Appealing for its fruit-forward mix of peach, citrus and apple flavors, this is plump and juicy on a mouthwatering frame. Drink now. 64,997 cases made.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was matured for six months in 20% new French oak. It’s bursting with aromas of cranberry jelly, lavender, licorice and mossy bark. The medium-bodied palate is soft and approachable with generous, earth-laced fruit and a perfumed finish. It overdelivers for its modest price and is widely available (205,000 cases were produced).

The 2021 Chardonnay Russian River Valley was barrel fermented and matured for 10 months in 30% new French oak. It’s scented of yellow apples, flint, pie crust and allspice. The palate balances gently creamy, buttery flavors with refreshing acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish. 31,000 cases produced.

Matured in 28% new French and American oak, the 2021 Chardonnay Grand Reserve is scented of grilled peaches, matchstick, toast and honey, plus wafts of allspice. The lightbodied palate is bright and refreshing with a core of spicy fruit and a gently tangy finish. 145,000 cases produced.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Jackson Estate Outland Ridge, matured for 13 months in 39% new French oak, has layered aromas of wild berries, mushrooms, allspice and graphite. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and mouthwatering with bold flavors and generous new oak character. 1,180 cases produced.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Grand Reserve was matured for 10 months in 41% new French oak. It takes some time to reveal aromas of pomegranate, blackberry, Earl Grey tea leaves, aniseed and forest floor. The light-bodied palate is chalky and energetic with understated, gently herbal flavors and a spicy finish. 2,524 cases produced.

The 2020 Chardonnay Grand Reserve from Santa Barbara County was barrel fermented and matured for eight months in 28% new French oak. It's scented of baked yellow apples, honeysuckle, matchstick and beeswax. The medium-bodied palate features ripe stone fruit and honey-nut undertones. It’s balanced by bright acidity and has a flavorful finish. 175,833 cases produced.

Fresh and lively aromas of bubblegum, watermelon punch and cherry syrup show on the nose of this wine. The palate goes richer with candied cherry flavors.

Savory and floral, the 2022 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) is every bit as composed as it is year after year, especially considering the stress of the growing season. Black raspberry, black sage and exotic spice tones introduce this neatly proportioned Pinot, finishing with a waft of dusty rose petals. There’s so much to like. It’s always exciting to pick up this much character in an appellation-level wine.

Pouring a hazy pale yellow color, the NV Lasow Sparkling Wine was produced as a traditional method sparkling wine and is lifted with notes of almond, yellow pear, and citrus pith. Medium-bodied, refreshing, and easygoing, it’s a low alcohol wine designed for picnics and only being sold in the winery in four-packs. (“Lasow” stands for Low Alcohol Sparkling Orange Wine.”) Bottled under crown cap, this fun wine has a delicate pithy texture and would be a very nice wine to drink at, well, a picnic.

This smells like aging beef, its spice and cumin-like heat adding some burn in the end. Brown and spicy. (319 cases)

With bitterness on top and florals underneath, this is a softball of a chardonnay, wrapping its alcohol with scents of buttery puff pastry, white plum and nectarine. Leafy and simple. —J.G. (313 cases)

This chardonnay has cool coastal power, even as its clean, sweet pear and lime flavors give it taste of a margarita—salty, candied, lasting on sweetness. —J.G. (60 cases)

Pale straw colored,  light to medium-bodied, Wine Advocate calls it “gregarious and energetic” - lacking polish and balance, round and bright, flavorful notes of buttery stone fruits, white and yellow peaches, quince, wet stone and hints of pineapple and citrus and subtle layer of spice with tangy acidity on a lingering mineral finish. 

A light, open-knit bramble matrix supports this red's bouncy cherry and raspberry fruit, backed by a dash of anise on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 3,019 cases made.

Soft and forward, with friendly notes of sassafras, cherry and mulberry that bring a touch of briary energy to keep the finish going. Drink now through 2025. 321 cases made.

Black tea and savory notes infuse an open-knit core of black cherry and blackberry fruit. There's a brambly edge to the finish. Drink now through 2026. 15,089 cases made.

A forward red, displaying overt notes of boysenberry and cherry compote laced with sassafras and licorice accents. The fruit is ever so slightly jammy but offers enough juicy energy to keep this going. Drink now through 2026. 202 cases made.

Racy and fresh notes of raspberry and savory meld nicely through the sleek, lightly toasted finish.
Drink now through 2026. 650 cases made.

Tea leaves, earth and tabacco with oaky vanilla and chocolate. Mature red berries and plums with fresh acidity and a rounded finish.

This is appealing for its focus on fruit flavors, with guava, pineapple and peach notes backed by juicy acidity, with accents of lemon zest and green tea, plus a lingering note of lemon balm. Drink now. 221,396 cases made.

La Crema makes wines from multiple appellations, so check the label carefully. This wellpriced versatile Monterey Chardonnay is a crowd-pleaser because it combines a touch of creamy buttery flavors with green apple ones. It is soft enough to savor a glass before a meal and has enough verve to accompany a roast chicken. In keeping with current trend of lighter California Chardonnay, it weighs in under 14% alcohol.

This Pinot Noir comes from coastal California vineyards, including Arroyo Seco, Santa Maria Valley, and Monterey. The cooler sites help the acidity levels that keep the wine fresh. It’s aged eight months in French and American oak (only four per cent is new), adding some vanilla but mostly helping to expand the soft, round, earthy, cran-cherry fruit with a dash of spice. Ready to drink with simple foods, like a pulled pork sandwich. The fruit is 47 per cent Sonoma coast, 44 per cent central coast, and 9 per cent Mendocino County.

Fat and ripe aromas of black cherry meet with cola and coffee bean on the nose of this bottling. There’s ample oak spice to the palate, which is dense with ripe fruit that’s wrapped in a smooth, slightly flat texture.

The nose of this Chardonnay is dominated by warming aromas of vanilla bean, bananas Foster and cinnamon. The weighty palate shows flavors of buttery popcorn and very ripe apple, with a toasty, warming sensation on the finish.