The 2019 Chardonnay Vintner's Reserve is scented of yellow apples, baker’s yeast and hazelnut with tones of beeswax. The medium-bodied palate features concentrated, honeyed fruits, juicy acidity and a long, nutty finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay Grand Reserve is scented of baked apples, pie crust, toast and beeswax with top notes of citrus. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, rounded and savory, with appealingly ripe, honeyed fruit and a long, flavorful finish.

The 2021 vintage from Monterey has a wonderful nose of pear and citrus, which awakens the senses to the flavors of apple, Meyer lemon and a touch of melon. The finish is clean and crisp, and the alcohol content is 13.5%, with Norm’s score being 90.

This large estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga is owned by Jackson Family Wines. This wine, from a single block of sangiovese vines planted in 1998, shows deeply concentrated flavors of black cherry and plum framed by fine, polished tannins. Notes of vanilla and sweet spice are balanced by earthy tones that emerge on the finish.

Aromas and flavours of grapefruit, guava and tangerine tinged with white flowers and almonds. Broad and mouthfilling. The 3% Semillon in the blend is barrel-fermented and lends a creaminess, while tank-fermented Sauvignon Blanc delivers its classic, tangy acidity. A very pleasant white that would be a perfect accompaniment to a cheese board.

This has aromas of plum stones, blueberries, walnuts, beeswax and flowers. Medium-bodied with creamy, firm tannins. Firm, clean and fresh. Drink from 2023.

This medium gold colored Chardonnay opens with a mild Anjou pear and gentle pineapple bouquet with some hints of oak and mild lemon. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round and bright. The flavor profile is a pineapple and oak blend with some notes stone dust and butterscotch. We also detected some hints of green apple and lemon towards the end. The flavors drift away nicely on the finish. The Tasting Panel would pair this crowd-pleasing Chard with wild mushroom ravioli with a buttered cream sauce or with a squash ravioli with butter breadcrumbs.

From the slopes of Mount Veeder, this Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerhouse. It showcases the lively acidity often found in mountain fruit, and its fruit character leans heavily in deep, dark blackberries. A hearty protein will help soften its firm structure — as will some extra time in bottle if you can wait.

This mountain-fruit Cabernet lives up to Kendall-Jackson’s rich winemaking heritage. It shows expressive fruit depth, the tannins are present but not intrusive, and active acidity gives its weighty body verve. This is a great holiday wine.

This zesty Zin delivers black cherry, roasted anise and spice flavors that finish with briary tannins. Drink now through 2027.

This distinctive white offers a mix of marzipan, spice and fresh hops to mingle with the citrus, apple, pear and tangerine flavors, with a fresh thread of acidity and a smooth texture working in harmony. Drink now.

Strikes a terrific balance between crisp and minerally notes, with ripe peach, melon and tangerine flavors that show a touch of orange blossom on the finish. Drink now through 2030.

Ripe but restrained and focused, with mulberry and raspberry puree notes driving through, this delivers fresh acidity against a backdrop of red licorice and tea. Subtle savory freshness adds perk to the finish. Drink now through 2025.

You can tell immediately that this is Napa Valley merlot, unmistakable for its darker, resinous and brewed reds, edging into the black fruit spectrum. Feels like more wood than the cabernet sauvignon with its black tea, soy and hematic swells, followed by an almost iodine inkiness. A tonic triad if you will in which the intervals are repeats of that third note, the ensanguined crimson fruit that seems to ooze in and out of every crack. Chalky tannins at the finish indicate the best years have yet to truly begin.

27 of the Best Chardonnays for 2022 From Anderson Valley in Mendocino County, this small-production wine serves a high-definition expression of Chardonnay. A creamy nose suggests it went through full or partial malolactic fermentation, and the sweet scent marries nicely with stone fruit scents and a hint of white pepper. Acidity, alcohol, and fruit character land in equal proportions on the palate.

Lush, plush texture gives into an earthy, floral nose of rose petal in this full-bodied, powerfully built vineyard designate. Vanilla and cherry flavors are accented in cola and black tea, finishing in a supple richness of great intensity.

Earthy and oaky, with a lift of rose petal, this is a thick and intensely full-bodied red, stemmy and plush in style. It shows the exuberance of the appellation in a rich, lasting note of cola.

Juicy with supple tannin and a broad approachability, this is a hearty, full-bodied red brimming in cola, cherry and black tea.

A delicious combination of black fruits, milk chocolate and baking spices gives this full-bodied wine a tempting aroma and warm, mouthfilling flavors.

Dried lemon, orange peel, appleflesh, white-flower and sea-salt aromas make for a compelling introduction to this bottling. The flavors warm up on the sip, where toasted hazelnut, browned butter and salted nectarine flavors align.

Tart lime aromas meet with richer guava flesh on the nose of this bottling. There’s a plumeria and tuberose character to the palate, where tropical guava flavors are cut by tangerine rind and orange pith.

This Rhône-style white blend, matured in ceramic eggs, is built around young plantings of Grenache Blanc (50%), Clairette (12%), Piquepoul (9%) and Bourboulenc (4%), and the addition of 25% older Roussanne. While fleshy Roussanne dominates, there’s a curious sharp-sour note, with the apple bite of Grenache Blanc and saline lick of Piquepoul. In subsequent vintages, this blend will comprise different percentages and maturation regimes, but the initial version has intriguing tension and texture.

Rich and concentrated with ripe, blackcurrant fruit and some balsamic notes and earthy undertones. Elegant, with a vibrant acidity.

Toasty nose with some layers of herbs and vibrant dark fruits. It shows a nice depth of fruit well-supported by rounded tannins.

Perfumed scents of spiced plums, blueberries and vanilla. Well-balanced soft style with a lively acidity. Persistent finish.