Light gold color. On the nose, I get apricots, lemon curd, honeycomb, toasted oak, whipped butter. Creamy texture but refreshing acidity makes for a rich wine but it stays fresh. Bruised apple and apricot mix with whipped honey, cinnamon, nougat and floral perfume. Quite delicious for this style and price range. 87 points.

Light yellow color. Aromas of yellow pear, peaches and apples, mixed with notes of yellow flowers, honeycomb, white tea, whipped butter. Creamy and bold texture on the palate with medium acidity, and juicy fruits (bruised pear, baked apple) cinnamon notes, toasted almond, with white and yellow flowers and whipped butter. Rich and stylistically forward but well made. Aged eight months in 1/3 new French oak. 87 points.

The 2015 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is scented of apricots, guava and pineapple with touches of cedar, lightly browned toast and almonds. It delivers a good core of stone fruit and tropical flavors in the mouth with a lively backbone and appealing savory finish.

Attractive from the start, with a mix of green apple, pear, citrus and light oak flavors. Offers a medium-weight profile on the long, clean finish.

The 2015 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast has lemon curd, grapefruit, and peaches and cream notes with a medium body, lovely purity and plenty of freshness. A lively, modern and uncomplicated style, it is perfect for everyday drinking!

The lemon and blood orange flavors are smooth, supple and charming, ending with a kiss of butterscotch.

Shows a pithy citrus side to the green apple and tangerine notes. Clean and refreshing.

Inclining to ripeness without abandoning fruit and finding a note of creamy sweetness to its dominant theme of juicy red apples, this slightly fat and full-bodied Chardonnay, while in no imminent danger of drying out anytime soon, is a flavorful, easy-to-taste offering whose ready richness and wide-open, soft-edged style make a strong case for drinking before the bloom of youth has faded and worn off.

This wine shows wet cement, lime rinds, light honeysuckle and fragrant minerality on the nose. The texture is solidly grippy and intriguing once sipped, with flavors of yellow grapefruit pith and Gala apples in the midpalate, sliding into a lime-rind tang on the finish.

A buttery, oaky Californian Chardonnay that has balancing acidity and some apple notes. Full-bodied and smooth. Pair with roasted chicken.

This is an expansive, fuller-style of Chardonnay from windswept Carneros. Juicy in apple and Meyer lemon, it’s softly textured, with a pronounced richness in aroma, evocative of earthy oak and petrol. Mouthfilling and creamy, it finishes with a taste of crème caramel.

La Crema's 2011 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is a pretty wine with good up-front fruit and an accessible, inviting personality. Lemon, butter, and pastry all meld together in a juicy, expressive Chardonnay that should drink beautifully for the next few years. This is a textbook example of Russian River Chardonnay. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2016.

The 2010 Chardonnay Monterey, from one of the lesser-known appellations in California, is a terrific value. It reveals gorgeous focus and length at this level, with persistent notes of lemon, spices and minerals that flow through to the finish. The wine was fermented in barrel, with full malolactic fermentation. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.

The 2010 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast is an attractive, plush wine with good varietal character and an equally friendly price point. Lemon, spices and mint are layered into the cream finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015.

My least favorite of this trio, the 2009 Chardonnay Russian River is good, but leaner, earthier and not as expressive as its siblings. Consume it over the next 2-3 years. La Crema is an excellent value winery owned by Jess Jackson with an impressive group of winemakers, including Melissa Stackhouse.

Hard, lean and minerally, with mouth-tingling acidity and flavors of stone, herbs and citrus fruits. The finish turns honeyed, with hints of peaches.

Reticent but nuanced nose combines apple, pear and fairly concentrated; not especially complex or concentrated but shows a bit more shape and grip than the 2000 Russian River Valley bottling.

The 2000 Chardonnay exhibits crisp underlying acidity along with notes of honeyed citrus, medium body, subtle wood, and a clean, zesty, tangy finish.

This pale-colored but relatively full-bodied wine has plenty of ripe pear, apple and peach flavors and a soothing mouthfeel. It's a blend of mostly Pinot Noir with smaller amounts of Syrah and Grenache.

Sleek and pretty, with delicate strawberry and spice flavors. Pinot Noir, Syrah and Grenache.

Bright as can be with overtones of cherries and a freshening element of watermelon evident throughout, this spry, squeaky clean, slightly juicy Rosé is so nicely balanced that its trim of sweetness is subordinate to lively fruit. It makes no claims to complexity but is an inviting, immensely likeable offering that will drink equally well with or without food, and it is well worth seeking out, especially when discounted as it often is. 1 star, good value.

KJ has joined the rosé rush predictably, watching from the sidelines to make sure it was real, before being slotted into the friendly Vintner’s Reserve selection. It’s not anywhere near as sweet as you might expect which is as heartening as it is light with fresh cut watermelon, apricots and white flowers. KJ has an almost unlimited amount of coastal fruit to choose from in Santa Barbara, Monterey, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The inaugural pink is mostly pinot noir with some syrah and grenache. It’s all stainless steel fermented to retain maximum freshness. Drink now. 87 points.

Perfect for summer quaffing, this inexpensive Pinot Gris from K-J offers notes of melon, citrus and pear, good balance and a clean, medium-length finish. Very nice for the price.

Apples and pears in the aroma lead to easygoing fruit flavors and a soft broad texture in this medium-bodied fruit-forward wine. Hints of butter and vanilla sneak in on the finish.

Try this as an interesting alternative to Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. Dry and crisp in acidity, the wine shows elevated flavors of citrus fruits, peaches, pears and flowers. Really cleanses the mouth with briskness.