Robustly rich, layered and rounded in red cherry, tea and toasted oak, this is a full-bodied and concentrated wine, with plenty of power and ripeness. A touch of orange peel gives it a pleasing sweetness on the finish.

This is a delicate, medium-bodied wine that offers lively red cherry and raspberry flavors and shows restraint through light tannins and vivid acidity.

This light ruby colored Pinot Noir from Siduri opens with a wild strawberry and pomegranate bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, pleasantly acidic and juicy. The flavor profile is a tasty strawberry and tart red plum blend with nicely integrated minerality and oak. I also detected hints of pomegranate and red raspberry. The finish is dry and its flavors and moderate tannins are nicely prolonged. This crowd-pleasing Pinot was well-liked by all that tried it. It will not last long. Pair it with grilled red snapper.

From vines growing in the cool coastal region of Monterey this affordable Chardonnay is bright and straightforward, offering both green apple and tropical fruits in its flavors and touches of floral in the aroma. Aging in stainless steel tanks also contributes to this wine’s easygoing, uncomplicated character.

Although not known for bubbly, La Crema certain has all of the ingredients. This Pinot Noir and Chardonnay specialist delivers a very nice brut rosé that is delicate, very dry and shows notes of strawberry and apple with a fine mousse and exquisite balance. Composition: 73% Pinot Noir 27% Chardonnay.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s The 2017 Pinot Noir Jackson Estate Anderson Valley is another solid effort. Offering more density and depth than the Grand Reserve, it has loads of black cherry fruits, notes of Christmas spice and sassafras, medium body, and a great finish.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s The 2016 Prequel Red Blend is a Syrah-dominated blend (there's 15% Petite Sirah) and offers an inky purple color as well as a big, sexy bouquet of blueberries, crushed violets, vanilla bean, and sappy herbs. This medium to full-bodied, concentrated red has bright acidity, plenty of background oak, and a good finish. It's a ripe, sexy, fruit bomb to enjoy over the coming 3-4 years.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Estates offers a pretty, nuanced bouquet that includes plenty of blue fruits as well as sappy herbs, bay leaf, tobacco, and lead pencil. Medium-bodied, elegant, and beautifully balanced on the palate, with moderate tannins, it's going to cruise for over a decade in cool cellars on its balance and purity.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s From a vineyard previously known as Dos Rubios Vineyard, located just below Sierra Mar, the 2017 Pinot Noir Lemoravo Vineyard was mostly destemmed (a small part of the Pommard clone wasn't destemmed) and was brought up 11 months in 30% new French oak. It offers a more rounded, spice, dried earth, and savory cherry bouquet as well as a medium-bodied, nicely textured, soft style on the palate. With good acidity and ample charm, it's ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s A blend of 93% Pinot Blanc and 7% Pinot Gris brought up in neutral oak and concrete, the 2017 Pinot Blanc Santa Maria Valley reveals a light gold color as well as an impressive bouquet of apple blossom, spiced melon, and hints of brioche. Rounded and beautifully textured, with terrific purity, it's one seriously good Pinot Blanc to enjoy over the coming year or so.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s Blackberries, peppery herbs, bay leaf, violets, and candied cherry notes all emerge from the medium-bodied 2016 Syrah Tepusquet Vineyard, which has bright, juicy acidity, no hard edges, and a good finish. It has a cool-climate feel yet packs plenty of richness and ripeness. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s The 2017 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard has a flinty, Burgundian minerality as well as notes of ripe orchard and lemon fruits, spice, and white flowers. Bright, juicy, and elegant on the palate, it's a beautiful Chardonnay that represents a smoking value. You'll be hard-pressed to beat this as a house white.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s More pear, melon, and spice notes emerge from the 2017 Chardonnay Clone 4, which is a much smaller production cuvée brought up all in neutral oak. Medium-bodied and textured on the palate, it builds nicely with time in the glass, has plenty of richness, terrific balance, and is well worth seeking out.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2017 — Napa's Perfect Storm The 2017 Chardonnay Estate has fresh, crunchy fruit notes of red apples, apricots and waxy lemons with nuances of chalk dust, shaved almond and baker's yeast. Medium-bodied, elegant, youthful and laden with apple and peaches flavors, it has a well-poised, refreshing finish. 3,693 cases produced.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2017 — Napa's Perfect Storm The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Estate leaps from the glass with gregarious white peach, grapefruit and lemon curd scents plus hints of elderflower, chopped herbs and pea pods. Medium-bodied, the palate is charged with electric citrus and herb flavors plus a super racy backbone, finishing on a peachy note. 651 cases produced.

South Africa: The 2016 & 2017 Vintages and the Future of South African Wines – Part 1 Bolder and richer in style than the regular range, the 2015 Fijnbosch Chardonnay overflows with elegant oak and baking spices, creamy apple yogurt, Bosc pears with freshly zested lemon. The palate is clean and vibrant with a fresh, ripe expression and bright citrus core that feels fleshy over the mid-palate and will be a crowd-pleaser. Medium to full-bodied, the Fijnbosch Chardonnay is named after the ambient underbrush that lends soft green flavors into the expression of the wine. The wine ends with a lingering expression of lemon-hazelnut panna cotta. Only 100 cases were made.

South Africa: The 2016 & 2017 Vintages and the Future of South African Wines – Part 1 The 2015 Chardonnay begins with a structured nose of Meyer lemon and a soft mintiness to the aromatics, with subtle oak edges, underripe golden apples and corn kernels with mild brown baking spices. The palate shows pomaceous fruit and expresses flavors of subtly spiced pears sprayed with lemon juice. Medium-bodied, the Chardonnay ends with a balanced, lingering finish that reminds me of Margret River Chardonnay, with a touch of saltiness on the back end. 1,000 cases made.

The nose has a nice combination of black plum, boysenberry, muddled and mulberry-spiced blueberry and violet, though it has a slightly alcoholic kick at the very end that I imagine will fade with time. Its medium bodied with slightly thin acid and diffuse, fine-grained tannin. The structure has everything it needs to be complete but isn’t actually cohesive or substantive. Similar to the nose, The fruit flavors are blue, though the blueberry far out plays the boysenberry here. Mocha swirls around the fruit, as does pencil shavings and purple florals. There are attractive elements to this, but it’s hard to get past what feels like a missed opportunity to build a more substantive structure.

Weekend Wine Picks The fruit comes off three dominant Pinot Noir growing regions in Santa Barbara County. Santa Maria Valley, one of California’s coolest AVAs, brings the aromatics. Los Alamos, a slightly warmer site, brings the riper, darker fruit flavours. South of Santa Maria Valley and Los Alamos, the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and its steep slopes add stony minerality and some austerity. Look for fresh, brambly red fruit aromas that spill onto the palate with more dense, vibrant black cherry fruit flavours. All the blocks are harvested separately to allow for a wide choice of tastes and styles — a distinctive style that has turkey written all over it.

Lively floral components accent the finely textured flavors of red currant and dried red cherry, matched to firm acidity. Lithe and minerally on the finish. Drink now through 2024.

An intense saline note accents the freshly cut apple and citrus flavors, giving this plenty of verve. Stony hints show on the fresh finish. Drink now through 2024.

Fresh and vibrant, with lively cherry, mineral and spice flavors that finish on a snappy note. Drink now through 2024.

Refined and well-built, with expressive blueberry, licorice and smoky meat accents that lead to fine-grained tannins on the finish. Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.

A fresh and focused style, with a beam of red currant and cherry notes, laced with subtle savory and vanilla details. A light tug of earth at the end keeps this honest.

Dark plum and mulberry flavors dominate this ripe, brambly style. Notes of chocolate nibs and loam show midpalate, with a finish that features tea and mocha accents.