Complex, intriguing array of ripe pear, peach, spice and toasty oak flavors, adding a lingering aftertaste.

It is a full-bodied Chardonnay with a red wine nose of strawberries, as well as tropical fruit and intense, toasty American oak aromas. There is nothing subtle about this medium to full-bodied, in-your-face Chardonnay. Drink it over the next year.

Well balanced, with a nice range of spicy, toasty pear and pineapple flavors, all blending well on the finish. Complex and elegant.

Toast, pear, and clove aromas move deftly to a full-bodied palate.

Exhibits good structure and well-integrated acidity, as well as copius amounts of tropical fruit nicely complemented by toasty French oak. It offers a spicy, vanilla, orange and honeyed apple-scented nose and good citrusy, medium-bodied flavors.

An excellent wine. It possesses a layered feel, and gobs of honeyed tropical fruit gently fused with spicy new oak. A rich, ripe, concentrated Chardonnay.

A lush, richly fruity, boldly flavored wine that offers abundant honeyed, pineapple fruit allied to smoky, toasty new oak. (Also reviewed 6/26/93).

This wine—part of the “Seeds of Empowerment” fundraising series benefitting female do-gooders around the world—is light in the glass, crisp on the nose and laced with lime blossom, lemon peel, wet stone and Gala apple scents. It shows bracing freshness on the palate through key lime, white peach and Asian pear flavors.

The 2015 Cambria Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard Signature Collection wafts from the glass with an attractive nose of honeyed citrus and flowers. On the palate, the wine is glossy and medium to full-bodied, with decent freshness and a clean, uncomplicated finish.

Medium yellow color. Smells of yellow apples, apricot, lemon-pineapple cake, along with honey, almond and green olive notes. Creamy texture, vibrant acidity, with lots of yellow plum, apricot and lemon crème flavors. Notes of honey, almond, sea salt and white tea add complexity. Rich flavors but that classis Santa Maria Valley freshness keeps it bright and inviting. Aged six months in 21% new French oak.

Fruity, with flavors of baked apple, ripe pear and ginger that are well-balanced. Savory and buttery notes show on the finish.

A campfire smoke scent kicks off and dominates the nose of this wine, along with dried lemon peel, toasted cashew and a tangerine rind touch. It’s very familiar and easy to enjoy with its dominant citrus- and stonefruit-laced smoke flavor.

Cambria's 2015 Chardonnay Benchbreak is an attractive wine to drink now and over the next few years. Subtle and understated, it has a lovely flintiness that plays off the pastry, lemon peel, white flower, almond and mint flavors.

Showing plenty of reductive qualities on the nose, the 2015 Chardonnay Benchbreak is fruit forward, nicely textured and charming on the palate, with plenty of texture. I expect it would improve with a vigorous decant.

The most up-front and straightforward in the lineup, yet still an impressive effort, the 2012 Chardonnay Unwooded saw, as the name suggests, no wood and was vinified and aged all in stainless steel. Giving up notions of peach, apricot flowers and orange blossom, this medium-bodied, supple and soft white should be enjoyed over the coming 1-2 years.

Pretty and expressive, the 2011 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard makes a great introduction to the wines of this property. Lemon peel, almonds and spices all emerge from this nicely layered Chardonnay. The creamy, generous finish is particularly attractive. This is a terrific value from Cambria.

This Chardonnay has a flinty, mineral aroma, along with notes of peach and subtle vanilla. It’s fresh and crisp, with peach and citrus flavors, vanilla and a lemon peel finish.

A smooth and supple vintage of Katherine's, this surrounds its honeyed flavors in a soft and pleasing texture. Easy to drink, particularly with Dungeness crab.

Pale yellow.  Ripe pear, melon, vanilla and clove on the fragrant nose.  Picks up a tangy citrus zest nuance with air, which gives vivacity to the pliant orchard fruit and honeydew flavors.  The citrus quality adds lift and cut to the slightly bitter-edged finish.

Bright yellow. Lemon zest, green apple and orange on the pungent nose, with a sexy floral quality adding complexity. Juicy, faintly warm citrus flavors give way to deeper pear and melon with air. Creamy pear and honeydew notes linger on the finish, which echoes the floral note.

Yellow-gold. Powerful scents of roasted pit fruits, pear skin and cotton candy. Lush, slightly loose-knit tropical fruit and peach flavors provide good palate coverage and are lifted by a zesty orange peel note. Distinctly rich chardonnay with strong finishing thrust and good persistence.

Vivid gold. Exotic orange, smoked meat and dusty minerals on the nose. Creamy, sweet and juicy, with a plump texture and ripe citrus flavors that are enlivened by nicely integrated acidity. Fruity, energetic chardonnay with a firm finish.

Yellow-gold. Powerful orchard and tropical fruit aromas are complemented by notes of butterscotch and smoked meat. Weighty, chewy and ripe, with strong pineapple and brown butter flavors are lifted by brown spices. For all this wine's size there's surprising vivacity and the finish is focused and refreshingly bitter.

The 2012 Pinot Blanc Santa Maria Valley (aged 7 months in 4- to 5-year-old French oak) sports a light gold color to go with notions of apple blossom, citrus and brioche on the nose. Medium-bodied, supple and soft, it’s an easy-drinking, yet very well-made white for enjoying over the coming year or so.

Pinot Blanc is a Rodney Dangerfield grape, rarely getting much if any respect. It almost always plays second (or third) fiddle -- to Riesling and Gewurztraminer in Alsace, Pinot Grigio in Italy, and Chardonnay in California. But when well made, Pinot Blanc can be a delicious dinner wine. It invariably has subtle rather than forceful flavors that complement rather than compete with food. This is a good example, being marked with apple and pear fruit, just a hint of vanilla, and a focused, long finish. So even if you don't much value the varietal, you'll enjoy the wine.