($14): Consumers looking for wines that over deliver for the price should embrace Jed Steele’s Shooting Star label.  Steele, known for nuance rather than over the top opulence in his Chardonnay, maintains that style with this one.  A hint of pineapple-like tropical fruit flavors are kept in check and balanced by wonderfully racy acidity. … Read more

($14): Renowned California winemaker Jed Steele is behind the Shooting Star.  Steele buys grapes and wines from others, blends, ages and bottles them under this label.  His talents at blending shine in this well-priced Sauvignon Blanc.  It’s a nicely balanced compromise combining the lively bite of Sauvignon Blanc with the barest hint of fleshiness, which tames the potentially aggressive nature of the grape.  … Read more

($28): As regular WineReviewOnline readers know, I’d usually prefer a chilled light red wine to the vast majorities of innocuous rosé on the market.  Here’s an exception — perhaps because it tastes like a light red because of a touch of tannin in finish.… Read more

($27): This is a nicely balanced Chardonnay that expresses both a subtle fruitiness and spice.  Bright acidity keeps it lively and fresh.  The location of the vineyards in a cooler area — the Sonoma Coast — helps account for the refined, not overblown, style. … Read more

($32): Jordan makes just two wines, this Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon, which may help explain why they are so consistently excellent.  It also helps that they have never strayed from their style — favoring elegance and finesse over shear power. … Read more

($25): J. Lohr’s October Night Chardonnay is riper compared to the Arroyo Vista bottling — but still not too ripe — with a pronounced floral component, which would allow you to drink a glass before dinner.  But, similar to the Arroyo Vista, it, too, has vibrancy in the finish that makes it a good choice at the dinner table.… Read more

($25): J. Lohr was one of, if not the first, to embrace Arroyo Secco appellation of Monterey County when he planted vines there in 1972.  His experience has allowed him to differentiate vineyards within the appellation.  This Chardonnay from Arroyo Vista vineyard is clearly different from the one labeled October Night — it’s not just a marketing gimmick. … Read more

($40): For this zesty Chardonnay, Sweetzer purchased grapes from Presqu’ile Vineyard.  They aspire — and have achieved — a Chablis styled wine that is both slightly creamy and steely.  It’s a hard combination to master, but Sweetzer has.  The uplifting finish belies the 14.4 percent stated alcohol. … Read more

($32): This wine represents a dilemma for wine critics.  It’s not a style of Chardonnay that I like personally, but it is well made and will appeal to a broad range of consumers, especially those who prefer bold Chardonnay.  The wine making team used the usual techniques for amping-up the profile:  Ripe grapes translating to a 14.5 percent-stated alcohol, fermentation and aging in the barrel, and malolactic fermentation (which converts harsher malic acid to a creamier lactic acid). … Read more

($42): Norm Yost, owner of Flying Goat Cellars, was either crazy or a visionary when he was the first to make a sparkling wine in Sta. Rita Hills in 2005.  Now there are more than 30 producers who have followed him, so you can draw your own conclusions. … Read more

($42): Norman Yost, owner and winemaker of Flying Goat Cellars, acquired detailed knowledge of the vineyards of Santa Barbara County when he worked for Foley Estates, one of the region’s largest producers.  Now, making his own wine, he knows from whom to buy grapes. … Read more

($30): It’s worth keeping your eyes out for wines from this new small producer in the Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County.  Sweetzer, like many producers in the Sta. Rita Hills, buys grapes from growers as opposed to owning their own vineyards — a set-up that is similar to a small Burgundy négociant. … Read more

($60): In a word, thrilling.  “Mike” Grgich, the king of Chardonnay since it was he who made the Chardonnay that stunned the French and the world in the Judgment of Paris 1976 tasting, has done it again.  Rich and explosive, this wine dances on the palate without a trace of heaviness. … Read more

($48): Also reflecting its origins, the Russian River Valley bottling delivers more black fruit-like flavors rather than the red fruit of the Sonoma Coast.  In contrast to the cooler Sonoma Coast bottling, this one is fleshier with a hint of savory notes.… Read more

($66): Merry Edwards’ Klopp Ranch bottling highlights bright red fruit flavors with less emphasis on the savory component.  A succulent wine, it is balanced and pure with an alluring suppleness.  It strikes a gorgeous mid ground in terms of intensity.  I’m not sure that anyone, even Edwards herself, can explain precisely what it is about the vineyards that results in the different expressions of her wines. … Read more

($63): Merry Edwards’ Georganne bottling has more apparent tannic structure compared to her others from 2014.  It’s more brooding at this stage without the same velvety glossiness.  That said, there is an appealing earthy, savory aspect that grows on you as the wine sits in the glass. … Read more

($98): The grapes for Merry Edwards’ Cuvée August, named after her first grandchild and her most expensive Pinot Noir, come from the top part of the slope of the Meredith Estate.  A dazzling and explosive wine, its concentration almost borders on a “Pinot Syrah” style, but does not cross the line. … Read more

($60): The Flax Vineyard bottling bombards the palette — in a very nice way — with lovely aromatics and juicy dark red fruit.  It speaks directly to you.  Savory elements appear, almost reluctantly, but then persist through a long finish.  Similar to her other Pinot Noirs, the tannins are suave giving the wine a velvety texture.… Read more

($68): There are fewer savory elements in Merry Edwards’ Olivet Lane compared to the Coopersmith and Meredith, but the crystalline purity of the red fruit flavors is astounding.  The savory slightly mushroom-y nuances appear with time, with reinforces an important point when drinking (or tasting) her wines. … Read more