Freemark Abbey's latest Chardonnay release shows the fine hand of winemaker Ted Edwards, who chooses to ferment part of the batch in French oak to develop richness and a creamy texture, and part in stainless steel to preserve freshness and acidity. The result is a well-balanced Napa Chard that delivers a complex palate of lemon oil, pear and baked apple, with hints of wood spice.

Deftly balanced, this is slow to build nuance and complexity, unfolding to reveal tiers of spicy raspberry, black cherry and wilted rose. Though medium-weight, the flavors build intensity.

Siduri is best-known for its often stunning vineyard-designate Pinot Noirs, but there's much to be said for the winery's less expensive appellation wines that are essentially blends from multiple vineyards. Winemaker Adam Lee puts as much care into those wines as he does the vineyard designates, and the upshot is these offer some of the greatest values in domestic Pinot Noir. The 2015 Willamette Valley from Siduri shows exquisite balance between acidity and fruit, with a light touch of wood spice and a lasting, satisfying finish. A gem at the price.

Any vintner hoping to crack the U.S. premium market in a big way should study this remarkably successful product. It's the American fine-wine palate in a nutshell, worthy of an article in the Harvard Business Review. K-J Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay succeeds with remarkable consistency: boldly ripe and flavourful, vaguely sweet yet essentially dry - a mouthfilling white that drinks like a red (two wines in one!). The 2015 is rounder than a cueball, dense with suggestions of pineapple, syrupy peach, honey, toasted nuts and caramel. Well made, especially given the huge output, and impressively balanced for the style. If California's your go-to wine region, you are likely to love it, though one could argue it's more sugar-tuned for American palates than for most Canadians or Europeans.

Grapes for Carmel Road wines come from cool-climate vineyards in the Santa Lucia Mountains, inland from Monterey’s rugged coastline. This flavorful unoaked Chardonnay is bright and youthful with fruit-forward aromas and flavors of peach and pear with balancing acidity on the finish.

Historically, one of California's top Sauvignon Blancs, the 2015 Matanzas Creek shows the winery's continued success with this grape variety. The wine's elegant combination of ripe melon, savory herbs, and zesty citrus makes it a superior choice with steamed mussels. Drinks well now.

A soft cab with a seamless texture. Frankly it could have a little more backbone, but it has some nice fruit — black cherry and plum — coupled with herbs and spice. Nice length.

Rich and silky, with violet-scented blackberry and framboise notes, vanilla bean accents and a whiff of espresso. The generous flavors and plump texture linger on the long finish. Drink now through 2027.

This is a very well put together merlot with an intense ripe cherry and plum nose. In the mouth very soft tannins and mouth filling plum, cherry and spicy cinnamon flavors dominate. Delicious by itself or with red meat dishes.

Good Petite Sirah is generally not for the faint of heart, but those of us who love it think that the bigger and bolder the better. This offering from Edmeades has all the requisite intensity and firm tannins to show off its juicy blueberry and other dark fruit flavors, but it also has a kinder, gentler side. Even non-Petite Sirah fans will love this unexpected showing of finesse and elegance.

More subdued style than some Napa chards with vanilla, stone and almond character. Cooked apple and pear flavors. Full body, fresh. Finishes intense.

A winery flagship, this one smells a bit smoky and like cherries. With flavors of raspberry and plum, it’s juicy, acidic and spicy, with a velvety finish.

Aromatic, classic Pinot Noir aromas of ripe black cherry and fresh violet petals are clean and warmly inviting. In the mouth this is full, round and plummy with dark fruit notes of black cherry and black currant, an earthy streak running through to the finish where a tart bit of acidity paired with oak spice trails off into warmth.

Here’s a low-ball price from another lovely Pinot from the Willamette Valley. Ruby red and purple with a juicy raspberry flavor. Should even get better with some age. Pairs great with salmon and roasted poultry.

As wineries evolve their Chardonnay styles to appeal to consumers looking for more Old World character, we find a pleasant synthesis in cool-climate wines from California. La Crema takes advantage of their location in the Russian River Valley to tap several vineyards for this opulent-yet-complex wine. Tropical aromas and flavors include tangerine, Meyer lemon and nectarine, while a creamy palate, edged with vanilla and toasty oak, has just enough finishing acidity to make this an excellent food wine.

Think dry and tart-crisp with tons of flavor. It offers the drying, bitter taste of the white pith layer beneath the skin of citrus along with flavors of tart grapefruit, honeydew melon and tangerine with a kiss of herbs and floral notes. See what I mean? The kitchen sink. It works. And it’s unoaked.

The 2014 Syrah Hawks Butte is fabulous. Floral, lifted and exceptionally beautiful, the 2014 is all about precision and nuance. This is one of the most pedigreed wines in the range. Rose petal, lavender, sage, mint and violet notes are laced into the persistent, finely-knit finish. The 2014 is endowed with a real sense of energy.

Copain's 2014 Syrah Baker Ranch is one of the many highlights in this range. Aromatic, lifted and precise, the 2014 hits all the right notes with its beautifully delineated aromatics and flavors. Bright red cherry, rose petal, chalk and minty notes are nicely pushed forward. Readers should be prepared to cellar the 2014 for at least a few years.

A wine of precision and nuance, the 2014 Pinot Noir Kiser En Haut bristles with energy. Bright red cherry, pomegranate, plum, spice and blood orange abound. The translucent, vibrant style is hugely appealing. Tasted next to the 2013, the 2014 has a bit more precision.

The 2014 Syrah High Rock Ranch, from a site in the Yorkville Highlands, is another fabulous wine from Copain. Bright, focused and finely sculpted, the High Rock Ranch captures all the best elements of the Copain style. Floral, mineral and savory notes abound. The High Rock Ranch is fabulous.

The 2013 Syrah Hawks Butte is one of the most nuanced wines in this lineup of 2013s. Bright and floral, with a good deal of aromatic intensity from the whole clusters, the 2013 offers striking nuance and more energy than most of the other 2013s. Lavender, violet, menthol, licorice and a host of blue/purplish fruits accent this super-expressive Syrah.

The 2013 Syrah Brousseau is deep, dense and powerful, with a real sense of weight and gravitas. Inky blue and purplish fruit, smoke, graphite, licorice, cured meats and earthy notes give the Brosseau its distinctly baritone-inflected personality. This is a virile and masculine Syrah and is also one of the finest wines in this range.