A bone-dry Chardonnay for drinking now. This shows great structure, with a keen cut of acidity that brightens the mineral-driven orange and pineapple flavors.

Bright yellow. Fresh, highly perfumed aromas of citrus fruits, pear and fig, with suave floral and lees nuances adding complexity. Juicy and expansive, offering bright orange and Meyer lemon flavors given depth by suggestions of honey and buttered toast. Finishes spicy and long, with lingering honeysuckle and citrus zest qualities.

More tropical aromas of pineapples, orange marmalade and honeysuckle jump from the glass of the 2009 Chardonnay Monterey. Fifty percent of this cuvee was put through malolactic fermentation and it came in under 14% alcohol, not unusual in a cool year such as 2009. It exhibits abundant fruit, medium body, good depth and a seductive style. Enjoy it over the next several years. La Crema is an excellent value winery owned by Jess Jackson with an impressive group of winemakers, including Melissa Stackhouse.

Bright yellow. Subdued but pure, fruit-driven aromas of fresh pineapple, nectarine, peach and candied ginger. Then smooth and velvety in the mouth, with a firm mineral spine supporting the vibrant pit fruit and spice flavors. Fleshy but precise chardonnay, finishing focused, dry and quite youthful.

Although this wine flirts here and there with hints of minerals and a touch of oaky richness, its primary focus is on juicy, well-ripened, appley varietal fruit. It is slightly oily and fairly full in feel upon entry, yet its neatly placed acids provides a nice sense of lift and brings a cleansing bit of crispness to its lengthy finish. Rich enough for service with salmon, but never so heavy as to be unwieldy with milder fish dishes, it is a wine of considerable versatility at the table.

The 2009 Chardonnay Los Carneros is a beautiful, complete wine. Layers of apricot, peach, mint and French oak are woven together in this impeccable, gracious wine. Everything is in the right place. The fruit builds nicely towards the soft, enveloping finish. This is another striking wine from La Crema. The Carneros bottling is fermented in barrel, with lees stirring once a month and full malolactic fermentation. It is the most complete and well-balanced of the mid-level 2009 Chardonnays. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016.

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.

Everything about this wine is substantial, including the hefty bottle, the full, voluptuous body, and the generous mouth-filling flavors. It seduces one's taste buds with a wallop of lemon and orange zest plus robust toasty, buttery elements. A clean, lingering finish keeps everything in balance.

A beautiful Chardonnay, with a chalky minerality that anchors and braces ripe fruit flavors of Bosc pears and pineapples, subtlely accented with a new smoky oak. Bone dry, this polished wine shows lots of finesse and complexity.

There are 6,200 cases of the 2007 Chardonnay Russian River. It exhibits plenty of tropical fruit and honeysuckle along with a touch of spice, full-bodied, rich flavors, and a subtle note of oak. This wine was 100% barrel-fermented and was put through 100% malolactic fermentation, but the oak is kept in the background.

Another outstanding effort, the 2007 Pinot Noir Russian River offers up scents of rhubarb, wild strawberries, black cherries, and a hint of spice box as well as a plush, succulent texture, silky tannins, and a long finish. As the wine sits in the glass, sassafras/cola notes also emerge. Drink it over the next 3-4 years.

This wine has a pan grille scent from oak aging, and a silky butter-and-sugar corn freshness. It's supple and round, focused mainly on textured pleasure. A smoky chardonnay for grilled lobster.

The 2007 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast offers up aromas of orange blossoms, lemon oil, and honeysuckle. Medium-bodied with crisp, fresh fruit, a subtle touch of oak (9% is barrel-fermented), a long, pure finish, and fashioned by winemaker Melissa Stackhouse, this impeccably made Chardonnay should provide enjoyment over the next 2-3 years.

The 2006 Chardonnay Russian River is a beauty. Tropical fruit notes of pineapple and a hint of white peach in a restrained yet powerful style are followed by a palate that has gorgeous precision, purity, and ripeness. It is elegant, subtle, yet substantial. Drink it over the next 1-2 years.

This is a polished, really likeable Chard. It offers everything the variety should: a rich, creamy texture, brisk acidity, and ripe, delicious flavors of pineapples, apricots, peaches and kiwis coated with vanilla.

Displays more orange marmalade, honeysuckle, concentrated citrus oil, and lemon butter characteristics. Spicy, rich, and full-bodied, it is an outstanding Chardonnay to enjoy over the next 1-2 years.

Perfumed floral and ripe pear and butterscotch flavors lead to a rich, complex wine that unfolds gracefully on the palate, gaining depth and nuance while retaining its sense of elegance and finesse. Drink now through 2007.

It takes some time for the completely dry pineapple flavors of this wine to develop, but as it takes on air, they go beyond the pleasantly musty scent of old books to develop fresher green tones and layers of flavor. There's an intensity to the gripping, mouthwatering acidities...

COMMENTARY: A rosé for all, The 2017 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Rosé brings lots of joy and pleasure to the party, and this is wine for both newbies and experienced drinkers. TASTING NOTES: This wine starts out with bright pink and comes onto the palate with an explosion of berry fruits. Enjoy its open-knit style with light appetizers or just by itself.

Vivid pear and peach aromas give way to gentle, ripe but still crisp pear and floral flavors in this smooth and full-bodied wine. It's charming and aromatic, made more intricate by blending in small amounts of Viognier, Muscat, Roussanne and other varietals.

A dynamic balance between ripe, juicy fruit flavors and crisp acidity makes this medium-bodied wine both refreshing and substantive. It smells like a bowl of sliced melons, apples and grapes. After 79% Pinot Gris, the winemaker blends in Roussanne, Grüner Veltliner and a bit of Chardonnay.

A dynamic balance between ripe, juicy fruit flavors and crisp acidity makes this medium-bodied wine both refreshing and substantive. It smells like a bowl of sliced melons, apples and grapes. After 79% Pinot Gris, the winemaker blends in Roussanne, Grüner Veltliner and a bit of Chardonnay.

The elegant, Domaine Dujac-styled 1999 Stature Pinot Noir Carneros reveals earthy, smoky, fig, plum, cherry, and strawberry characteristics along with hints of Asian spice. Sadly, there is only one barrel of this powerful Pinot.

Vanilla, black fruits, pepper, berries. An unusual assortment of berry flavors are in marvelous balance with wood. Piquant acidity livens up the structure, which is firm and complex.

This deep red Pinot seems to waiver on the fulcrum of wood and black cherry fruit, with a very distinct tomato leaf aroma. High extract yields plenty of tannin for structure, and the weight of the wine seems to balance the herbal qualities it possesses. Well blended, from numerous coastal sources.