More tropical fruits, peach jam and marmalade are found in the 2014 Chardonnay Arroyo Seco. This also spent nine months in French oak, of which 25% was new. It comes from the Rued clone of Chardonnay and seems to be a more up-front, dramatic and tropical style of Chardonnay than the Saralee’s. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.

This juicy, medium-bodied wine offers a mix of crisp lemon meringue and richer notions of pear compote and biscotti. Grapes are sourced from a range of vineyards, including Saralee's.

Sonoma Coast vineyards enjoy a long, cool growing season due to the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean, and its fogs and winds that blow inland. This is perfect for slowly ripening grapes to develop complex flavours and nuances without lots of sugar that translates to heavy alcohol. Classic Californian Chardonnay with toast, oak and green apple on the nose. Full-bodied, and generously layered. Generous flavours of pear and peach on the palate with a long, dry finish and a hint of wild white flowers in a spring rain. Perfect for roast chicken or mild curries.

La Crema's 2013 Chardonnay Nine Barrel is an attractive, open-knit wine. White flowers, orchard fruit, pear, brioche and a slight note of reduction are all laced together in a very pretty Chardonnay that speaks to understatement. A kiss of French oak adds sweetness and nuance without overpowering the wine. This is a delicate, understated Chardonnay by California standards, with all the elements in the right place.

The outstanding 2013 Chardonnay Nine Barrel comes from a selection of their best nine barrels, and aged nine months in French oak, 50% new, and has plenty of tropical fruit, white peach and brioche in a medium to full-bodied, luscious style. This is clearly the star of their Chardonnays, but I’ve seen much more expensive.

Pushes all the right Chardonnay buttons, with creamy tropical mango, papaya, pineapple and lime flavors. It also folds in buttered toast, vanilla and honey notes from oak.

Pale gold. Lively lemon and green apple scents are complemented by chalky minerals and tarragon. Firm and juicy in the mouth, offering refreshingly bitter apple skin and lemon zest flavors that put on weight with aeration. Finishes dry and nervy, with strong mineral cut and an echo of tangy citrus fruits.

Vivid gold. High-pitched aromas of underripe orchard fruits, anise, iodine and smoky lees. Offers vibrant pear and Meyer lemon flavors that put on weight with aeration. Distinctly mineral in character, finishing with nervy cut and building smokiness. I like the Old World character of this somewhat un-fruity chardonnay.

Made in a drier, tarter style than the winery’s Russian River bottling, this Chard favors elegance over opulence. It’s streamlined and crisp, with subtle notes of green apples, kumquats and honey, gently touched by smoky oak.

Pale yellow-gold. Aromas of nectarine, orange pith and white flowers, with touch of smokiness in the background. Starts off tight and focused, then puts on weight with air, offering juicy pear and pit fruit flavors and a hint of toasty lees. The orange quality comes back strong on the finish, which lingers with very good mineral-driven persistence.

Green-tinged gold. Lively citrus zest and quince aromas are complemented by suggestions of white flowers and chalky minerals. Racy, precise and nicely concentrated, offering zesty lemon and orange flavors and bright mineral lift. Finishes on a subtle note of iodine, with very good clarity and cut. This wine delivers fantastic value.

Solid and full-bodied with green apple, vanilla and butter aromas. Very classic and typical of cool climate Californian chardonnay. The region of Monterey keeps its cool from ocean breezes, which add the zest and balance to this wine. Creamy and toasty with a long, satisfying finish. Yum!

A full-bodied, well-rounded, buttery wine with lovely balancing acidity and citrus fruit notes.

Lush and dense, generous and smooth with ripe pear fruit and good acid structure; rich and showing vanilla and depth; long and intense.

Bright yellow. Ripe pear, fig and melon on the nose, with notes of chamomile and candied ginger adding complexity. Fleshy and broad on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering deep orchard fruit and honeydew flavors and a hint of white pepper. Both rich and lively, with very good finishing breadth and spicy persistence.

The 2011 Chardonnay Arroyo Seco stands apart from the rest of these wines for its rich, broad-shouldered frame. Smoke, butter, rich apricots and licorice all flesh out in a large-scaled, generous Chardonnay endowed with tons of personality. Sweet, honeyed notes add textural volume and complexity as the wine continues to open up with air. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2016.

Bright gold. Spicy citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complemented by notes of ginger and honeysuckle. Shows very good focus and tension on the palate, offering lively pear and tangerine flavors and a touch of anise. Finishes bright and energetic, leaving a refreshingly bitter citrus zest note behind.

A rich, creamy wine, with flavors of buttered toast, vanilla cream, pineapple and orange. It's rich, but fine in dry acids and minerals.

The 2010 Chardonnay Nine Barrel is all about texture and polish. Lemon, white flowers, butter and spices are some of the many nuances that take shape in the glass. The flavors continue to build over time. A nicely shaped, voluminous finish rounds things out. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018.

Green-hued gold. Bright, sharply focused lime, pear and mineral aromas are complemented by notes of honeysuckle and jasmine. Shows deeper orange and melon on the palate, with a sweet vanilla note adding depth. Shows very good power as well as energy, finishing with strong cut and tangy persistence.

A bone-dry Chardonnay for drinking now. This shows great structure, with a keen cut of acidity that brightens the mineral-driven orange and pineapple flavors.

Bright yellow. Fresh, highly perfumed aromas of citrus fruits, pear and fig, with suave floral and lees nuances adding complexity. Juicy and expansive, offering bright orange and Meyer lemon flavors given depth by suggestions of honey and buttered toast. Finishes spicy and long, with lingering honeysuckle and citrus zest qualities.

More tropical aromas of pineapples, orange marmalade and honeysuckle jump from the glass of the 2009 Chardonnay Monterey. Fifty percent of this cuvee was put through malolactic fermentation and it came in under 14% alcohol, not unusual in a cool year such as 2009. It exhibits abundant fruit, medium body, good depth and a seductive style. Enjoy it over the next several years. La Crema is an excellent value winery owned by Jess Jackson with an impressive group of winemakers, including Melissa Stackhouse.

Bright yellow. Subdued but pure, fruit-driven aromas of fresh pineapple, nectarine, peach and candied ginger. Then smooth and velvety in the mouth, with a firm mineral spine supporting the vibrant pit fruit and spice flavors. Fleshy but precise chardonnay, finishing focused, dry and quite youthful.

Although this wine flirts here and there with hints of minerals and a touch of oaky richness, its primary focus is on juicy, well-ripened, appley varietal fruit. It is slightly oily and fairly full in feel upon entry, yet its neatly placed acids provides a nice sense of lift and brings a cleansing bit of crispness to its lengthy finish. Rich enough for service with salmon, but never so heavy as to be unwieldy with milder fish dishes, it is a wine of considerable versatility at the table.