There's the slightest fizz in the glass on this bottling that offers aromas of white melon, banana, gardenia and tropical flowers on the nose. There's a steely minerality to the sip, where Pink Lady apple slice and honeysuckle flavors align.

This medium-bodied wine offers inviting aromas of lemon thyme. Flavors suggest shallots, lemons and cured ham, with an appetizing, crisp texture.

A robust red that retains a sense of grace and structure, this offers expressive raspberry and tart blueberry flavors that mingle with rose petal, dusky spice and stony minerals as it builds richness toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2029. 312 cases made.

This has a wonderful sense of restraint, with powerful Meyer lemon, yuzu and tangerine flavors mingling with peppery white flower notes and an appealing thread of sea salt crunchiness. Energetic, showing plenty of verve on the finish. Drink now. 9,000 cases made.

Displays a nice savory base, with cinnamon bark and herb notes up front, joined by rich flavors of cherry and Santa Rosa plum around fine, minerally tannins. Drink now. 175 cases made, 175 cases imported.

Opens with apple blossom and mineral notes, which are underscored by a crème fraîche cast to the melon and Asian pear core. The finish is driven by vibrant mineral acidity. Drink now. 200 cases made, 200 cases imported.

I last opened a bottle of this two years ago and I have to admit that those tasting notes are still pretty spot on. Like I said in the previous note (“golden in the glass, but no signs of oxidation on the nose, just tons of honeyed, even candied lemon curd, laden with heavy doses of vanilla and oak. Yeah, this is a big’un, certainly in the style of those late 90s California Chards“), on the continuum of fruity and fresh to oaky and buttery, this definitely trends toward the latter, way towards the latter. That does not scare me in the slightest (although I prefer my Chardonnay with a defter hand), but this is not a Chard for the Anything But Chardonnay crowd. At. All. Excellent.

I had the chance to sit down with winemaker Kristy Melton to talk about her philosophy of making wine last May. Her wines are beautiful and this one was delicious, nuanced, and elegant. I tasted notes of dark berry, dark chocolate, cherry cordial, herbs, oak, cedar, and spice.

A quintessential Napa Chardonnay has lots of depth and layers. I got notes of baked apple, tropical fruits, candied citrus, Asian spices, and stone fruit with a touch of vanilla.

Cola, bright, juicy, fine tannins.

Juicy, long, intense, fine tannins, fresh

A perfumed nose of wild berries, dark cherries, plums, undergrowth, graphite and some dark chocolate. Full-bodied with fine tannins. The palate is creamy with texture and balance. Flavorful finish with excellent length. Best after 2025.

The grapes come from blocks grown at 400-1800 feet above sea level. The prevalent oak tones mellowed after a day, letting the pretty lemon tones and white orchard fruits shine. Anise notes, creamy and lactic, a pleasant and not overdone interpretation of Sonoma Chard.

Full and waxy, a little Chenin-like. Tropical fruits hit the palate first then lemon compote layered with some buttery tones. Rich mouthfeel, similar to wines coming produced from fossil-rich, limestone parcels. At 14.5%, the alcohol is a little evident, but mitigated with a pasta and mushroom cream sauce dish.

Now to the wine, a lovely combination of ocean-cooled crispness, elegant, sunny fruit, creamy texture, old-vine complexity and flavours of lemon zest, crunchy ripe apple, cashew nut and sourdough toast.

Slick with layers of sweet cream and melted butter, this rich, opulent wine characterises that classic California sumptuousness but with a freshness of pear and quince flavours. While unabashedly soft and hedonistic, it's an elegant, smartly sculpted wine with a cooling, salty finish.

This profoundly ripe, densely concentrated Chardonnay is a bolder expression of the Santa Rita Hills AVA. Weighty and voluminous but still squarely anchored in acidity, this powerful wine pulsates with ripe Asian pear and yellow cherry flavours speckled with hints of dill, candied ginger and toasted brioche.

I can't think of a better term than "exquisite" to describe the 2019 La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay! It romances your palate with the abundant flavors of apple, pear, lemon zest, and a crisp finish with a mineral note, and a hint of mellow oak.

Katherine’s Vineyard is located at coastal Santa Maria and is typically fog-covered and cool most mornings, providing a surface asset to match the underground fossilized seashells, shale, limestone and sand soils. The winery describes Katherine’s Chardonnay as an “ocean-influenced, single vineyard expression of refrigerated sunshine.” The wine is rich in flavour yet fresh with intense citrus, ripe red apple, tangerine and honey, supported by a cool underside of acidity and minerality. Food-friendly halibut dishes make a great match for this generous Chardonnay.

Even better, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard is jaw-dropping stuff and does everything right. More structured and tannic compared to the Bosche, it has loads of red and black fruits as well as sandalwood, camphor, bay leaf, and bouquet garni-like aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, deep, layered, and concentrated, yet still with this wonderful sense of elegance, it needs 3-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 20-25 years as well.

From a valley floor site and a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche offers a great bouquet of both red and black fruits as well as notes of herbes de Provence, loamy earth, and spicy oak. Brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, and beautiful overall balance. A brilliant 2019, it will evolve for 20+ years.

First made in 2015, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is a tiny production release (roughly 500 cases) that sports a deep purple hue as well as a gorgeous nose of blackberries, currants, tobacco, camphor, and sandalwood, with some classic Cabernet herbal notes emerging with time in the glass. This full-bodied, elegant, yet concentrated 2019 is perfect for drinking over the coming 15 years.

Coming from both Coombsville and Carneros, the 2020 Chardonnay spent 10 months in 36% new French oak. It’s a classy, outstanding effort offering lots of apple blossom, white flowers, and orange zest nuances in a medium-bodied, bright, juicy style. It’s perfect for enjoying over the coming couple of years.

There are roughly 2,000 cases of the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, which comes from the Red Barn, Bosche, and Sycamore Vineyards. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 8% Petit Verdot, this black-fruited, medium to full-bodied, nicely balanced 2019 has plenty of up-front fruit, velvety tannins, and a great finish.

Falling at the lighter end of the red wine spectrum, pinot noir is like a little black dress: ideal for any season. This one is particularly perfect for spring since “there is no excess to this wine,” according to [Luke] Wilmoth. “Everything is exactly as it should be; it has grace, elegance and classic beauty. Close your eyes and envision Audrey Hepburn at the Oscars. This wine is timeless just like that.” The freshness and vibrancy hits you with the first sip, Wilmoth adds, along with flavors of pomegranate and ripe bing cherry. Near the finish, you’ll discover a hint of “briny savoriness that helps the wine's versatility with most any food pairing,” Wilmoth says.