The 2015 Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard is a powerful, intense wine built on breadth and textural intensity. The personality of the Wente clone comes through in the wine's oily, phenolic richness. At times, the Chardonnay feels like a red wine structurally.

Light gold color. Bold and beautiful on the nose with bruised yellow apple, baked pear, lime juice, notes of nougat and cinnamon buns mix with sea breeze and chalk dust, and the combo is so good. Creamy and plush on the palate but moderating acidity keeps it fresh. Plump yellow apples and pears with apricot jam, drizzled with lime, and topped in some toasted almonds and flowers. Lots of richness here but complex and vibrant as well.

Nice enough on first sniff, but gradually opening and showing fine fruity depth and plenty of attractive highlights of caramel and crème brûlée to its dominant theme of fully ripe apples, this involving Chardonnay is fairly mouthfilling and well-structured at once. While it is not at all tight or constrained, neither is it in any way overblown, and it earns high marks for both richness and careful construction.

Lush pear and oak nose; creamy and smooth with lush pear fruit and toasty oak; rich and ripe but not heavy; fresh, balanced and long.

Also terrific, the 2013 Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard comes from the Santa Maria Valley and was 100% barrel-fermented and aged 16 months in 30% new French oak. It has terrific Chardonnay notes of sauteed apples, creme brulee, white flowers and a touch of brioche to go with a medium-bodied, pure, fruit-forward and textured style on the palate. Already hard to resist, drink it over the coming 3-4 years.

Bright and juicy with silky texture and lovely mineral notes; crisp and structured with edgy notes and some creaminess; a complex wine with richness and tangy style.

Bright yellow.  Vibrant aromas of pear, white flowers and smoky minerals.  Juicy, penetrating citrus and orchard fruit flavors show very good depth and are complemented by notes of buttered toast and fig.  Rich but lively, finishing with impressive cling and spicy persistence.

Smoke, roasted marshmallow, fig and tangerine flavors are rich and layered, with a steady focus and a persistent finish.

The 2007 Wente Clone exhibits orange blossom, lemon oil, honeysuckle, pear, and mango notes, medium to full body, good acidity, a hint of minerality, and a long finish. It, too, should drink well for several years.

Fresh and lively, with a beam of citrus-infused acidity and intense pear, apple and spicy oak. Elegant and balanced, this ends with a clean, complex finish. Drink now through 2011.

Shows good cut to the dried berry and dark cherry flavors, flanked by plenty of cedar and spice details. The minerally finish is fresh and pure.

The Hapgood is the most obviously ripe and flamboyant 2015 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir. In many ways, it harks back to the older style of Brewer-Clifton wines. Even so, this site appears to naturally excel in this style. Hard candy, cola, menthol and spice build as this racy Pinot shows off its extroverted personality.

The 2015 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is a very pretty appellation-level wine. Sweet red cherry, plum, rose petal, mint and crushed flowers are all pushed forward. Whole-cluster influence comes through in the wine's aromatics. This classy Pinot from Brewer-Clifton shows the more refined style that is the norm here these days.

Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills has fragrant herbal notes of Provence herbs and wild thyme over a core of red cherries and cranberries plus a waft of dusty earth. Medium-bodied, it delivers a wall of refreshing red berry and earthy layers supported by chewy tannins a lively backbone, finishing long.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara From a vintage described as productively warm, the 2015 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills offers pretty notes of kirsch, cherry blossom, spice and dried herbs. It’s medium-bodied, elegant and silky on the palate, with moderate concentration yet beautiful balance.

Intense flavors of honeydew melon and pear tart dominate this supple white. The richly spiced finish shows some pastry notes.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part Two Brewer-Clifton's 2016 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a gorgeous appellation-level wine. Orange peel, passionfruit, apricot and a whole range of tropical inflections give the 2016 much of its personality. Classy and impeccable in its balance, the Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay has so much to offer.

The 2016 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills offers up a bright bouquet of honeyed citrus, preserved lemon, apple and beeswax, framed by a touch of nutmeg-like leesiness. On the palate, the wine is mediumbodied, with lovely glossy texture underpinned by lots of cut, finishing with good length and grip. This is one of Brewer-Clifton's largest cuvées, and it's keenly priced too.

This offers some rich buttery notes to the ripe white fruit flavors. Lemon curd details show midpalate, with touches of elegance on the spicy finish.

The 2015 Chardonnay Hapgood plays in the tropical end of the flavor profile, with racy fruit, oily texture and tons of density. This is the most obviously ripe and overt of the Brewer-Clifton Chardonnays.

Seared lemon peels, densely packed honeysuckle, Brie rind and white-ash aromas show on the nose of this appellation blend from the regional superstars, which recently became part of the Jackson Family of wines. The palate is tightly wound with grapefruit pith and a lemon spray-laced acidity that provides ample structure, carrying the slightest bit of riper stone fruit at the core.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Red Blend is a gorgeous, heady wine. Super-ripe red cherry, plum, rose petal, mint, blood orange and white pepper all race out of the glass. Bold, juicy and resonant, the 2016 is an absolute joy to taste.

If you’re looking for a “wow” wine crowd-pleaser this holiday season, try winemaker Kristy Melton’s stunning Bootleg Prequel, a power-packed blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah that is sure to turn heads. Melton has done a beautiful job of taming the sometimes aggressive tannins of the Petite Sirah so you can enjoy the lush blueberry and blackberry fruit notes. Add a generous dose of wood spice and you have a winner.

This is a successful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, with smaller amounts of Syrah, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Black fruit, baking spice and chocolate flavors commingle in a full-bodied package that’s rich, round and rewarding, with plenty of length.

COMMENTARY: I often am skeptical when I see names of celebrities on products and wonder how serious the project is? On the wine side, there have always been the use of famous names, and often those wines are nothing more than ordinary. Fortunately the Barrymore name is safe and solid as the wines are quite fine. TASTING NOTES: The 2016 Barrymore by Carmel Road Rosé of Pinot Noir shows up with excellent ripe red fruit, a hint of floral notes, and vibrant acidity. Pair its brightness with a smoked bone-in ham.