Admit it, you like chardonnay. Here are 14 worth trying Unoaked chardonnays are being found in greater numbers because enough consumers have been turned off by the vanilla and butterscotch flavors that come from oak barrels. Like similar unoaked wines, this Carmel Road is a better match with delicate foods, such as fish. From Monterey, the wine offers bright acidity and stone fruit flavors.

Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of rich cherry fruit. In the mouth, lush and bright cherry fruit has a wonderful aromatic sweetness and mixes with cola and cocoa powder. Dark chocolate notes linger in the finish along with dusty tannins. Very pretty and polished. 14.5% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5.

It’s hard to find a decent pinot noir at this price, but every year Cambria manages to do make one. Simple, ripe blackberry and cherry fruit flavors with a dash of spice.

The American Syrah Report Tart and lithe with raspberries, cherries, and boysenberry flavors. The finish is medium-long with a tinge of cocoa; bright finish with moderate tannins.

Byron: Back to its roots with vineyard-designated wines Black fruit, candied violets, spice and surprisingly fresh floral and citrus notes on the nose. Juicy but rich and powerful in the mouth with black (especially black cherry) and red berry fruit flavors along with plum and plenty of well-integrated (and appreciated) wood spice as well as a slight bit of earthy underbrush. The oak aging (French with more than half new barrels) frames the primary fruit well and allows the levels of complexity to reveal themselves. Totally slurpy and delicious to drink now.

Transparent medium ruby color shading to an ethereal rim; deliriously appealing bouquet: lilac and talc, spiced, macerated and slightly roasted black cherries and plums; hints of pomegranate and cranberry, sandalwood and sassafras; a real mouthful of pinot noir, propelled by whiplash acidity and an edge of underbrush and flint-like minerality; the finish fleshed out by dusty, velvety tannins. Now through 2022 to ’25. Excellent.

Byron: Back to its roots with vineyard-designated wines Damson plum, dark berry fruit, rhubarb, rose petal and mushroom on the nose with warm baking spices in the mix. Deep, dark fruit flavors on the palate that include plum, red currant, cranberry and baked dark cherry pie. Not just fruity, it also has savory dimensions with earthy and spice elements a major factor in adding to the complexity. Full-bodied and demonstrative, it finishes with great acidity and firm tannins that will allow this to age well for another five years. Delicious now though, and probably one of tastiest and most compelling Julia's Vineyard bottlings that I've ever had.

Transparent ruby-garnet shading to a magenta rim; bright, ripe black and red cherries are infused with more baking spice elements — cloves, allspice, brown sugar — than I can tolerate (or than pinot noir should display), though tempered somewhat by hints of sandalwood and sassafras and notes of dried herbs and tobacco leaf; an attractive, lithe texture and clean acidity keep matters in forward motion. Now through 2021 to ’23. Very Good+.

Byron: Back to its roots with vineyard-designated wines Lemony citrus and minerals on the nose, like a sunny sea breeze. Apple, caramelized pear, brown sugar and bright citrus (lemon-lime) on the palate. Creamy and dreamy, it first seems understated but after a few sips, it really fills out in the mouth. This is what bright, textbook Santa Maria chardonnay is all about: again, yellow apple and lemon-lime flavors stand out. Plenty of upbeat acidity perfectly complements the flavors and textures of the wine.

Byron: Back to its roots with vineyard-designated wines From the original and historic Santa Maria vineyard, planted to the original Wente clone way back in 1964 by Uriel Nielson, this particular version shows lemon, lemon curd and more lemon plus dusky oak on the nose. Much more lemon on the palate with minerals and wet stones as well. Almost honeyed in nature (but not sweet), it gets its concentration of flavor from the ripeness of the grapes. An unexpected but beautiful note of key lime pie shows up on the finish supported by a bit of graham cracker crust.

More subdued aromatics compared with the Nielson Vineyard Chardonnay from the same producer, though also a more refreshing palate. There is comparable palate weight here but the flavours are brighter and lighter, more towards fresh citrus with savoury elements spun through and a judicious integration of baking spice. Ultra-long finish and a pleasing sprinkle of sea salt. 16.5/20.

Concentrated, lightly spiced and toasty aromatics with underlying dried citrus notes. The palate is rich and unctuously flavoured without being heavy and while retaining mouth-watering acidity and crunching savoury salinity characteristic of the region. A good example of richness kept in check through an ultra-long finish. 16/20.

10 Great Pinot Noirs From New Winemaking Talent and Visionary Risk-Takers California’s Sta. Rita Hills West of Santa Barbara, cool winds off the Pacific help create some of California’s best Pinots...Others to look for include the peppery 2015 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir...

Text book high end Cab Sauv from the winery that wrote the book. 3½ stars, superb.

Raise a glass to women in wine this month This month we toast women. March 8 marks International Women’s Day, with the entire month of March celebrating Women’s History Month. To celebrate, enjoy a few wines made by women. Though the number of female winemakers nationally and internationally is still small, the number is growing, with female owners, winemakers, enologists, and vintners taking their rightful place at the table, producing stellar wines from all over the world. Consider one of these selections to honor women, all available throughout Hawaii Island. A lifelong curiosity of learning has led Arrowood winemaker Kristina Shideler to follow her passions to produce varietal wines showcasing Sonoma. Arrowood Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, from vineyards sitting on the edge of Napa Valley with a long growing season, delivers a bold, robust, rustic expression of the grape with black cherry, pencil shaving, leather, and chocolate.

When you consider that Italy’s wine history goes back thousands of years, Bordeaux blends are a pretty recent arrival. In the 1950s, some Italian winemakers in Tuscany started experimenting with Bordeaux grapes rather than traditional ones such as Sangiovese. The results were spectacular, though these blends had to be labelled as lowly table wines because they operated outside of Tuscany’s wine rules. That has changed now, as these wines, sometimes referred to as Super Tuscans, have their own appellations and rules. Il Fauno di Arcanum, from Tenuta di Arceno, is one of my favourites. A Merlot-dominant blend, it is a consistently impressive wine. This vintage blends 72 per cent Merlot with 20 per cent Cabernet Franc and four per cent of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Look for flavours of earth, leather, violet, raspberry, black cherry, redcurrant, plum, white pepper and vanilla. The tannins are plush, the acid fresh and the finish lingers.

Truly great old-vine Grenache for Pinot Noir lovers Jackson Family Wines bought Yangarra in 2001, when the Parker-driven fuss about Australian wines was at its peak here (pre-Yellow Tail). They didn't sell it when the market turned down and the vines have just been getting more gnarly the whole time. This biodynamically farmed vineyard is next door to the Smart Vineyard; it's a small, special area. Very nice balance on this wine, which offers red berry fruit and becomes more perfumey with air. Wish I could have spent an evening with it.

Full-bodied to say the least and there is no grenache of or in its ilk. There are also no tannins like these and the chewiness does its own singular thing. Really old and challenging vineyard with large bush vines that may as well be growing on a beach. At 200m on ancient sands with vines planted in 1946. This has it all and more, with fossilized bones rising up to the surface and length for days.

Classy version of PG, aromatic, fleshy, yet light, great for seafood. 2½ stars, very good.

Admit it, you like chardonnay. Here are 14 worth trying With grapes grown 1,000 feet high, this single-vineyard chardonnay has a broad, rich palate with tropical fruit and lemon flavors, spice, oak-infused butterscotch and a long, supple finish.

My red Wine of the Week, in fact, is from that vineyard: The Siduri Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir 2016, a wine with a beautiful, intriguing nose that balances forest floor, fresh porcini, and plum aromas with flavors of cherry compote, dark mountain berries, plums, black licorice, and allspice, the power and savoriness of the wine countered by generous fruit and concentration, and all with relatively moderate alcohol. It’s crafted by one of the more prolific Pinot producers in the United States, Adam Lee, whose wines are justifiably popular from the range of appellations in which they’re grown. (In addition to the Willamette Valley, Lee also produces Pinot in the Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands, and more. Grab them if you find them.) And at $65, this one represents an excellent quality-to-price ratio in the world of top-quality Pinot: It’s a balanced, expressive wine that’s excellent already and promises another decade or more in the cellar.

Overall score: 18.5 (9.5 for quality, 9 for value) Our tasters: Gave it a unanimous recommendation with a high score of 9.5 and six scores of at least 9. “Leathery with tart, lean, earthy cherry flavors. Age-worthy.”

Penner-Ash masters warmer Oregon vintages The Penner-Ash Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015 is a showcase of the vineyard, Penner-Ash’s touch as a winemaker and another shot at winemaking in a warmer than usual vintage, which lately, seems to be the norm… What’s remarkable about the work Penner-Ash did with the Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015 was despite the warmth of the vintage, the wine was filled with nuanced flavors. It’s a red on the fuller side of medium-bodied and is super fresh with supple cherry and pomegranate flavors on a frame of tangy cigar wrapper and tobacco pipe.

Limpid medium ruby hue; black and red cherries and currants, notes of cranberry and cloves, sandalwood and sassafras; expressive and eloquent, generous, even dignified; large-framed, succulent and satiny; layers of forest and meadow elements, briers and brambles, wild flowers, hints of wild raspberry and blueberry; a vibrant and resonant pinot noir, both ethereal and consequential. Excellent.

Dark ruby hue shading to a transparent rim; smoke and loam, penetrating minerality, deep, rooty, luscious; tobacco and cigarette paper; slightly roasted black currants and cherries, with a touch of rhubarb and cranberry; vibrant acidity cuts a swath; a fathomless strain of dust and graphite, bolstered by an intense core of lavender, licorice and bittersweet chocolate. Quite a performance. Excellent.