Dense tight nose of blackcurranty fruit and fine oak.Drinking Window 2020 - 2035

This is the first vintage of Hickinbotham Cab Franc, planted by American Winemaker Chris Carpenter. McLaren Vale’s Mediterranean climate and the use of quite a lot of new French oak gives this a riper feel. A perfume of ripe red and blueberry fruit is backed by savory, earthy nuances, green herbs and a blanket of highly polished, mocha-like barrel influence. There’s a tangy lift to the fruit, with textural, granular tannins. Drink 2021–2030.

Made in a light, delicate style, with ample acidity and a minimum of subtle French oak, this tastes of cinnamon and cherry, with citrus-laden undertones that emphasize its brightness.

Matanzas Creek Winery Sonoma County 2018 Chardonnay was a medium yellow gold color clearing towards the rim.Smells of Mandarin zest, green melon rind, Lemon meringue pie, and a hint of white pepper were excellent.Medium-plus body managed soft acidity, and good flavors of cantaloupe and apples, with a touch of vanilla and ginger.Finished well on a balanced 14.1% alcohol (I thought it might be a tad higher), a whisper of oak, and the fading palate.Paired perfectly with my salt and vinegar fried chicken wings.

COMMENTARY: The 2015 Cambria Estate Vineyard & Winery Pommard Clone 4 Pinot Noir shows substantial weight and drive on the palate. TASTING NOTES: This wine exhibits attractive aromas and flavors of savory spices, red and black fruits, and a note of licorice. Pair it with grilled lamb.

Freshly crushed plum and cherry flavors are supported by crisp acidity. Flinty accents show on the juicy finish, with cocoa powder and floral hints.

Expressive, silky, harmonious.Forest berries and sour cherry, vanilla, tealeaf, red plums and licorice, violets and exotic spice aromas are expressed. It is supple and fresh with generous fruit; concentrated yet vibrant it trails spice and pipe tobacco on a persistent finish.

A nice dichotomy exists in Stonestreet's Alexander Valley chardonnay between rich and fresh. Although this wine has seen a bit of ageing in bottle now, it hasn't lost its fruit. The toasty oak is still dominant but it doesn't fight for supremacy over the fruit. Lightly nutty with notes of caramel, apple, poached pear and candied lemon rind. Very good length.

Maturing, dense, rich, concentrated chardonnay here from Stonestreet's spectacular Alexander Mountain property in Sonoma, the richer, softer and more readily drinkable bottling. The palate is full and fleshy, soft and comforting, with good length. Ready to drink.

This clear medium purple colored Pinot Noir from Siduri opens with a slightly musty stewed plum and cola bouquet with hints of black raspberry and dried herbs. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium-plus acidity. It is also satiny smooth and very fruit forward. The flavor profile is a spiced red plum and red licorice blend with notes of cinnamon and red raspberry. We also detected hints of fine minerality, lavender and some oak in the background. The finish is dry with gentle fine-grained tannins that fade away nicely. This Pinot is food friendly. We would pair it with Food and Wine’s fennel-scented duck breasts with Pinot Noir sauce.

A broad, substantial chardonnay that focuses on earthy notes and buttery richness, this is tightly structured and firm for its size. Full and generous, it will stand next to roasted white meats and creamy mushroom sauces.

This marks Ryan Zepaltas’s first vintage at Copain, after years of splitting his winemaking style between the opulently ripe Siduri releases and his own tight cool-climate wines under the Zepaltas label. He made thiswine from a vineyard in the eastern hills of Anderson Valley, the vines planted in 2011 at 2,200 feet in elevation. It balances a feeling of cool altitude with leesy, oxidative notes of buttered almonds and floral spice.

This starts off all smoke and lees, then becomes loamy and rich, with caramelized apple flavors and a honeyed texture, rich and composed.

Light and brightly crisp, this white tastes of sour apple and white flower, with a subtle imprint of oak. Meaty, with potent acidity, it resolves on the palate into a balanced, refined and steely offering of varietal elegance.

We love the direction this Chardonnay is heading, mainly dropping weight and fat and soft for the purity of tropical Santa Barbara fruit. The site is located on the coastal Santa Maria Bench in Santa Barbara County. Typically fog-blanketed and cool, its fossilized seashells, shale, limestone, and sand soils are planted to the Wente selection and clones 4, 76, 96. We love the brightness, and shocking citrus drenched apple, pink grapefruit, and tangerine with plenty of fresh west coast acidity. Much improved oak finishes leave it a new world delight. Freshly cracked crab, anyone?

This is a typical Santa Barbara chardonnay with its ripeness elegantly constrained by firm acidity giving tension and with oak spice well integrated on nose and palate. Structurally it is dry, firm and well balanced with good focus and a lively fruity finish. Very good to excellent length. Still youthful, so give it an hour or two in a decanter only lightly chilled or better still age for another year or two in the cellar.

Light, bright gold. Fresh pear and white peach aromas are complemented by suggestions of white flowers and lemon zest. Fleshy and energetic in the mouth, offering sappy citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a spicy hint of candied ginger. Finishes with firm grip, a sweetening touch of vanilla and good, spicy persistence.

Limpid, green-tinged straw. Fresh citrus and orchard fruits on the nose, joined by a hint of fennel as the wine opens up. Fleshy and broad on entry, then more taut in the midpalate, offering bitter pear skin, Meyer lemon and candied ginger flavors. Finishes long and spicy, with a lingering pear note and a hint of florality.

Widely known for the quality of its chardonnays and pinots, La Crema delivers this crisp and fruity ros made with pinot noir grown in five vineyards located in Monterey County, Calif. The purity of fruit flavours and its easygoing nature make this worth the splurge. Look for refreshing cran-cherry, melon and citrus notes that are nicely balanced and finish with a clean sweep of acidity. Drink now to 2021.

Part of the Jackson Family portfolio, this widely-available wine marries spicy berry and black-cherry fruit to barrel flavors of cocoa powder. Tannins are buffed to a fine gloss, and come to a final focus with a hint of green tea. Some 23% was aged in new French oak.

Lots of bright, ripe fruit flavors and great acidity give this full-bodied wine plenty of charm. Tangy citrus and apricot aromas meet zesty but rich flavors in this superconsistent wine.

This is a ripe, rich and smooth wine that coats the palate with delicious blackberry and baking-spice flavors. It’s full bodied, moderately tannic and has a good, mouth-filling texture.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2017 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is nuanced, elegant and light on its feet. Rose petals, star anise, blood orange and mint add attractive shades of complexity. The 2017 is expressive, inviting and absolutely delicious.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Hapgood is marked by very strong stem component, which is likely the result of a cold site in a cold year and 100% whole clusters. It will be interesting to see if more fruit emerges.