Pale gold. Exotic aromas of tangerine, honey, vanilla and candied ginger, with a smoky top note. Plush, open-knit pit fruit and orange marmalade flavors are brightened by a touch of juicy acidity and provide good palate coverage. A mineral quality sneaks in on the finish, adding lift and vivacity.

One of the best values in these new releases is the 2011 Chardonnay Sonoma. There are 4,500 cases of this $25 Chardonnay that goes through 100% malolactic and is aged in 100% French oak (only 7% new). A gorgeous wine for the price, it offers lots of honeysuckle, white currant and caramelized citrus notes along with beautiful purity as well as fruit. The oak is largely absent in the aromas and flavors, and this beautiful, mid-weight, intense Chardonnay can be enjoyed over the next few years.

Bright gold. A perfumed nose displays scents of tangerine, peach, ginger and floral honey. Supple and round in the mouth, with silky-sweet, smooth pit fruit flavors complicated by a bitter citrus pith nuance. Finishes on a gentle smoky note, with very good lift, verve and persistence. Excellent value here.

A rich and full-bodied chardonnay with lovely layers of ripe peaches and pears, some lemon and lots of vanilla-butter goodness with the oak. This lovely white wine has a satisfyingly long finish and will pair well with roast chicken. 4.5/5 Chardonnay food pairings: roast chicken, salmon, beef bourguignon, shell fish, cheese, pork tenderloin.

Bright yellow-gold. High-pitched aromas of tangerine, pear and ginger, with a touch of sweet butter in the background. Sappy, palate-staining citrus pith and orchard fruit flavors show good concentration and brightening juicy acidity. Closes nervy and long, with lingering spice and floral notes.

Light gold. Complex aromas of dried pear, iodine, white flowers and smoky peat. Densely packed, spicy and complex, with very good energy to the citrus, mineral and iodine flavors. This deep chardonnay finishes firm and smoky, with strong suggestions of minerals and anise.

Yellow-gold. Smoky pit fruits and white flowers on the expressive nose. Then sweet, juicy and dense, with powerful nectarine and tangerine flavors and good stony cut. Weightier on the finish, which features a note of honeysuckle and surprising nervy persistence. This is distinctly rich but in not way heavy. At once balanced and powerful.

Here's a polished Chard with an elegant balance to a variety that often lacks both. Everything is here, from the ripe tropical fruit and rich oak to the crisp acidity and mineral trimmings, all poised in perfect equilibrium.

This blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot opens with earthy aromas of charred earth, toasted oak and ripe dark-skinned fruit. The dense palate offers prune, tobacco and mocha alongside fine-grained tannins.

Round and supple, with a juicy texture supporting the cherry, plum, cedar and loamy flavors. Ends with dusty, gumcoating tannins. Fine length. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2020. 6,545 cases made.

Merlot makes up the largest segment of the vineyards at Arceno, the Jackson's project in Chianti Classico. This wine blends merlot (57 percent) with cabernets sauvignon and franc in a plush, satin-textured red. It's smooth, scented with dark-roast coffee and dark chocolate. Built for steak.

Anakota's 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota is plush, round and sensual, with plenty of mocha, chocolate, blackberry and crème de cassis. This clay-rich terroir produces rich, sumptuous wines that emphasize depth and mid-palate intensity. Because of that, this is a fairly approachable 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon although it will also develop nicely with time in bottle. Smoke, game, licorice, plum and earthy notes wrap around the dense finish.

Interestingly, I did not taste the 2012s, but the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard is an outstanding wine offering notes of crushed rocks, graphite, blueberries and blackcurrants. With lots of tannin as well as surprising density and richness, it is a successful 2011 that requires 3-4 years of cellaring. It should keep for 15 or more years.

Very perfumed, with sweet tobacco and currant bush on the nose. Full bodied, with a silky tannin structure and a long finish. A little hollow in the center palate, but still attractive. Give it time to soften.

A refined, herb-scented cabernet, this is solidly built on earthy tannin. There's a hint of sweetness to the fruit, balancing the earthiness and setting it up for lamb stew.

Ruby-red. Slightly medicinal aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, licorice and menthol. Bright but lush, with enticing black cherry and blackcurrant flavors complicated by a floral note. Still a bit youthfully reduced, but broad and juicy. Finishes with a a subtle suggestion of chocolate truffle with marc.

Bold berry and spice aromas are straight from the Carmenère textbook. In the mouth, this wine is full and beefy, with proper balance. Earthy, lightly baked and candied black-fruit flavors are graced by oak, chocolate and herbal notes on a ripe finish.

Opaque ruby. Smoke- and spice-tinged red and blue fruits on the highly fragrant nose. Juicy, gently sweet cherry and boysenberry flavors are lifted and sharpened by a spine of tangy acidity. Gains flesh and weight with air and finishes supple and long, featuring an echo of blue fruits and smooth, slow-building tannins.

Dark, ripe and velvety with soft herbs, plum and smooth texture; long, toasty and charming.

Attractive and subtle aromas of dark fruit, black olive and hints of herbs. Medium body, firm tannins and a pretty finish. Drink now.

A little short but some good stone and dark berry character. Juicy fruit on the palate. Drink now.

Despite the blackness and ripeness of its fruit, this cabernet offers enough tense acidity to give balance to the whole. It’s a heavyweight red, reaching every corner of the palate with its succulent flavors—the kind of red you need at your favorite steakhouse.

This opaque and midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a very attractive mulberry, blueberry, vanilla oak bouquet with a hint of black olive. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and savory. The flavor profile is a mineral influenced stewed plum with notes black olive and mulberry. I also detected hints of black currant and dried cherry towards the end. The finish is dry and its tannins are nicely extended. I would pair this Chilean Cab with steak tips.

Aromas of rose petal, black currant and some pleasant vanilla derived from the oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied with decent fruit and a walnut-like finish. Drink now.

A rich and ripe, peachy style with strong vanilla-pastry notes, as well as honey and spices. Drink now.