A Spotlight on Santa Barbara Reminding me of the 2007, the sensational 2012 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills has terrific purity in its kirsch, black cherry, exotic spice and floral aromatics. Elegant, medium-bodied, supple and very silky on the palate, it’s one of the more forward wines in the lineup but has terrific balance.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara In a different style, the 2010 is a darker, richer wine that gives up more black fruits, ground herbs, licorice, wood smoke, and tapenade. Rich, textured, nicely concentrated with notable freshness, drink it anytime over the coming decade. It's still a baby.

2016 CHARDONNAY, MACHADO Offers solid acidity in the nose with bright lemon, toast and butter notes. The palate entry is a bright toasted lemon and pear with notes of butter. Hold for a year to reveal all of its charms.

2016 CHARDONNAY, 3D The nose is a deeply saturated white peach, lemon curd and mineral with notes of toasted grains, chalk and whiffs of mint. The palate is a toasted lemon, crisp acidity and lengthy core of caramel with an expansive mouth-coating white stone fruit.

Lemon spray with hints of flint, light smoke, chalk and toasted oak show on the nose of this single-vineyard bottling by Greg Brewer. It’s really tightly wound on the sip, with expressive grapefruit pith and squeezed citrus as well as a distinctive Brie-rind note. A light flash of roasted marshmallow pops on the finish.

A beautiful nose of clean, precise citrus flesh, chalk and mineral dryness. The palate entry is fleshy and rich, round with less acidity in the core. It finishes with beautifully textured white currant, pear and brioche.

There is a strong pithy character to the nose of this wine, with aromas of Meyer lemon peel, grapefruit rind, Brie cheese wash, yogurt and wet rock. The palate is really tightly wound and also full of that tight pith character, with ethereal and wispy flavors of clean smoke, chalk and ash. The acidity is soft but penetrating.

A fresh, floral nose of jasmine with notes of mint and clove. The palate has a lush entry of waxy citrus with spicy pear and brioche in the core.

A little history and some worthy new finds Found two beautiful Chardonnays made in the older style of the '80s. Brewer-Clifton Santa Rita Hills 2015 was given a glowing review by Jeb Dunnuck, "seriously rich, unctuous beauty that offers notes of buttered citrus rind, candied lemons, honeycomb and hints of minerality. Deep, rich and thrillingly textured, it's certainly the smart value play." Tough to find this quality at $27/bottle or $323.40/case, 94 McD and worth every bit of the effort to get some.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara The 2010 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is in a great spot. Orchard fruits, hints of tropical fruits, buttered citrus, matchstick and mushroom characteristics give way to a textured, layered, beautifully pure white that has tons to love. Given the evolution of the previous vintages, this can safely be enjoyed anytime over the coming decade or more.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara Also from a cooler year, the 2008 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills comes from a mix of Mount Carmel, Sweeny, Sea Smoke and Clos Pepe vineyards as well a few others. It offers a more Chablis-like character and boasts lots of lemon curd, crushed rock and buttered citrus aromas and flavors. Fresh, elegant, silky and beautiful on the palate, with great acidity, it's drinking at point today, yet has plenty of life.

The 2013 Proprietary Red from Bootleg is a major sleeper of not only the vintage, but in its entire concept. There are just over 8,000 cases of this wine, which has been culled from KJ vineyards on Atlas Peak, Oakville, Mt. Veeder, Rutherford and Spring Mountain. The wine is a blend of 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Petite Sirah, 21% Zinfandel, 12% Merlot, and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot. That’s like throwing in the entire kitchen sink, but the result is a stunningly delicious, complex, big-time, sexy style of wine with a deep, opaque purple color, a beautiful nose of blackberries and blueberries, with some lavender Provençal herbs, licorice and a touch of espresso. The wine has a fabulous texture, a plush, full-bodied mouthfeel, and beautiful purity and depth. It’s something that could only be made in California, given the blend, but it is off-the-charts in terms of its hedonistic appeal. At the same time, it is complex enough to satisfy the intellectual senses as well. Drink it over the next 5-6 years. A big-time winner.

Another gorgeous wine is Dick Arrowood’s 2005 Syrah Saralee’s Vineyard. He has always done an exemplary job with Syrah, long before it became so popular in California. He co-ferments it with 3% Viognier, and the result is a dark ruby/purple-colored wine with plenty of chocolatey blackberry fruit notes, medium to full body, super freshness, purity, and a sumptuous texture. This is stunning stuff to drink over the next 5-6 years.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard is a gorgeous, beautifully layered wine. Silky and incredibly polished for a mountain wine, the 2015 captures all of the pedigree of Monte Rosso. Bright red fruit, flowers, mint, chalk and white pepper all add nuance to this super-expressive, layered Cabernet Sauvignon from Arrowood. The interplay of aromatics, fruit and texture makes for a compelling wine.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Arrowood's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Crown is fabulous. Rich and explosive, the Knights Crown is almost shockingly sensual for a wine from Knights Valley. Racy and silky, the Knights Crown is more texturally finessed than most Knights Valley Cabernets, it is a wine of sheer sensuality and appeal.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Smothers Remick Ridge Vineyard sports a deep garnet-purple color and nose of black plums, black cherries and black currants with touches of sautéed herbs, menthol and black pepper with a waft of aniseed. Medium-bodied, the tannins here are remarkably ripe and finely grained, with great freshness defining the black fruit and savory layers, finishing with an herbal lift.

One taste is all it takes to fall in love with this Cabernet. Made from Sonoma Valley and Knights Valley fruit, it’s wonderfully sweet and deep in blackberry and cherry-jam flavors, with near-perfect tannins and a judicious touch of oak. Great for drinking now and over the next six years.

A great success for this bottling. With extraordinarily high residual sugar, the wine is very sweet in wild honey, infused with the essence of oranges and apricots, folded into rich, buttery custard, and sprinkled with vanilla sugar and cinnamon. It's all balanced with a squirt of lime acid. If that sounds good, it is. Only 95 cases were produced, but finding this wine is worth a search.

Selected from the finest lots, the brilliant 2007 Chardonnay Reserve Speciale is a superb offering. It displays deep, rich honeysuckle notes intermixed with notions of nectarines, orange blossoms, butterscotch, vanilla, white peaches, baked apples, and pears. This complex Chardonnay should drink well for 4-5 years. This is another impressive group of wines from one of the most consistent winemakers and long-time veterans of the California wine scene, Dick Arrowood. He has always had the Midas touch with white varietals, yet he also continues to impress me with what he can do with red varietals.

It's hard not to be smitten with the 2013 Il Fauno di Arcanum. This blend of 55% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot is a rich and lasting Tuscan red that offers ample power and concentration. There are points of greenness here with crushed peppercorn and wild sage, backed by dark fruit aromas of plum and blackberry. Yet the Merlot component does much to smooth out and enrich the mouthfeel.

Very intense nose of blackberries, dark chocolate, sandalwood, vanilla, treacle and tar. Full-bodied with plenty of dark fruit, but lots of black-olive undertones and bright acidity keep this fresh, while firm tannins carve out an elegant, polished shape.

The 2012 Valadorna is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Castelnuovo Berardenga comune. This is a dark and impenetrable wine with thick concentration and ripe fruit flavors. The two Cabernet grapes come out on top, and the wine delivers a heavy load of ripe fruit, garden herb and rosemary. This a ripe, bold and super opulent red wine from Tuscany that could pair with savory roasted lamb with mint sauce.

A wine with ultra-fine tannins and bright fruit such as blackberry and blueberry. Minerally too. Full to medium body, silky texture and a flavorful finish. So beautiful to drink now. A blend of 60% merlot, 25% cabernet sauvignon and the rest cabernet franc.

Lush berry nose; smooth and rich with juicy berry fruit and also showing notes of vanilla oak and spice; balanced and ripe, long and elegant.

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese and Petit Verdot, the 2008 Il Fauno di Arcanum opens with an inky dark color and perfectly ripe aromas of plump cherry and blackberry. Beyond the enticing fruit aromas is a long list of spice and tobacco-related characteristics. This is a thickly layered and opulent Tuscan blend that is enhanced by territory-driven aromas of grilled herb and rosemary oil. The best part for me, however, is the soft richness this wine delivers in the mouth. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027.