Chunky, intense and concentrated, with wild berry, spice, mineral and hints of fresh earth. Focused, with an aftertaste of leather and berry. Drink now through 2012.

You get a lot of bang for your buck with this dry, complex young Syrah. Although the tannic structure is rich and sturdy, it shows a wealth of blackberry, black currant, grilled meat and pepper flavors. Drink now through 2010.l

Wonderful purity of fruit. Ripe, rich and creamy, with layers of fig, citrus, tart pineapple, tangerine and melon, finishing with an elegant touch of toasty oak. Drink now through 2004. 85,000 cases made.

Aged primarily in French oak with a touch of American wood, this barrel-fermented, lush, medium -weight Chardonnay is put through full malolatic fermentation, yet retains strong, vivacious acidity. Notes of tropical fruits, tangerines, and smoke are present in this attractive, California style Chardonnay.

Bright, spicy aroma of lemon ice. Dense, lush and sweet in the mouth, with nicely integrated acidity. Lingering, slightly sweet finishing flavor is spicy and firm.

…possesses tangy underlying acidity, and a broad, tropical fruit-dominated personality with a degree of delicacy. A crowd-pleasing style of Chardonnay, with everything in the correct place…

More vinous, deeper pitched aromas of dried fruits, game, truffle and hazelnut. Fat, sweet and quite rich, with just enough acidity to maintain its shape. A finishing note of curry powder adds to its appeal.

Full gold. Medium-bodied. Highly extracted. Rich toasty aromas. Rounded with a textured mouthfeel showing elegant stone fruit and apple spice flavors on a long finish.

Oozing with honeyed tropical fruit accompanied by a touch of oak. There is crisp acidity, full body, and a bold, dramatically flavored personality.

Rich, toasty, honeyed, buttery Chardonnay with admirable intensity and an up-front appeal.

Explosive richness, great intensity, and a huge, luscious finish make for a flamboyant mouthful of Chardonnay fruit.

This shows good length and depth to the suave pear, apricot and ripe apple flavors that are accented by floral and spicy notes. The creamy finish offers toasty and buttery accents.

This sustainably farmed vineyard was named after proprietor Katherine Jackson in 1986. Clones 76, 96 and Wente. Aged 6.5 months in 83% French oak barrels, 21% new. Moderate golden yellow color in the glass. An appealing wine offering aromas of lemon, pineapple, peach, gravel and toasty oak. Giving in the mouth, with flavors of apple, lemon creme, white peach, pineapple and toast. Soft in texture, with agreeable acidic verve and some finishing fruit flavor. A consistently dependable wine in this price category.

Moderate golden yellow color in the glass. A strong butter note accompanies aromas of citrus peel, nuts and vanilla. Richly styled and quite succulent on the palate, with flavors of lemon, pear, apple, caramel and honey. Viscous in texture with well integrated acidity. A Caliesque style of Chardonnay that is quite popular. Score: 89

The 2015 Chardonnay West Point, which had a portion of malolactic fermentation blocked, offers an exotic, tropical and orange blossom-scented bouquet in it charming, fruit forward personality.

The most vibrant and juicy in the lineup, the 2015 Chardonnay Fog Tide has lots of citrus and lychee notes, with a medium-bodied, fresh, lively and delicious style on the palate.

The 2012 Chardonnay Bench Break is quite a bit more voluptuous than the Katherine's, much of which comes from longer time in barrel and lees stirring. Honey, spices, orange blossoms and mint flesh out in the glass. There is plenty of intensity, but here, too, the aromatics are quite muted, especially within the context of the year. Overall, this is a fairly rich Chardonnay within the context of Santa Maria.

Light, bright yellow. Poached pear, tangerine and honey on the perfumed nose. Fleshy and seamless in texture, offering pliant orchard fruit and melon flavors and a bracing citrus zest nuance. Closes smooth and broad, on a subtle note of white pepper.

With ripe fruit, a kiss of oak, and plenty of charm this is an emblematic California Chardonnay in the best possible sense. It is never aggressive or overly buttery, but it has big enough flavor and texture to stand up to reasonably assertive foods (I had it recently with a big, meaty grilled swordfish steak, and the gastronomic link was sensational).

The 2010 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is a pretty, understated wine. Lemon, white flowers and a hint of oak are woven together nicely in a medium-bodied Chardonnay that emphasizes brightness. This Katherine's is remarkably well-spoken and flat-out beautiful. It is one of the finest values readers will find in barrel-fermented California Chardonnay. I loved it.

The 2009 Chardonnay Bench Break is a rich, lush wine laced with expressive tropical fruit. It shows excellent depth all the way through to the round, enveloping finish. The Bench Break was fermented in oak barrels (55% new) and aged on its lees with bâtonnage for ten months.

Shows lots of flamboyant pineapple, pear and green apple flavors, with a deft touch of smoky oak. But the wine is uplifted by a firm, steely minerality, as well as fine acids.

Greenish yellow. Exotic aromas of pineapple, lichee, lemongrass and white flowers. Juicy and bracingly mineral-driven, with very good intensity and surprising depth to the flavors of lemon curd, tropical fruits and honeysuckle. The pliant, persistent finish leaves sweet citrus and spice notes.

Bright gold. Exotically perfumed bouquet of pear, peach and oak spices, along with a wild note of smoky Islay whisky. Lush, creamy pit fruit flavors are complicated by smoke and floral notes, providing impressive palate coverage. A touch warm on the finish, with the smoke and peach notes repeating.

Behind the rich flavors and textures a refreshing zippiness pops out, just the way it does when you bite into a perfectly ripe (but not TOO ripe) peach. Among the wealth of appealing flavors you'll find tangerine, pineapple, and vanilla here.