The 2010 Chardonnay Highland Estates Seco Highlands is an intensely aromatic, tropical Chardonnay. It boasts gorgeous textural richness to match the wine's exotic flavor profile. This is an unusual wine, but it works. I would have guessed there might be some Viognier or other aromatic variety in the blend, but according to winemaker Mark Theis, it is the Rued clone that gives the wine its bouquet. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Monterey is big, juicy and bursting with dark fruit. The wine shows excellent up-front intensity, but then loses some of its persistence on the mid-palate and finish. This tasty entry-level Pinot is best enjoyed over the next few years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

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.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Vintner's Reserve is an attractive, juicy red. Sweet roses, flowers, spices and berries linger on the finish. This mid-weight, feminine wine is about as good a Pinot as readers will find for the money. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.

The 2009 Syrah Vintner's Reserve bursts from the glass with dark cherries, licorice, game and spices. This plump, juicy red has plenty of varietal character and an engaging personality suited to drinking over the next 1-2 years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.

The 2009 Merlot Vintner's Reserve shows excellent plumpness and juiciness along with an open, approachable personality. Ripe red berries, flowers, licorice and spices are some of the notes that flow from this flavorful Merlot. Subtle floral and earthy notes add complexity on the finish. This is another strong performance in the Vintner's Reserve series. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.

The 2010 Chardonnay Vintner's Reserve wraps around the palate with layers of expressive fruit. Butterscotch, spices, flowers and hazelnuts add complexity. This is another fabulous value. The entire 2,000,000 case production is made from estate-owned vineyards, which is simply mind-boggling to contemplate. Frequent lees-stirring and aging in French oak barrels impart a level of textural richness that is uncommon for a wine in this price range. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.

The 2010 White Wine Blend Vintner's Reserve Summation is a blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Roussanne. The aromatic varieties provide the bouquet while the Chardonnay gives mid-palate presence to the fruit. This is a pretty, harmonious wine in its price range. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.

The 2010 Chardonnay Avant is a plump, juicy offering with lovely up-front richness and a fresh, vibrant personality meant to be enjoyed over the next 1-2 years. It is a delicious wine for the money. The Avant is made in a fresher, more vibrant style than the Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014.

I was partial to the 2010 Russian River Pinot Noir with its clean red and dark berry flavors and nuanced spice, earth and mineral qualities. Lots of aromas of dark berry fruit with scents of cola nut and a subtle smokiness. Bold, bright flavors of raspberry, blackberry laced with minerals, cinnamon, clove and a dusty earth quality.

All 115, for its dark purple-garnet hue, dark berry and blueberry aromas and flavors, stiff tannin and snap-to acidity and black pepper finish; have with eggplant lasagna or similar dish.

A tasty chardonnay with complex flavors. Notes of pear, melon, toast, herbs and spice. Creamy texture. Lovely.

A perennial favourite with Vintages customer's, K-J's Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon seems to get better with every vintage. This Cabernet is round, ripe and fruit-driven (look for plump cherry, cassis and cocoa aromas and flavours), and is an excellent choice for when you need something you can rely on at the last minute. So stock up!

I love chardonnays and pinots from this winery year after year. This classic chardonnay has lovely aromas of green apple vibrant wrapped in toasty oak.

This yellow colored Roussanne opens with a honeyed pear bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, round and slightly sweet. The flavor profile is an apricot and ripe pear with notes of gentle oak. The finish is semi-dry and its flavors are nicely prolonged. This wine would pair well with five fruit chicken.

Cedar, vanilla and spice aromas. Full-bodied cassis, pepper, herb and spicy black cherry notes on the palate with grainy, tight tannins on the finish. Well made.

Two new (one star) standouts earn an enthusiastic thumbs-up vote for value as well, and both the zesty, unoaked Carmel Road Liberated Monterey 2010...

Enriched with a big dose of sweet oak and leaning to ripeness as its principal theme, this wine shows a bit of tactile fat on the palate and a bit of heat later on...

Black fruit, custard, spice, mocha and cinnamon aromas. Upfront style with sweet black fruit, bright acidity and grippy tannins. Has a spice, herb and pepper finish.

Another lovely Julia's Pinot from Cambria, at a fair price. With its light tannins and transparency, it's definitely Pinot Noir, and the acidity testifies to a cool climate. You might even pick out the Santa Maria Valley from the crushed Indian spices. Subtle but intriguing cherry, cola and plum flavors round out the picture.

They packed a lot of flavor into this rich Chardonnay for the price. It's toasty buttery and popcorny from winemaker treatment, with ripe fruit notes of pineapple and exotic tropical fruits. A brisk streak of minerals and acidity provides clean balance.

Its ferocious tannins still need some resolution, and the wine is definitely what the French call a “vin de garde,” needing probably 8-10 years of cellaring. It is certainly concentrated, dense purple in color, with notes of iron, crushed rocks, black currants, kirsch and toasty oak. This is a chancy wine given the history that tannins always outlast the fruit, but there is a lot here and I wouldn’t want to dismiss it, considering all the good stuff it appears to possess.

Nicely ripened and abundantly fruity and never in any danger of succumbing to candied cuteness, this exceptional effort is a complete package that rises to the upper levels of its class on the strength of its focus, its balance and its all-around tastiness. Hopefully, it will encourage others in the area to have a go with variety.

The 2010 Chardonnay Grand Reserve emerges from the glass with lemon, minerals, white flowers and subtle French oak. The Grand Reserve impresses for its length and textural elegance, both of which are remarkable for a wine made on this scale. Estate owned vineyards in Santa Barbara and Monterey are the sources for the fruit. The Grand Reserve is aged in 100% French oak barrels, with 100% malolactic fermentation. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.