American consumers have had a love/hate relationship with Merlot for decades, but how can you not fall for this little number? It has layers of blackberry and plum with some spice and vanilla oak. Rich on the palate yet fresh, it displays nice black fruit concentration with a smooth and velvety texture. A very classy Merlot.

Arroyo Seco adjoins the Santa Lucia Mountains and is known for its inexpensive red and white varieties. This is a focused yet delicate Riesling. There are orange blossom and honeysuckle rather than petrol aromas, but there is a clean minerality, and a very attractive lift on the finish.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Appealing aromas of fresh cherry, wooded forest and pennyroyal. Soft and polished on the palate with a tasty mid weight core of darker cherry and berry fruits with a noticeable overlay of smoky oak. The tannins are suave and very fine. The wine finishes with modest intensity and a little more oak than I prefer, but the charming fruit is enticing.

Plenty of blackcurrant, with hints of roasted coffee beans and dark chocolate. It offers lushness on the mid-palate, opulent texture and elegantly balanced tannins.

A new project from Jackson Family Wines from the Boone Ridge Vineyard, this is a voluptuous Pinot delivers a substantial mouthfeel of dark blueberry fruit and mushroomy earth. Textured and grippy, its acidity is on the mark, a good go-to for family meals, especially a quiche Lorraine brimming with bacon.

Fruit compote scents of plum and cherry lead in this crowd-pleasing pinot, the first from the new Jackson Family investment in Oregon vineyard land. There’s plenty of oak as well, supporting all of the ripe fruit, lending a hint of chocolate in the finish.

Clean and fairly energetic aromas of wild flowers with wisps of stems and fairly typical green and white peach notes are followed on the palate by somewhat rounded, easily accessible flavors that repeat the basic charms of the nose. A touch of bitterness crops up at the end, but no more than will be nicely tamped down by a good chill before serving.

This smooth wine offers red fruits all the way, unperturbed by the usual complications of soil, herb or rock. Medium long, fresh, tasty and unchallenging.

Offers an elegant display of subtle creamy oak, white peach, nectarine and melon notes. Ends clean and pure. Drink now.

Shows a smoky, campfire edge, with toasted wood on top of the ripe fig and pear flavors. A rich and full style that is graceful and elegant. Drink now.

Deftly balanced, offering creamy oak notes, with touches of ripe pear, butterscotch and baked apple. A pleasant spiciness shows on the finish. Drink now.

Rich and creamy, without the weight, delivering ripe pear, apple, light toasty oak and honeydew melon notes. Drink now.

An understated style that offers medium-weight green apple, pear, spice and light oak notes. Simple yet pleasant. Drink now.

This is a refreshing pinot with bright red fruit and crisp acid. Aromas and flavors of plum, strawberry and mineral. Vibrant. The quality of the pinot makes this a very tasty find at this price point.

Very deep, dense, saturated purple colour, the aromas are clean, fresh and very primary - dark plums and dried herbs. The palate is full and soft, rounded and gentle in its tannins, a little young and raw, but remarkably smooth and drinkable for its youth. Essence of blood plum. A little time may give it more character.

There's a suppleness even with the size of this effort from Kendall-Jackson-affiliated Hartford Family - great toasted clove and mineral accents, luscious cherry and raspberry flavors, and a lingering sweetness.

Medium to deep, bright red/purple colour, very good for its age. New leather aromas plus pepper and spice, and the palate is just medium-bodied and a touch lean, with a clean and tightly focused cherry-spice middle palate. The tannins are fine and sandy throughout. Appealing balance and length. It's young for its age and seems to be maturing slowly. A good grenache in an elegant style, but perhaps not everyone's idea of grenache, and the price is a stretch.

Very deep purple red colour. A very sooty, smoky bouquet suggesting a lot of oak, the colour seemingly oak-fixed. It's big and chewy, with lots of grainy tannin gripping the tongue. It's not oaky on the palate, though. Not an easy wine to enjoy young, so service it with food, or cellar it.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is utterly beguiling. An exotic bouquet laced with hints of orange peel, quinine, spice, mint and dried flowers melds into dark-hued fruit. All the elements fall into place gracefully. Constantly changing in the glass, the Clone 23 is the most mysterious and nuanced of these Pinots. In 2012, the Clone 23 is striking.

Pomegranate, dark red cherries, mint, spices and wild flowers flesh out in the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 2 A. This is one of the more supple, textured Pinots in the Cambria range. The soft tannins give the 2012 plenty of early accessibility, but there is also more than enough depth to support at least a handful of years in the cellar.

Crushed flowers, mint, tobacco, sweet herbs and red berries are laced together in the 2012 Pinot Noir Clone 4. This silky, expressive, mid-weight Pinot introduces floral and savory notes to the typical up-front Cambria fruit.

The 2012 Pinot Noir Bench Break is a classic Cambria wine with exuberant fruit, deep color and exotic spice overtones. Lavender, menthol and cloves add complexity to the dark red and blue-toned fruit. The firm tannins could use another year or two to soften.

A deep, implosive wine, the 2012 is endowed with serious depth. Firm tannins, elements of gaminess and dark-toned fruit create an impression of masculine power and virility. Today, the aromatics are a bit reduced. It will be interesting to see what time brings here.

The most powerful of these Pinots from Cambria, the 2011 Pinot Noir Barbara's Clone 667 reflects the nature of the cool growing season in its compact character and tightly coiled personality. There is plenty of length and persistence in the glass, but the tannins are a bit dominant, at least today. Dark plum, kirsch and sweet, spices notes wrap around the powerful finish.

The 2012 Chardonnay Bench Break is quite a bit more voluptuous than the Katherine's, much of which comes from longer time in barrel and lees stirring. Honey, spices, orange blossoms and mint flesh out in the glass. There is plenty of intensity, but here, too, the aromatics are quite muted, especially within the context of the year. Overall, this is a fairly rich Chardonnay within the context of Santa Maria.