This is a delightful quaffable sauvignon blanc with ripe citrus and pear fruit and a soft round mouthfeel. A nice counter point to the New Zealand herbal/grapefruit style.

A little semillon goes a long way in this delicious quaff. Bright acidity but a mid-palate roundness that reminds us of melon and apples. Nice citrus aromas too.

Wines of the Week Freemark Abbey winery dates back to the pre-prohibition days of the late 19th century when the historic stone winery was constructed by Antonio Forni and named Lombarda Cellars after his birthplace in Italy. Today, the winery follows traditions going back to 1967 when modern-era Napa winemaking favored Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. This rich and toasty Chardonnay features pear and baked apple with oak spice and vanilla.

The sybaritic style of Freemark Abbey A portfolio tasting with Ted a few weeks ago was enlightening. I was never more impressed by the quality and style of the Freemark Abbey wines — and I have a relationship with that winery dating to 1971. In particular, what was striking was that Ted, who joined the winery in 1980, completely understood the house style that had been set in motion a decade earlier by the great wine maker Jerry Luper. It is exemplified by the 2015 chardonnay, a most impressive zero-malolactic, delicate-oak style, with a lemon peel aroma and superb acidity.

The Freemark Abbey winery was originally founded in St. Helena, in the Napa Valley in 1876 by Josephine Tychson, one of the first women winegrowers on record. A revival of the winery after prohibition saw the current name created by partners Charles Freeman, Markquand Foster and Abbey Ahern – a combination of their names. Now known for their stylish Cabernets and Chardonnays, the 2014 Chardonnay presents a classic Napa Valley profile of lemon and stone fruits with spicy oak and toasty vanilla on the finish.

What tension between alcohol, oak and fruit. It's a full-bodied Chardonnay; alcohol is 14.5 percent. The fruit and acidity are juicy - flavors of apple, pear, toast, spice, lemon meringue. It has beautiful integration of oak, fruit, acidity, and is sweet and juicy on the midpalate. A portion is fermented in barrels, the remainder stainless steel. Freemark looks for fresh fruit flavor in their Chardonnay and never puts it through malolactic fermentation.

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of ripe peaches, mangos and spice, full-bodied and lush, long finish.

Holiday Hits Expresses fruit aromas of pineapple, banana, guava, apricot, peach and tropical fruit cocktail. Adding to the complexity, the oak aging is fairly integrated adding spice like nutmeg, a light toast and the nuance of angel food cake. This wine has great viscosity, depth and an intriguing long finish. The flavors are lively on the palate with pear, citrus, lemon-lime, green apple and fleshy peach.

A creamy chardonnay with notes of pear, apple and spice. Its crisp acidity makes it light on its feet. Balanced. Nice length.

We like the apple, pear and clove flavors in this medium-body chardonnay with assertive aromas and velvet mouthfeel.

Inhale intense green apple, ripe pear, apricot, nectarine and melon. On the palate, it shows lovely integration of oak without being overpowering. It has texture and finesse without being heavy. Thinking of my circle of lunch chicks who adore classy Chardonnays, this is their style. It’s sourced from four vineyards that stretch from Carneros to Rutherford to the Coombsville AVA north and east of the town of Napa.

The 2011 Napa Valley Chardonnay offers notes of tropical fruits, apple and pear with flavors that echo the nose and add coconut, smoky oak and nuts.

Citrus and green apple are the predominant notes in this refreshing wine made from grapes grown on Napa's famed Rutherford Bench, but oak plays a well-integrated role. No complaints about the excellent cost-quality ratio, either. Interesting interplay of flavors … long, pleasing finish.

Crisp and lively, with a hint of oak aroma and lemon, lime and mineral flavors.

This moderately priced chardonnay is well worth a try. Lemon and lime notes pair with apple flavors to make an interesting, balanced chardonnay.

Good balance with a touch of oak. Bold, strong flavors. Grows on you.

This blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec is medium-bodied and simple but ripe in dark fruit with notes of blueberry, blackberry and vanilla.

Wines of the Week Fortress Winery is proud of its Sonoma heritage. Its terrain climbs up toward the ridges of the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. Knight’s Valley AVA borders the Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill and Calistoga regions. This rich and dark wine shows black fruits, earthy mineral and spice with highlights of blackberry and pomegranate. A lingering finish of firm tannins, vanilla and toasty oak complements meats from the grill or roasts from the oven.

Intense aromas, vibrant flavors, firm acidity and nice integration of oak all make for a wine that lures you back for a second taste. Swirl and inhale the perfume of blackberry, cherry, plum, brown baking spices and vanilla. In the mouth, tannins are soft and round. It’s a blend of 83 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot.

Big Bold Reds Delivers aromas of dark fruit, mocha and baking spices on the nose. The palate exhibits well-integrated tannins that complement the subtle earthy flavors of pomegranate, blackberry and sweet pipe tobacco. With a rich, opulent mouthfeel, Fortress is an approachable wine with a silky, lush finish.

You get a lot of wine for your money in this easy-drinking blend. Added to the cab for dimension are petit verdot, cabernet franc, syrah and merlot.

25 good California wines that you can get for $25 or less From a well-respected Sonoma winery, this cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend lets the fruit shine through. It features 7 percent syrah and smaller proportions of petit verdot, malbec, cabernet franc and other grapes. A beautifully balanced wine, it’s restrained in style, giving up hints of crisp red fruit, orange and cranberry, followed by dusty tannins, big oak and chocolate.