Lemony and toasty, this approachable wine is rich and balanced, its texture soft and the flavors long-lasting, highlighted by a taste of lemon meringue.

The 2012 Chardonnay comes from their estate vineyards. It’s 100% barrel-fermented, goes through 100% malolactic fermentation, and was aged primarily in French oak, of which 16% is new. The emphasis is on the melony, lemon-custard, brioche and orange-blossom fruit of Chardonnay, with beautiful freshness, good acidity, and a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated mouthfeel. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

The vineyard is in a warmer part of the northern valley, and yet it shows brisk acidity and the cool-climate apricot, lime and white peach flavors of a long hangtime region. It’s a fine Chardonnay, oaky and buttery, and provides pleasant drinking now.

This is clean and dry, with crisp acidity. It's leaner than many richer Chardonnays, but shows plenty of wealth and creaminess, and citrus and pear flavors. A nice partner to roasted chicken or broiled halibut.

Limpid gold. Pungent melon and citrus aromas are complemented by gentle spice and mineral nuances. A juicy midweight with good depth to its tangy nectarine and honeydew flavors. Finishes with good length and lingering citrus fruit notes. Drink this now for its energetic fruit.

The generic 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma, which goes through 100% barrel and malolactic fermentation, was still somewhat tight when I tasted it. However, it displays pure notes of citrus blossoms, white currants, brioche, green apples, and hints of clove as well as vanilla. It is a mid-weight, crisp, elegant white to drink over the next 4-5 years. This is another impressive group of wines from one of the most consistent winemakers and long-time veterans of the California wine scene, Dick Arrowood. He has always had the Midas touch with white varietals, yet he also continues to impress me with what he can do with red varietals.

Get Ready: The Super Italians Are Coming This shows a little bit too much bean paste on the nose, although there’s some pretty blackcurrants beneath. Medium-bodied and little lean on the palate with slightly hard tannins, but some good fruit comes through.

Wine for the cellar The blend in 2012 is 48/27/22/3 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot. The nose is a peculiar mix of floral/meaty notes with bits of black fruit and coffee aromas. The attack is similar with resiny, licorice, black fruit and bitter espresso notes. This needs another three to five years to settle down. Best with mushroom or meaty pasta dishes. 88 points.

The vanilla aroma of this merlot is louder than the blueberry character, so you have to like that to go for it. Modest depth and length, but rather appealing balance. Drink now.

Earthy, foresty berry and cassis aromas are in the lead. Hard tannins and a shock of acidity make for a dry, cratered mouthfeel. Heavily toasted black-plum and cherry flavors end quickly, with a hint of bitter chocolate.

Chunky rubbery aromas of black plum form the first act. This feels big and wide, with grabby tannins. Flavors of toast, burnt oak, licorice and blackberry finish woody and with scratchy tannins.

Matured in used French barriques, this nevertheless shows touches of toast and cedar alongside tart, fruit notes of cranberry and raspberry. It’s full bodied and richly tannic, with crisp acids that accentuate the tannins on the finish.

A big burly, concentrated Grenache, Yangarra's High Sands bottling seems capable of evolving nicely over the next 3-5 years, although it is supple enough to drink now. Black cherry preserves gain structure on the finish in the form of finely dusty tannins.

Ripe and velvety, this plush-textured red has a leafy edge to its blackberry and licorice flavors, finishing strong. Drink now through 2013.

A light and tangy merlot that is focused and consistent from start to finish. Fresh nose of red berries and cedar with some floral notes in support. Taut and crisp with red berries spread out on a medium bodied frame. Not overpowering but tasty.

Pleasantly bitter and tarry. in Australian Shiraz. Juicy, full-bodied and layered. Drink with hamburgers or steak. Finishes with tart blackberries, pepper and spice. The McLaren Vale region in Australia is known for top-notch Shiraz like this one. Pair with hamburgers.

Cadenzia is a name coined by the McLaren Vale wineries to describe their blended red wines; Yangarra's 2006 version is 68% Grenache, 27% Shiraz and 5% Mourvèdre. The ripe plumminess verges on pruniness, accented by hints of cola and toasty, vanillin oak. This full-bodied but relatively unstructured wine should be consumed over the near term.

Inky ruby. Cassis and boysenberry on the nose, with a vanilla bean quality gaining strength. Cherry-vanilla and dark berry liqueur flavors are broad and soft, turning sweeter with air. A real fruit bomb, with the material to support its fairly strong oak component. Finishes soft and broad, but with good cling. This won't make any converts among those averse to Aussie shiraz.

Not overpowering on the nose but fragrant with blackberry, cassis, plum, anise, cedar and vanilla cream notes. Charming palate of dark fruit with some tannic backbone and correct acidity. There is a pleasant sweetness that runs like a seam through the wine.

South Australia: Part Two — Mostly McLaren Vale Honey-drizzled pineapple marks the nose of the 2017 Roussanne. It's less rich and decadent on the palate, where the fruit is crisp, even a bit lean. More underripe melon than tropical, if you will. It's medium-bodied, with a silky texture from barrel fermentation and aging on the lees. I'd opt for drinking this over the next few years.

Ripe and broad, with pineapple and pear notes at the core, layered with exotic spice details as the finish lingers. Drink now

Vanilla and fresh lumber notes lead the way, but gardenia and stone fruits emerge in the mouth and lead to a long, creamy finish reminiscent of a peach milkshake. A final kick of acidity keeps the whole thing balanced.

Lively and generous, a juicy mouthful of pineapple, nectarine and cream flavors, finishing with a distinctive balance between crisp acidity and polished texture.

Or try Yangarra Park..., with distinctive balance between crisp acidity and polished texture; it's the first wine from the new Australian venture of California winery Kendall-Jackson.