Very ripe black fruit, oaky, elegant, very sappy, smoky note, dense on the palate, velvety, very good potential, zesty finish.

Very fine and floral on the nose, pungent, pure fruit, juicy, licorice root, velvety, fine, elegant tannins, long on the palate, sweet spices, persistent.

The Merlot dominates, black fruit, blond oak, great respect for the fruit, a smooth bitter note, tight velvety tannins, very sappy, licorice root, very balanced, deep, well rounded, fresh.

Fresh on the nose, pungent, red fruit, smoke, soot, cherry, kirsch, fine, tight tannins, very sappy, honest, a note of wet earth, truffle, resin, very long, elegant and balanced.

Very fresh on the nose, note of blood orange, fine, very expressive, slightly exotic, elegant tannins, soft, persistent.

Mandarin and citrus on the nose, lively on the palate, honest, very mineral and long, slightly exotic, original.

At first, there’s a slight green herb funkiness of sharp dill on the nose of this single-vineyard offering from the Jackson Family-owned Cambria brand, where Santa Maria native Denise Shurtleff has made the wine since 1999. Once sipped, that evolves into a nice smokiness that sits atop tart green apple and Asian pear.

Lemon butter, apple pie crust and hazelnut are first to the aroma party on this carefully crafted Jackson family offering from a vineyard about 400 feet up in limestone-dotted soils. On the palate, strong but integrated acidity carries the myriad citrus, apple and spice flavors to completion.

This wine is noticeably forward in oak in the nose, and its fruit does take a moment in which to get going, but going is just what it does, and it shines brightly in the deep and impressively filled flavors of ripe apples and lemons. There are scattered glimmers of complexity that bode well for aging, and the wine’s youthful, slightly phenolic, finishing edges will disappear once a couple of years have passed.

Butter, salt, pear and fresh-squeezed orange comprise the leading aromas. Bright orange flavors persist on the palate, as do green apple, hints of papaya and the near-chalky sensation of white rock.

Smooth and off-dry with peach, apricot and pear; fresh and juicy with bright style and tangy acidity; bright and long.

Sage and pomegranate form the fragrant nose on this wine from the Santa Maria Valley’s longtime producer Byron, now owned by the Jackson Family Wines. It is still made by Jonathan Nagy, who’s been there since 2001. On the palate, sour cherry and cinnamon have a tannic backbone that will allow the wine to stand up to roasted meats as well as lighter fare.

A big, rich, meaty effort, the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is another release that was fermented and aged in 100% new French oak. Bacon, leather, pepper, black raspberry and sweet cassis all flow from this muscular, rich and concentrated effort. It has a rocking mid-palate, notable balance and terrific length. Drink bottles anytime over the coming 5-7 years.

One of the more earthy releases in the lineup, the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 2A offers notions of pepper, underbrush and fresh earth to go with a vibrant core of black cherry fruit. Beautifully balanced, focused and elegant, this striking Pinot Noir was completely destemmed and spent 10 months in 100% new French oak, of which there’s no trace. Give it another year and drink bottles through 2020.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Barbara’s Clone 667 (barrel-fermented and aged in 100% new French oak) is a beautiful 2011 that shows the cooler nature of the vintage with its spice, crushed flowers, underbrush and cool black cherry and black raspberry-styled fruit. Turning slightly sappy and grippy with time in the glass, it stays finesse-oriented and has fabulous purity of fruit. Enjoy this medium-bodied, balanced and energetic Pinot Noir over the coming 5-7 years.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Monument is a blend of the best barrels, with 80% being barrel-fermented, following by 15 months in 100% new French oak. Beautiful stuff, it offers awesome cassis, toasted spice, licorice and sweet oak to go with a medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated and textured profile that keeps you coming back to the glass. While you can see the oak here, it’s high class and perfectly integrated into the wine. I’d drink bottles over the coming 3-5 years, but I suspect it will evolve for longer.

More focused and energetic than the straight Santa Maria Valley, the 2012 Pinot Noir Nielson (aged 15 months in 40% new French oak) offers beautiful black cherry, sappy herbs, flower blossom and rose petal-like qualities in its seamless, silky profile. It’s the tension and energetic feel that sets this apart and it’s a knockout Pinot Noir to drink over the coming 4-5 years.

Offering fabulous fruit and a rounded, supple profile, the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 4 gives up perfumed strawberry, Asian spice, wild flowers and dried underbrush in a medium-bodied, pure and layered package. It too was completely destemmed and fermented and aged all in barrel. Enjoy this beauty over the coming 5-6 years.

Also outstanding, the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 115 is a pretty, zippy and sappy effort that has notions of cherry pit, freshly snipped flowers and distinct minerality to go with a medium-bodied, energetic and lively feel on the palate. Completely destemmed and fermented and aged in 100% new French oak, it picks up additional tannic grip with time in the glass, and should evolve nicely over the coming 5-7 years.

A small step up over the Katherine’s Vineyard, the 2012 Chardonnay Bench Break shows slightly more toasty oak in its apple and orchard fruits, white flowers and hints of nuttiness. Full-bodied, rich and layered, it’s a big, full-flavored effort that stays beautifully balanced and pure. Spending roughly 10 months in 57% new French oak, enjoy bottles over the coming 3-4 years.

The 2012 Pinot Noir 667 is a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated effort that gives up notions of cherry blossom, white flowers, licorice and hints of toasty oak. Coming all from sandy soils, barrel-fermented with 10% whole cluster, and aged the standard 15 months in 40% new French oak, it’s an outstanding Pinot Noir that has loads of character. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years.

In the same ball park, the 2012 Pinot Noir Julia’s Vineyard spent 15 months in 40% new French oak before bottling. A medium to full-bodied, rich and textured effort, it offers plenty of darker berry fruit, licorice, pepper and minerality in its rustic, chewy profile. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years.

Kicking off the Pinot Noirs and coming all from sandy soils, the 2012 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley is another rocking value from this estate. Exhibiting classy cassis, toasted bread, creamy licorice and loads of spice, this medium to full-bodied, concentrated and ripe Pinot Noir has solid mid-palate depth and a great texture. Spending 15 months in 20% new French oak, enjoy it over the coming 3-4 years.

Leading off the three Chardonnay’s, the 2012 Katherine’s Vineyard offers beautiful flint-like minerality to go with stone fruits, white flowers, vanilla curd and brioche on the nose. Medium-bodied, tight, fresh and elegant, it’s a superb value to enjoy over the coming couple of years.

A true GSM, made from equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, the 2010 GSM Santa Maria Valley is a rich, concentrated and medium to full-bodied effort that possess outstanding notes of blackberry, toasted spice, pepper and sweet oak. Fermented with 100% whole cluster, and spending 26 months in 100% new French oak, it’s a rock-solid Rhone blend to enjoy over the coming 4-6 years.