The 2016 Viognier was brought up all in neutral barrels. It's a clean, straightforward example of the variety that has notes of honeysuckle, pineapple and citrus, medium-bodied richness and a good finish.

Medium-light yellow; fragrant, grapefruit and white peach aroma; medium to medium-full body; crisp, citrus and white peach flavors with a slight viscosity in the mouthfeel; lingering aftertaste. 87 points.

Aromas of pungent resiny oak, clove, honey, earth, spiced pear & pineapple. Then supple & fruity in the mouth with a note of truffle. Finishes slighly aggressive and could use a bit more grip.

A tight band of ripe pear, citrus and pineapple leads to a spicy, cedary oak aftertaste.

...offers excellent aromatics (tropical fruits, spice, butter) with medium body, and a good attack with pineapple, mango, and melon-like fruit. At the back of the palate, the wine is a bit short, but this is still a showy Chardonnay to drink over the next year.

Brown spice, pumpkin. Subtle, spicy, elegant and easy to drink. A juicy mouthfeel wakes up rich oak flavors.

Bright and lively, displaying vivid, medium-bodied pear, spice, honey and hazelnut notes that turn elegant.

Complex nose packed with oak, vanilla, apple, pear and honey; full-flavored on the palate.

The light gold colored 2015 Chardonnay Clone 4 Seeds of Empowerment was fermented in stainless steel and aged 5 months in new French oak. Peach, pineapple and salty aromas and flavor emerge from this lightly textured, enjoyable white geared for near term drinking.

The 2015 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard reveals an attractive nose of lemon rind, toast and buttered apples. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh and open-knit, with less texture and weight than the considerably more expensive Signature Collection bottling, but marginally greater freshness.

Cambria's 2012 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is bold and direct. Apricot pit, smoke and honey notes are laced together nicely in the glass. There is good texture here, even if the aromatics are a bit reduced.

Ripe and slightly juicy in smell with a solid measure of cherry- and plum-like fruit framed by elements of herbs and earth and oaky spice, Byron’s Bien Nacido Pinot is a slightly rounded, mediumfull-bodied working whose ample, fairly complex flavors fully reflect the traits of its nose. It does, however, spends its fruity capital a little too soon and ends on a stiff, slightly ungainly note, and, if it will likely find increased tactile polish with time, it would make for more optimistic cellaring if its early richness and fruit were better sustained. 1 star.

The rich, concentrated, yet slightly angular 2014 Pinot Noir la Encantada Vineyard (all from Clone 777 and aged 16 months 41% new French oak) is enjoyable, but doesn't really come together, with the oak dominating at present. There's plenty of ripeness here however, and maybe it just needs a year in bottle. Giving up plenty of black cherries, black raspberries, toasted oak and licorice, with medium-bodied richness, it should keep through 2022.

Moderate reduction pushes the red berry fruit aromas to the background and it’s strong enough to warrant a through aeration. The palate impression is more interesting as there is good verve and detail to the delicious flavors that possess a caressing mouth feel while delivering reasonably good depth and length on the dusty and slightly warm finish. This is one of those wines that isn’t perfect but with that duly acknowledged, neither is it without its attractive points. Two bottles tasted with consistent results.

A potent smoky, woody presence masks the modest mix of plum and berry flavors. An oak-dominated effort that may benefit from bottle time.

A wine that comes up a tad short on ripeness, the 2012 Pinot Noir Swan Clone has lots of mint, eucalyptus and dark berry fruit to go with grippy, chewy tannin on the finish. It’s still a solid wine, but lacks the texture and depth of the other releases.

Presents a tight, crisp, focused band of red berry and blueberry flavors, with gravelly earth, dried herb and cedar notes. Returning to the snappy berry elements on the finish. Drink now through 2021.

There are times, and this is one of them, when a winery’s large production, appellation bottling out points its vineyard-designate. Look for fairly well-defined ripe black-cherry fruit and a touch of creamy oak as the central themes here, and if on the broad and beamy side, the wine never drifts into excess and holds its central fruit into a mid-length finish. Its tag-end tannins guarantee a few years of aging potential.

There's plenty to admire here, starting with a firm mix of red berry, gravelly earth, black licorice, herb and cedar notes. Dries out a bit on the finish. Drink now through 2020.

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.

Bright red. Smoky cherry and red berries on the nose and in the mouth. Silky and light on its feet, offering modestly concentrated raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of licorice. Finishes on a peppery note, with good cut and a slightly dry edge.

Bright ruby-red.  Aromas and flavors of dried cherry and plum, with smoke and herb accents.  Plump and easygoing, with a touch of finishing heat and soft tannins.  A bit on the jammy side; this would be nice with a slight chill.

Bright red. Musky, earthy aromas of dried red fruits and plum. Juicy red currant and candied plum flavors show good depth but could use a bit more energy. A rich, fleshy style of pinot that finishes with good lift and lingering smokiness.

Ruby-red. Pungent red berry, cherry and floral qualities on the nose. Slightly clenched, with bitter cherry and dried berry flavors and chewy tannins that loosen a bit with air. On the serious side, with good finishing clarity and grip.

Medium red. Jammy raspberry and cherry aromas offer straightforward, uncomplicated appeal. Ripe, dark fruits on the palate, with soft tannins, lowish acidity and good cling. Soft, easygoing and relatively full, with fruit and texture reminiscent of grenache.