There’s a reason this wine has been America’s best-selling Chardonnay for the past 25 years. Like you perhaps, I am not a fan of big, sweet, creamy, oaky Chardonnays, but Vintner’s Reserve wows me every time. For one thing, the fruit (pineapple, mango, and other tropical flavors) just tastes so perfectly ripe and refreshing. For another, while the oak definitely presents itself towards the front of the palate, it adds weight and rich spiciness to the blend rather than an intrusive barrel flavor. And then there’s the texture… velvety and sumptuous but never heavy. This is a great aperitif wine, and I can’t think of a better wine to serve with lobster, or a rich, creamy pasta dish.

Napa Valley: 2007 Retrospective - Napa's Turning-Point Vintage Medium to deep garnet in color with a touch of brick, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards has a maturing crème de cassis, dried mulberries and baked blackberries nose with hints of sandalwood, leather and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, it gives a good amount of slowly evolving, juicy black fruit flavors with a chewy frame and lively finish.

Napa Valley: 2007 Retrospective - Napa's Turning-Point Vintage Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Vineyard has some medicinal and fried herbs wafts over a core of baked black plums and stewed cherries plus hints of tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate provides oodles of freshness and a pleasantly chewy frame supporting the straightforward black fruits, finishing earthy.

California vintners, after decades of fear and loathing, are finally getting dialed in to the beauty of dry rosé. And this one is a beauty, showing floral notes, a touch of citrus, savory herbs and lifted strawberry. Crisp, with lip-smacking acidity, it’s built to pair with grilled chicken and sausages, salmon or simply on its own.

A chiseled red, with notes of underbrush to the dried raspberry and red currant flavors that feature accents of persimmon and pomegranate. Cardamom details show on the finish.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara From the coldest vintage over the past decade or more, the 2011 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is reminiscent of the 2008 with its fresh, lively, pretty style. Black cherry, sassafras, mint and spice all emerge from this elegant, ethereally textured beauty. I like it today but it’s going to keep nicely as well.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara The 2008 vintage was a cold one and suffered from spring frost that impacted Chardonnay in a number of sites. The 2008 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills shows a very different style than the '07 with its more pure, precise nose of black cherry, forest floor, tobacco, and game. Medium-bodied, pure, elegant and silky, it still has plenty of life and has a distinctly Burgundian flare.

This is a nice expression of the appellation, spicy in big cherry fruit and a dense succulence that's hard to resist. Full bodied and integrated, it offers heft within a varietally characteristic earthiness and pretty aromatics.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is gregariously scented of ripe red and black currants and cherries with spicy notions of black licorice, freshly grated nutmeg and sweet cola. The medium-bodied palate gives up sweet black and red fruits with sweet spice, good structuring tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing long and spicy.

This wine is well-balanced from nose to palate with caramel apple and ripe pears. The palate is rich with food-friendly acidity, and the fruit is vibrant thanks to fermentation mainly in stainless steel.

This classic Bordeaux blend, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon along with Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, has plenty of berry and cherry flavors. It is spiced with discreet touches of oak, and is satisfyingly long on the finish.

This yellow colored Chardonnay opens with a faint lemon and pineapple bouquet with a hint of teaberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a tasty pear and pineapple blend with hints of mild oak and pecan. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Chard is food friendly and would pair nicely with a mild dish. I would pair it with Imperial stuffed halibut with bay scallops or Oregon pink shrimp Dungeness crab.

This wine has a pretty nose of apple blossom and jasmine. Present, persistent oak gives it a roundness and richness that complements mango, wet stone and lemon-drop flavors and tight focused acidity.

Medium-dark ruby; fragrant, forward, ripe, strawberry, red currant, and dark cherry fruit aroma with spicy notes, and hints of clove, cedar, and black pepper; full body; deep, rich, concentrated, black cherry fruit flavors with a hint of milk chocolate; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Enjoyable to drink now, though should benefit from several more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Napa Valley: 2007 Retrospective - Napa's Turning-Point Vintage The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley rocks up with an opaque garnet-black color and notions of cassis, warm plums and raspberry leaves with touches of pencil shavings, underbrush and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with youthful, vibrant yet uncomplicated black fruit flavors and a soft, accessible frame, finishing on a blackberry note.

A big and gutsy Pinot Noir, this Carmel Road offering displays some earthiness and a generous amount of sweet, ripe fruit. Not surprisingly for a wine this big it also has a relatively high amount of alcohol (14.5%). Best to serve it with hefty dishes that likewise are big and bold -- lavishly seasoned and meaty lasagna, for example.

Sonoma Coast is gently kissed by cooling fog thus creating cool-climate wines which are higher in acidity and crispness than those from Napa Valley. The 2014 La Crema Chardonnay Sonoma Coast has a medium gold colour. On the nose, big pineapple, mango, Golden Delicious apple, and pineapple upside down cake. On the palate, there is certainly a generous dollop of American oak. There is also a burst of pineapple, musk melon, and white grapefruit topped with sugar and baby powder. Relatively short finish. Given the oak influence this is definitely a Californian Chardonnay, but with freshness and enough acidity for me to say that ABC does not apply here; anything but Chardonnay. Nonetheless, you must really appreciate an oaked Chardonnay before you wave the flag for this one. Slap your chicken up with just about anything and this is the wine for you. Also a big hit with Canadian lobster, grilled and dipped in garlic butter sauce. Going southern, try it with shrimp and grits or a North Carolina low country boil. You can sip this one in the summer, very chilled, but this wine seems to say, “OK. I am good to sip, but when is dinner coming? I am designed for food so serve it up.” The more the chill the less the oak.

Moderate garnet color in the glass. Shy, but pleasant aromas of black cherry and blueberry-pomegranate juice. Fuller bodied in style with copious amounts of boysenberry and blackberry fruit accented with notes of char and dark chocolate. More sap and structure than the Anderson Valley bottling, with good oak enhancement, yet this wine is rugged rather than suave. The high alcohol sends shivers up my spine, but even at this prodigious alcohol level, the wine does not taste over ripe or roasted, or alcoholic.

This white gold colored Pinot Gris from Drew Barrymore opens with a mild Bosc pear bouquet. On the palate, this wine is light to medium bodied and slightly acidic. The flavor profile is a mild mineral and green apple blend with hints of lemon verbena and a dash of white pepper. The finish is dry and pleasant. This easy to drink Pinot Grigio will compliment lots of foods. I would pair it with a garlic and herb butter roasted chicken. Very good.

Pale copper in color, the 2016 Pinot Gris Arbre Vert Vineyard is delicately scented of fleshy yellow orchard fruits—yellow pear and yellow apple—with hints of quince, sliced almonds, hay and honey. The palate is medium-bodied with a pleasantly weighty character, packed with fleshy orchard fruits and hints of fresh white peaches, finishing with refreshing acidity and some phenolic grip.

This pale straw colored Chardonnay from Nielson opens with a lively fruity bouquet featuring apricots and pear with hints of honey and wet stone. The medium bodied palate was smooth with featuring apricots, lemon and pear. I also detected some hints of ginger and a light touch of oak. Finally, I enjoyed its balanced minerality throughout. Its fine citrus finish fades away nicely. I would recommend serving this Chard with scallops wrapped in bacon that were drizzled with some pure maple syrup. Very good.

This medium-bodied wine has a light floral aroma, lots of fresh apple and peach flavors and accents of vanilla and butter. A dose of good, fresh fruit acidity livens up the mouthfeel and seems to brighten the flavors.

This wine is oaky first and fruity second, showing smoky spicy aromas and equally spicy, lightly charred flavors. Medium body and moderate tannins give it heft on the palate and there's just enough blackberry flavor underneath to counterbalance the oakiness.

10 End-of-Summer Beauties Best Value This fruit-driven release from Murphy-Goode shows notes of plum, blueberry and black cherry with soft tannins. It has excellent value for the price.