits the ground running with open-knit scents of ripe peaches, Bosc pears and honeydew melon with touches of honey toast and crème brûlée. Medium to full-bodied, rich and with a pleasant oiliness to the texture, it fills the mouth with generous stone fruit flavors, finishing long and spicy.

The 2016 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards presents a typically lush, textured expression of the Russian River, with plenty of apricot, peach, baked apple, vanillin, spice and chamomile notes. Pliant and forward, with terrific depth, the 2016 has much to offer. Even with its obvious intensity, the 2016 maintains a good deal of freshness.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Hartford Court's 2016 Chardonnay Jennifer's is rich and distinctly tropical in feel, which lend a good bit of immediacy. Passionfruit, orange jam, spice and honeyed notes add to the wine's flamboyant, exotic feel.

The 2015 Chardonnay Sevens Bench is soft, supple and beautifully textured, all of which make it easy to drink and enjoy young. Gently leaning tropical fruit and apricot notes flesh out in this engaging, textured Chardonnay.

The 2015 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards emerges from the Dehlinger estate in the heart of the Russian River. Creamy, layered and exquisite, the Four Hearts is super-refined, especially within the context of the year. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. Hints of sage, candied lemon and chamomile accent the expressive finish.

Medium-light to medium golden yellow; attractive, ripe, citrus and tropical fruit aroma with floral notes and a hint of honeysuckle; medium to medium-full body; crisp, apple, melon, and tropical fruit flavors with firm acidity, hints of baking spices, mineral notes, and a slight creaminess in the rounded mouthfeel; lingering aftertaste. At its prime, showing some maturity relative to the other younger wines in this flight. Very highly recommended.

The 2014 Chardonnay Three Jacks Vineyard, a relatively small cuvée of about 340 cases, comes from multiple clonal selections, with 43% new French oak used. The result is a wine with striking wet-stone minerality that is reminiscent of a Grand Cru Chablis, a hint of tangerine oil and apple blossom, beautiful freshness, delineation and a medium to full-bodied, intensely saturated mouthfeel. This is a beautiful Chardonnay, and, much like the Stone Côte, probably capable of lasting 5-7 years minimum.

Light golden yellow color in the glass. Slightly reductive nose offers aromas of baked apple, pear, peach, toasted brioche and nutty oak. Slightly creamy in the mouth, with plump flavors of yellow peach and pear, ending with a swath of acidity.

Medium-light golden yellow; attractive, pear, ripe apricot, and Meyer lemon aroma; medium-full body; fleshy, supple, citrus and stone fruit flavors with oaky undertones, mineral notes, a rich, stylish, slightly creamy mouthfeel, and balanced with ample acidity; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended.

Smooth, rich and creamy, with seductive, spicy, mocha-scented oak that lends breadth and depth to the flavors and texture. Ends with a long, detailed finish.

Smooth, rich and creamy, with seductive, spicy, mocha-scented oak that lends breadth and depth to the flavors and texture. Ends with a long, detailed finish. Drink now.

Pale gold. A heady, mineral-dominated bouquet evokes dried orchard fruits, white flowers, iodine and anise. Stains the palate with vibrant apple and tangerine flavors that become spicier and livelier with air. Rich but vibrant and light on its feet, finishing with powerful thrust and building smokiness.

Light yellow. Heady aromas of mineral-accented citrus and orchard fruits, fig, iodine and smoky lees, with a sexy floral quality emerging with air. Offers palate-staining pear and Meyer lemon flavors complemented by deeper notes of honey and sweet butter. Powerful yet lithe and precise, finishing with excellent cling and an echo of iodine.

Pale gold. A wild, highly complex bouquet displays orange pith, iodine, anise and shiso leaf. Spicy, penetrating and pure, offering an array of citrus and orchard fruit flavors that pick up a strong mineral quality with air. In a decidedly savory style, with strong finishing punch and lingering spiciness. Fruit is taking a back seat here today