Riesling is still an under appreciated variety despite the fact that it is responsible for a great many delectable wines that afford exceptional value. Particularly priceworthy favorites from California include the one star Carmel Road Unoaked Monterey 2013...

A GREAT VINTAGE, 2013, and a top producer — Kendall-Jackson: Their Vintner’s Reserve Zinfandel from Mendocino County is amazing. K-J has grown exponentially since Jess Jackson pioneered this brand. Following his death in 2011, his wife, Barbara Banke, has steered a strong course. This $17 Zinfandel shows what a great year and great vineyards will produce. Jackson Family Wines, the parent company, has never slowed down.

Riesling is still an under appreciated variety despite the fact that it is responsible for a great many delectable wines that afford exceptional value. ...and, if coming up a step short of full one-star endorsement, the widely available 86-point Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Monterey County 2013 still gets the nod for fine value especially when found at its regularly discounted price.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is simply stunning. A real head-turner, the 2013 possesses superb density and tons of pure power. The flavors are deep, powerful and explosive. Mocha, new leather, and licorice wrap around a core of dark, sumptuous fruit. This dense, powerful Cabernet Sauvignon will require considerable patience, but it is super-impressive. And then some. Chris Carpenter crafted the 2013 from an assortment of parcels, most of them mountain sites on Diamond Mountain, Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain. This is a real stand out.

Standing out from its more muscular and more obviously ripened cellarmates and seemingly a bit light by comparison, this year’s Keefer Ranch bottling deftly exhibits the pure and precise fruit that its site so often yields. Subtle and yet steady with plenty of depth behind its grace, it is a genteel wine of quiet authority. Those who are put off by big, lavish, very ripe Pinots will find lots to like here, but this very well-crafted effort has more than enough range and fruity richness to please the rest of us as well.

Uriel Nielson developed Santa Barbara’s first modern commercial vineyard in 1964, sourcing chardonnay cuttings from Wente and planting them on their own roots in the loose, sandy soil of this benchland site. The block that grew this wine was propagated from that original vine material in 1999. This 2012 practically bursts at the seams with a juicy purity of fruit, the flavors ripe and round as a nectarine yet completely dry, the fruit dusted by a bold, earthy complexity, supported by the toastiness of lees and oak but not dominated by them. Deep and refreshing, it’s a compelling chardonnay for lobster.

Vying for top honors among Siduri’s impressive lot of 2013 Pinots, this involving and very well-crafted offering is as long on precision and winemaking polish as it is deep and defined in its optimally ripened, distinctly cherry-like fruit. It is at once ripe and lively with exemplary balance and a long, layered finish, and, while big on flavor, it is wonderfully lively and always light on its feet. It is the kind of Pinot that will grow and last for a long time, but, even though there are good reasons for waiting, it is absolutely delicious right now.

This petite was grown at a vineyard on the Talmage bench in the foothills of the northern Mayacamas range, the vines between 20 and 60 years old. It has a brightness that balances the toughness of its structure, making its density feel layered rather than monolithic. The fruit's a bit purple and primary at first, but as it takes on air it harmonizes with the tannins, moving toward a clean black-currant scent and cool minerality that feels dynamic. It's a petite to age for a few years before opening with braised meat, or cassoulet.

Siduri’s Sonatera offerings are perennial favorites hereabouts and the latest hits the mark smartly once again. If just a touch lighter than some of its more fully fleshed mates, it nonetheless exhibits a fair bit of complexity and richness with hints of sweet cream and dusty roses accenting its very deep and defined, ripe cherry fruit. It is not a big-impact wine, but neither is it demure, and it reminds, as better Pinots Noirs do, that refinement and richness can co-exist.

A much more expressive nose speaks of ultra-fresh aromas of red cherry, raspberry, exotic tea and an interesting hint of lavender. There is lovely delineation and energy characterizing the medium weight flavors that deliver very fine depth and length on the dusty, intense and balanced finale. Like the Bucher this should definitely benefit from a few years of bottle age as it is presently quite firm. In a word, excellent.

Here the nose is comprised of essence of both red and dark cherry, dark raspberry and lovely spice nuances. I very much like the mouth feel of the sleek medium weight flavors that have good energy and detail before terminating in an intense, dusty, well-balanced and beautifully long finale. This is not especially refined as the tannins are prominent but this should be excellent with time. That said, this isn’t going to make for especially interesting drinking in its youth and would best be purchased by those who are willing to cellar it for at least 7 to 10 years.

Nicely ripened and moderately rich with an insistent impression of pulpy, black cherry fruit running its length, Siduri’s Sierra Mar working is at once both substantial and structured without being heavy or hard. Its finish is marked by a touch of tannin, but its very well-focused fruit refuses to let go, and, if service with food will smooth its way in the short term, a couple of years in the cellar are in order.

An attractively fresh and cool nose features notes of various red berries that are liberally laced with plum, violet and discreet spice nuances. There is excellent richness to the suave, round and delicious medium-bodied flavors that possess very good mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in a long, balanced and nicely complex finale. This is quite generously proportioned yet the supporting acidity manages to keep everything in harmony. Note that while this should reward a few years of bottle age the lush mouth feel will allow it to be enjoyed young if desired.

This is aromatically much more discreet compared to the Cargasacchi with an airy and restrained nose of cool spice and various red berry fruit scents. The round, supple and relatively forward medium-bodied flavors possess good punch and if not quite as much complexity, it’s close. The finish however is a bit less harmonious and like several wines in the range will require a few years to better integrate the supporting structural elements.

With fairly obvious oak lending a degree of creamy richness right from the start, yet a Pinot that takes its lead first and last from plentiful, very accessible fruit, this wide-open wine holds little back. As Pinot Noirs go, it is moderately full-bodied and slightly rounded in feel, and, although it shows a light trim of youthful tannin, it is nothing near to rough. It is, in fact, engaging stuff even now and can be enjoyed while still very young, but it has the stamina and structure to guarantee successful keeping and should gain in complexity over the next three or four years.

This initially flirts with reduction and I would suggest giving this a few minutes in a decanter or leaving the bottle open for 30 minutes. With air the nose reveals notably more deeply pitched aromas of various dark pinot, plum and violet scents. Once again there is good verve to the delicious and well-delineated medium weight flavors that deliver solid if not truly special depth and length on the balanced finish. This offers excellent value at $22 and would make a fine choice for an age-worthy house pinot.

This was markedly reduced and required considerable aeration to dissipate the funk so be sure to decant this beforehand if you’re tempted to try a bottle young. With air the nose reveals aromas that come from the darker side of the fruit spectrum along with rich and voluminous flavors that also possess a lush mouth feel. Once again there is enough warmth to notice though in this case the finish carries the elevated level of alcohol with a bit more grace though I underscore that it’s hardly subtle. This receives a marginally better score based on superior depth but despite this being quite firmly structured, I wouldn’t be inclined to age it more than a few years.

Notes of menthol, spice and a hint of violets add breadth to the mostly red berry fruit aromas. There is good verve and detail to the delicious medium weight flavors that possess the same sleek mouth feel and intensity as several wines in the range before concluding in a dusty, palate coating and relatively robust finish. This is built-to-age but the warmth is sufficiently pronounced that it’s not entirely clear that it will go the distance successfully. As such I am suggesting a “middle ground” approach with my projected drinking window.

A less expressive nose only grudgingly exhibits notes of dark cherry, clove and violets. The middle weight flavors possess a sleek palate feel as well as fine intensity, all wrapped in a dusty, mouth coating and mildly austere finish. This will need a year or two of bottle age to better harmonize as it’s a bit youthfully awkward at present.

A noticeable touch of menthol adds a top note to the mostly dark raspberry and cherry scents that display background nuances of plum and violet. The suave and velvet-textured middle weight flavors possess a pleasing mouth feel while offering reasonably good depth and length on the persistent, dusty and moderately firm finale. There is a hint of warmth and a very mild edginess though note that my score implicitly assumes that the latter will round out with a few years of bottle age.

Here the nose is a bit more complex than the Russian River Valley because even though it is compositionally similar there is a greater array of spice and floral elements. The cool and silky medium-bodied flavors also possess a lovely sense of vibrancy before terminating in a moderately firm and solidly persistent finish. Note that this too displays a touch of asperity that is also likely to dissipate within a year or two.

An attractively layered nose features notes of both red and blue pinot fruit as well as pretty spice elements. The mouth feel of the middle weight flavors is notably supple but the notable vibrancy adds a sense of lift to the dusty and lingering finish. There is a hint of asperity that stops just short of austerity though I suspect that it will round out with a year or so of bottle age.

Ripe and solidly fruited with plenty of volume and palatal heft, this ample Pinot gets good marks for substance but is presently lacking in finished grace. It is fleshy, full-bodied and finished with a spot of palpable heat, yet, while it is a bit roughshod just now and wanting some time to fully knit, it has enough of the right stuff to grow on and will find better cohesion with three or four years of age.