A well-made red blended with 14% Merlot as well as smaller amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot, this crowdpleaser is robust and leathery, with length and supple tannins. The oak is integrated and meshes well with the blackberry, cherry and currant, finishing in clove and toast.

This is a reserve-tier white wine, rich and rambunctious in style, with French oak, 50% of it new, at its core. The wine spent 10 months aging and it has a touch of reduction nipping at its thick, creamy layers of butterscotch and crème brûlée.

The nose is crisp red fruit, cherry and raspberry with notes of spice box. The palate entry is tight and youthful with elevated acidity fleshing out to a sappy ripeness in the core. Needs time. Drink 2021-2027.

The nose is red berry and plum leading to a palate entry of blueberry and tobacco that persists through the core. Finishes with lean and lively spice and acidity. Drink 2020 – 2025.

Katherine’s Vineyard 2018 Chardonnay from Cambria Estate Winery is quite a price performer! If you like Chardonnay, and who doesn’t, then consider this one. I think I can safely say use that adage because it is so widely planted in many nations.For example, in the mid-20th Century Chardonnay was 75% of Chile’s white grapes, and in the early 17th-Century it made up 93% of all of South Africa’s grapevines. Today Chardonnay comprises the most acreage of any wine grape in the world! However, Chardonnay’s ubiquitousness may be the very reason it isn’t easy to find the wine you like. Just too many choices to consider, and how many are well made? So, when an attractive Chardonnay presents itself, take action. I can safely say that the 2018 Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay is worth a go!The Cambria Estate Winery, sustainably farmed and family owned by the Jackson family, is located on California’s Central Coast where the foothills swell from the floor of the valley just off the Foxen Trail on the Santa Maria Bench, in Santa Barbara County a bit south of the city of Santa Maria. The winery’s address in point of fact is on Chardonnay Lane, perfect for this review.Jackson Family Wines established Cambria Winery in 1986 and Jess Jackson’s daughters, Katie and Julia, were raised near Cambria’s vines. Along with Barbara Banke, they are the proprietors, hence the designation Katherine’s Vineyard.The estate’s wines come from four dissimilar vineyards, each conveying its unique characteristics to the wines. The Chardonnay sources from Katherine’s Vineyard, consisting of 34 blocks of various clones on soils of shallow sand, granite, shale, limestone, and fossilized seashells.Winemaking consisted of whole cluster pressing, after which 75% of the juice went to barrel fermentation, with 25% to stainless. To finish, the young wine was placed in oak casks, 20% of which were new, to age sur lie for eight months. The alcohol level reached 14.1%.This straw colored, golden-hued, 100% Chardonnay opens with subtle aromas of Asian pear and citrus blossom, which are followed by Golden apple, quince, and a trace of butterscotch especially on the rear palate. Cambria has achieved a very user-friendly wine showcasing ripe fruit, a really pleasing roundness with smooth palate-feel, and good balance including the level of acidity. Finishes well.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe 2017 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley has a pale to medium ruby color and opens with crunchy cranberries, blackberries, pomegranate, dried herbs and dusty earth with touches of bitter peel and bark. The light-bodied, silky palate offers pure, earth-laced, crunchy fruits, finely grained and fresh on the earthy finish. "We picked some grapes early and some later and blended them, in an effort to retain natural acidity without having to acidify," says winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash.

Spicy, herbal and lively in robust layers of dark cherry and orange, this full-figured, textured wine is powerful and complex. The integration of oak is impressive, with lasting tannin structure on offer through a focused finish.

With a grainy grip of tannin and rich baked plum and blackberry, this blend is soft and well integrated, a tremendous value for the quality and price. Sultry in baking spice, vanilla and a touch of caramel, it finishes with a roundedness that appeals.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Chardonnay Radian Vineyard is powerful and quite dense, with tropical overtones that gradually emerge with a bit of aeration. There is plenty of depth, if maybe a bit less of the nuance that defines so many Chardonnays off this site. Overall, the 2017 is a solid debut, from Radian, one of the most evocative sites in Santa Barbara, or California, for that matter.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2018 Chardonnay (Russian River) is a gorgeous appellation-level wine. Bright floral and citrus notes give the Russian River Chardonnay lovely tension. This is such a terrific introduction to the vintage.

This dark ruby colored Pinot Noir opens with fragrant black raspberry and chocolate cherry cordial bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, soft, smooth and nicely balanced. The flavor profile is an oak influenced mulberry with notes of mild minerality and black cherry. I also detected hints of black plum and clove. The finish is dry and its mild tannins and flavors linger nicely. This Pinot is on the savory side. I would pair it with Peking duck.

This light-yellow colored Chardonnay from Cambria is very easy to drink and will be a crowd pleaser. It opens with a toffee, pear and toasted oak bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, round and juicy. The flavor profile is a tasty Anjou pear and new oak blend with notes of light lemon verbena. I also detected some hints of almond, butterscotch and chamomile tea mixed in as well. The finish is dry and its flavors quietly drift away. This Chardonnay is food friendly and would pair well with a chicken and wild mushroom ravioli in a light butter cream sauce.

Firm and savory, with good concentration to the toasted herb, cedar and cigar box notes that are muscular and taut. Notes of green tea, rosemary, loam and dried currant linger on the finish. Drink now through 2033.

Go-To Wines for Gifting Siduri's appellation series (as opposed to its vineyard-designate wines) consistently delivers exceptional value. The 2017 Anderson Valley pinot noir is no exception. The nose is fetching, showing a floral note and a bright cherry aroma, and those characteristics follow through on the palate. The wine is beautifully balanced and ready to drink now.

Napa Valley & California Cabernet Sauvignon 2015: Panel tasting results Burly meaty black-fruits nose, savoury, powerful rather than refined. Broad and fleshy with good weight of fruit. A very lovely, polished wine.

Napa Valley & California Cabernet Sauvignon 2015: Panel tasting results Delicate cherry and coconut nose, showing some charm. Quite rich and supple, with light tannins but a pleasant acidity. Long, mocha driven finish.

Crunchy in texture and high-toned acidity, this wine evolves to show richness and girth on the palate, undertones of grip and tension never far behind. Plum, baked cherry and earthy black tea highlight the varietal classicism and structure.

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.