Young and tight, with spicy citrus, tangerine, pear and pineapple notes that spread out on the finish, showing elegance and finesse.

Brilliant deep straw. Medium-bodied. High extract, moderate oak. Bananas, melon, vanilla. Very aromatic, with a big, ripe, buttery character on the palate. Has just enough acidity to keep it balanced; right through the finish.

The top Chardonnay in Cambria's portfolio is the Chardonnay Reserve, a blend of the best barrels in the cellar. Lush, ripe tropical fruit aromas and flavors are well-displayed in the 1994, as well as more high quality, toasty new oak, and a deeper, more powerful and concentrated feel on the palate. Moreover, this wine provides a hefty alcoholic kick. This is a big, boldly-styled Chardonnay to drink over the next 1-2 years.

A bold, ripe and harmonious California Chardonnay with rich, spicy pear, honey and butterscotch nuances. Picks up a smoky, somewhat leesy note and leaves a wonderful aftertaste.

Smoky notes of oak are immediately evident here with delicious fruit to balance.

A forward bouquet features a rich buttered popcorn. In the mouth it is full-bodied with moderate acidity in a viscous style. Finishes with a gorgeous cloak of layered brown spices.

Ripe and complex, with pretty fruit flavors that are framed by toasty, buttery oak. Intense and lively, yet elegant and refined. Delicious now through 1997.

Ripe and complex, with pretty fruit flavors that are framed by toasty, buttery oak. Intense and lively, yet elegant and refined.

Ripe, tropical nose--'oozing with fruit.' Displays rich, rounded citrus and tropical flavors plus a touch of creaminess.

Well-structured, with a smoky richness to the mineral-infused apple and pear tart flavors. The fresh, spicy finish lingers with a creamy texture.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part Two Cambria's 2016 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is a very pretty Santa Maria Chardonnay. Beautifully perfumed, subtle and nuanced, the 2016 has a lot going on. A touch of new French oak frames the orchard fruit and floral flavors nicely. The 2016 is a bit slender, but very pretty just the same.

Medium straw color; ripe apple, a touch of peach skin. Light citrus, and creaminess in the aroma; medium bodied, nicely layered on the palate; dry, medium acidity, fine balance; ripe fruit flavors, light hit of creaminess; medium finish. This Chardonnay does an excellent job in representing the prime, cooler regions for this grape in the Central Coast.

A big step up in price over the straight Katherine's Vineyard, the 2015 Chardonnay Signature Collection Katherine's Vineyard saw a longer time in barrel, spending 14 months in 5% new oak. It's similarly colored and has a more classic bouquet of orchard fruits, toasty oak, white flowers, and caramelized citrus. It's clean, medium-bodied, impressively balanced, and a rock-solid Chardonnay.

The 2015 Chardonnay Bench Break offers up notes of ripe apricots, honeydew melon and grapefruit with touches of brioche and toasted almonds. Medium-bodied, it has a pleasantly creamy texture with tons of stone fruit and citrus flavors, finishing long. Awesome value! And with a production level of 77,500 cases, there’s plenty of this amazing value wine to go around.

Extremely pleasant aromas of caramel-laced honeydew cream and light cashew show on the nose of this bottling that’s focused on a specific block of this historic vineyard. The palate zings with freshness and acidity right out of the gates, and then allows fatter notes of melted butter, orange peels, mandarin slices and clotted cream to consume the midpalate.

Part of a series that raises money for women working for justice in the world, this bottling that honors Dr. Victoria Kisyombe of Tanzania shows delicate lemon, lime zest, light marcona almond, popcorn and sandalwood nose on the complex nose. It is fresh and tightly wound on the palate, where citrus, chilled nectarine and a touch of salt cruise across strong acidity and a pithy texture.

This wine offers caramelized apple, seared pear, honeysuckle, a touch of buttercream and vanilla ice cream on the even, well-measured nose. The flavors lean more green but not underripe, with lime juice, green apple and green mango, offering some bitterness and an alkaline/iodine character.

A small step up over the Katherine’s Vineyard, the 2012 Chardonnay Bench Break shows slightly more toasty oak in its apple and orchard fruits, white flowers and hints of nuttiness. Full-bodied, rich and layered, it’s a big, full-flavored effort that stays beautifully balanced and pure. Spending roughly 10 months in 57% new French oak, enjoy bottles over the coming 3-4 years.

At first, there’s a slight green herb funkiness of sharp dill on the nose of this single-vineyard offering from the Jackson Family-owned Cambria brand, where Santa Maria native Denise Shurtleff has made the wine since 1999. Once sipped, that evolves into a nice smokiness that sits atop tart green apple and Asian pear.

This Chard competes well with others that are considerably more expensive. The palate exhibits the cool growing conditions of the vintage with tart acidity that brightens flavors of tropical fruit and orange. Notes of oak and lees lend complexity to this delicious wine.

So elegant and sophisticated, this is a great value in California Chardonnay. Although it's dry, it's rich and delicious in pineapples, pears, mangoes and honey, with an opulent overlay of sweet oak. The brisk acidity is balanced, and gets the mouth watering.

They packed a lot of flavor into this rich Chardonnay for the price. It's toasty buttery and popcorny from winemaker treatment, with ripe fruit notes of pineapple and exotic tropical fruits. A brisk streak of minerals and acidity provides clean balance.

Best Buy - Pale white peach flavors match this wine's substantial oak, its scents of toasted almond and marzipan turning lighter and savory. It's a warm wine with elegance, especially when chilled for grilled lobster.

Smells bright, citrusy and clean, an impression followed in the mouth, where intricate flavors of pineapple, lemondrop candy and Key lime pie turn spicy on the finish. The acidity is brisk; the wine did not go through malolactic fermentation. Just shows that a great Chardonnay doesn't need oak, although sur lies aging gives it a notable creaminess.

Named for proprietor Barbara Banke's eldest daughter, Cambria Katherine's Vineyard is both vineyard designated and estate grown along the Santa Maria Bench in Northern Santa Barbara County. Look for enticing leesy garlic, creamy vanilla, baked apple aromas streaked with melon, citrus a cinnamon notes. Ripe, round, dry and crisp with creamy vanilla, pear, spicy lees, mineral and green apple flavours with an orange rind, buttery finish. Cooler style with great texture and length, drink now or hold for 2-3 years.