Take your pick from aromas and flavors like lemongrass, lemon curd and lemon verbena. Then there’s the additional white tea, toasted filberts and cinnamon toast flavors. This is a creamy-dreamy textured Chardonnay, with restrained acidity and medium body.

Toasted spices and herbs give depth to the plush black-cherry aromas on the nose of this county-wide cuvée. Roasted cherry, mace and star anise flavors align on the engaging palate

Aromas of lemon pith, pear skin, white almond and yogurt. Medium- to full-bodied with vivid acidity and a polished texture. Some chalkiness to it. Pleasant and satisfying, with a flavorful finish. Drink now.

Soft and creamy with medium depth and great acidity

Made with grapes sourced throughout nine Sonoma County sub-AVAs and partially fermented in stainless steel along with some neutral French oak, this compelling white blended with 2.5% Sémillon begins with a spark of energy. Lean and clean grapefruit bitters hold court with honeydew, dill, Asian pear, and white flowers.

This is a bigger, riper Pinot Noir, a blend of barrels and parcels from the Willakenzie Estate. This wine is marked by dark fruit, plenty of structure, and oak influence—ample oak spice with clove and cherry cola aromas. The palate offers fleshy dark plum, Christmas spice and substantial structure—a riper example from the 2019 vintage.

Lovely, ripe, sweet blackcurrant and cherry fruit with some spicy oak in the mix. Nice balance here between the sweet fruit and the tannins, with the oak blending in well. Ripe but balanced, finishing slightly sweet. A real crowd-pleaser: very stylish.

Forward and spicy, this has a horehound scent and shy red berry flavors. It’s mouth filling, with a dark weight and a firm finish. For a smoked pork chop.

Lower alcohol, high tones and even higher intensity define this cool climate ante upped pinot noir for Monterey for La Crema. Richness and creaminess are far less than that of Sonoma and the vintage is clearly not one to warm, nurture and cream this tart fruit. That’s perfectly fine because the honesty and transparency are noted, not to mention the abiding winemaking that takes what’s available and interprets the truth. Pretty much just about as Burgundian as it gets for California, in old world and days of yore style. Drink 2023-2026. Tasted February 2023.

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.

La Crema does a remarkable job of expressing the character of the various sub-AVAs where it makes pinot noir, which is no mean feat given its substantial output. The 2021 Monterey Pinot Noir is a snappy edition with bright red florals and cool, red plum leading the way. It spends eight months in French oak barrels (21 percent new). It was a long, cool growing season with some heat spikes that bumper the alcohol weight and texture of the wine, adding to its drinkability. We enjoyed this with a sweet soya poke, but salmon steaks would be fine too.

This renowned Yarra Valley producer’s multi-vineyard Chardy neatly demonstrates the paradox between the variety’s power and freshness Down Under. Fleshy peach, citrus and ginger are underpinned by toasty, mineral, lactic nuances. The palate walks a similar tightrope between richness and vibrancy, with length and structure amidst heaps of tangy fruit and subtle oak. Sovereign Wine Imports.

A nose of baking spices offers cinnamon and vanilla guiding the senses to a fruit focused palate. Cranberry, cherry and red plum are accented by barrel-driven spices, adding pleasant sweet flavors. Moderate acidity provides balance while a light note of herbs freshens the finish. Sovereign Wine Imports.

Dark fruited aromas, dried herbs, a touch of mint and dark spices. Full flavoured, plenty of plum, mulberry, spice and textured, savoury tannins. Long, mouth-filling and generously flavoured

Deep, dark red-purple colour, with a sweet blackberry jam aroma, the fruit sweetness and jammy flavours re-appearing on the palate where it has medium intensity and medium length. Lots of up-front charm here and an impression of sweetness.

The entry-level Tenuta di Arceno 2020 Chianti Classico reveals ripe cherry, rosemary, potting soil and blue iris. This is a lively expression with medium fruit weight and easy-drinking appeal. It plays its cards well in terms of freshness and accessibility. Within the greater Arceno portfolio, this wine hits that sweet spot between being approachable and pleasurable. This is an ambitious production of 147,500 bottles.

Easy-to-like aromas of strawberry and wet stone converge on the nose of this bottling. The palate combines subtle flavors of watermelon, cotton candy and bubblegum, with ample acidity and a chalky texture.

Perfumed with sweet red and blue fruit, the 2020 Chianti Classico is Sangiovese with the addition of 15% Merlot. Forward with primary fruit, pressed flowers, and wet stone, it Is round and supple on the palate, with a silky-smooth texture, notes of black cherry and mocha, and crunchy red plum on the finish. This versatile and clean style of red can be shared across the table with a variety of dishes. Drink 2023-2028

Fresh and balanced, this medium-bodied white has a toasty overtone to a pretty mix of nectarine and apricot fruit. Reveals hints of heather, ground ginger and salted butter on the finish. Drink now. 550 cases made, 400 cases imported.

The warmth and richness of this Pinot Noir are apparent in the glass, but it’s not over-the-top. The mix of clonal material — 50 per cent Clone 4, 16 per cent Clone 667, 15 per cent Clone 23, 15 per cent Clone 2A and four percent Clone 115 — brings much complexity to the wine. The mix of red and dark fruit, namely dried cranberries and black cherry, is filled with plenty of savoury notes and brown spice in the finish. It’s always charming and silky smooth, and we like to chill the bottle before serving this wine to add a final touch of liveliness to the glass. Drink or hold through 2028.

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.

Sweet dark cherry, plum, spice, licorice, mocha and lavender all come together in the 2019 Pinot Noir Ewald Vineyard. Supple and forward, with no hard edges, the Ewald is an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so

The 2020 Chardonnay Four Hearts is a blend taken from several old vine sites in the Russian River Valley. It offers terrific depth for the year married to vibrant energy. Spice, mint, candied ginger, crushed rocks and citrus confit build nicely in this nervy yet mid-weight Chardonnay.

The 2019 Pinot Noir (Zena Crown Vineyard) Warrior Princess Block, from a site in EolaAmity Hills, is an attractive wine done in a lither, gracious style that offers plenty of near and medium-term appeal. Crushed flowers, spice, blood orange and sweet red berry fruit all grace this understated, classy Pinot.