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.

The 2009 Chardonnay Los Carneros is a beautiful, complete wine. Layers of apricot, peach, mint and French oak are woven together in this impeccable, gracious wine. Everything is in the right place. The fruit builds nicely towards the soft, enveloping finish. This is another striking wine from La Crema. The Carneros bottling is fermented in barrel, with lees stirring once a month and full malolactic fermentation. It is the most complete and well-balanced of the mid-level 2009 Chardonnays. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

I love chardonnays and pinots from this winery year after year. This classic chardonnay has lovely aromas of green apple vibrant wrapped in toasty oak.

Everything about this wine is substantial, including the hefty bottle, the full, voluptuous body, and the generous mouth-filling flavors. It seduces one's taste buds with a wallop of lemon and orange zest plus robust toasty, buttery elements. A clean, lingering finish keeps everything in balance.

A beautiful Chardonnay, with a chalky minerality that anchors and braces ripe fruit flavors of Bosc pears and pineapples, subtlely accented with a new smoky oak. Bone dry, this polished wine shows lots of finesse and complexity.

There are 6,200 cases of the 2007 Chardonnay Russian River. It exhibits plenty of tropical fruit and honeysuckle along with a touch of spice, full-bodied, rich flavors, and a subtle note of oak. This wine was 100% barrel-fermented and was put through 100% malolactic fermentation, but the oak is kept in the background.

Another outstanding effort, the 2007 Pinot Noir Russian River offers up scents of rhubarb, wild strawberries, black cherries, and a hint of spice box as well as a plush, succulent texture, silky tannins, and a long finish. As the wine sits in the glass, sassafras/cola notes also emerge. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

This wine has a pan grille scent from oak aging, and a silky butter-and-sugar corn freshness. It's supple and round, focused mainly on textured pleasure. A smoky chardonnay for grilled lobster.

The 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast offers up aromas of orange blossoms, lemon oil, and honeysuckle. Medium-bodied with crisp, fresh fruit, a subtle touch of oak (9% is barrel-fermented), a long, pure finish, and fashioned by winemaker Melissa Stackhouse, this impeccably made Chardonnay should provide enjoyment over the next 2-3 years.

The 2006 Chardonnay Russian River is a beauty. Tropical fruit notes of pineapple and a hint of white peach in a restrained yet powerful style are followed by a palate that has gorgeous precision, purity, and ripeness. It is elegant, subtle, yet substantial. Drink it over the next 1-2 years.

This is a polished, really likeable Chard. It offers everything the variety should: a rich, creamy texture, brisk acidity, and ripe, delicious flavors of pineapples, apricots, peaches and kiwis coated with vanilla.