Concentrated and powerful, this is anything but your average California chardonnay. In fact, it's a bit unorthordox, Burgundian in the sense of its orientation toward terroir expression rather than fruitness or oak. Yes the wood shows in scents of walnuts and exotic spice. And the fruit turns up the power with flavors of mandarin orange, accents of primose and other floral notes. Yet the core of the wine seems to come from a melding of these elements, from a combination that plays as distinctly Santa Maria. There's a fine line of acidity to keep all the fruit toned and lifted, a balance that would carry its flavors with buttery escargot or grilled salmon.

Filled with the simple flavors of sun-drenched green grapes, this is a straight-on white, its pointed acidity keeping the flavors along a clean line. Easy as an aperitif or with light fish.

Sharply focused, rich and complex, this is an impressive Chardonnay, with pretty pear, fig, melon and apricot flavors. Turns spicy, with anise and cedar, and finishes with a long and lively aftertaste. Drink now through 2005. 12,298 cases made.

A consistently outstanding Chardonnay, this complex pear-and fig-flavored white earns its fifth Spectator Selection honor since the inaugural 1990 vintage.

Maintains a sense of elegance and finesse, even with its rich, creamy core of earth, pear, fig, citrus, hazelnut and nectarine flavors. Long and complex on the finish.

Offers a floral bouquet, with rich, spicy apple, pear, fig and melon flavors, turning elegant and refined, finishing with touches of hazelnut and toasty oak.

Rich, with creamy fig, vanilla, pear, hazelnut and spice notes that are long and tasty. A delicious mouthful of Chardonnay. Drink now through 2005.

Wonderful purity of fruit. Ripe, rich and creamy, with layers of fig, citrus, tart pineapple, tangerine and melon, finishing with an elegant touch of toasty oak. Drink now through 2004. 85,000 cases made.

Fragrant, with floral and fruity aromas. Rich, with citrus, fig, melon and spice nuances, finishing with a crisp, clean aftertaste. Drink now through 2005.

Elegant and polished, with understated apple, melon and light hazelnut flavors that build to depth and complexity.

Intense, with cherry, currant, herbal and raspberry flavors underscored by toasty oak and lively structure. Drink now through 2004.

Ripe and juicy, with layers of peach, pear, citrus, butter and light coconut-toasty oak flavors.

It was simple...easy to drink and pleasant. We thought that a bottle of this wine, put in a big tub of ice by the pool, would be lovely on a hot day and we wrote: 'Everyone would like this.' We were certainly right about that: It was Kendall-Jackson 1999...

High in bracing acidity, with flavors of green grapes and stone.

An intensely fragrant floral, ginger, peach, lemon-lime and orange-spice bouquet ushers in this smooth, well-structured wine. The palate shows intricately meshed orange, butterscotch and toasted nut flavors, offset by angular, racy mineral accent. Finishes long and crisp, wirh real refinement in it's pineapple, citrus and stony flavors. Enjoyable now but still tight, this should offer even more in two years.

winning combination of pear, apple ripe melon and butterscocth flavors, spiked with spicy clove and tart citrus accents. Lavishly oaked for a midweight wine, there's sufficient depth of fruit here to spport the wood, and the elements mesh and hold nicely/ An easy, lush mouthfeel means, it's best enjoyed over the next year or so - if you can keep it around that long.

Another elegant wine from Cambria. This one has a vanilla, smoke and grapefruit nose. Medium weight, it is crisp in the mouth, though somewhat leaner than the Bench Break. This cuvée nicely melds green apple fruit with menthol and vanilla accents. The bouquet is a reprise of the long, sweet-tart, butterscotch and tangy oak finish.

A winning nose offers aromas of créme brulée, smoked bacon, pears, peaches and toasty vanilla that just keep coming on in this stylish, full wine. The palate shows similar flavors. The big mouthfeel continues on the long, slightly sweet finish with its toasty, smoky oak. Strong already, but it should be even better in six months. From the maker of the fine afforable and widely available Katerine's Vineyard Chardonnay, top value.

Bright pear, peach, pineapple, ginger snap and floral notes grace a fresh, fragrant nose. The palate's exotic tropical fruit, ginger and lychee nut flavors mingle beautifully in a medium-full, though perhaps slightly sweet, package. Elegant and appealingly fresh.

Lots of spice along with a veritable fruit cocktail of complex flavors open this understated performer. From green apple and bosc pears to melon and mint, it has an elegant integration of fruit and spicy, vanillin oak. Tangy acidity keeps it lively, and the wine finishes crisp and dry. Still tight, this could use a year to knit itself together.

Top Values From the Top Shelf, 16 Super Chardonnays at $30.00

This appealing Chardonnay is the same wine that carried a reserve designation in prior vintages. It's lushly woven and has aromas and flavors of pear, pineapple and peach. The fruit is rich but not overly sweet, and sports accents of cinnamon and allspice. This balanced, medium-weight wine finishes long and easy with nice nuttiness.

This seductive, creamy Chard wraps smoky, spicy, vanilla-laden oak flavors around the core of lush tropical fruit. There's lively acidity and a lot to like here. The finish shows a slight edge that may smooth out in another three or four months.

Taste this wine and you'll agree: It's big. even fat. A fragrant, buttery apple-floral bouquet opens into a banana, orange ad hay palate. The mouth-feel is creamy, round and lively -- it's full-flavored without being too weighty. Pear and butterscotch linger on the finish.

Four different clones are separately fermented and then blended to make this uniquebottling. An expansive nose shows vibrant pineapple, peach, and orange fruit with lemondrop and butterscotch accents. It's rich and mouthfilling, like a bite of banana cream pie, and turns maybe a it orangy-sweet. Shy on subtlely, it packs in a lot of juicy flavor.