A classically styled Vouvray for under $15, this is an excellent value. The nose contains green apple and fresh-cut flowers, with a touch of lemon. Oddly enough, it's quite reminiscent of Diatom's 2006 Chardonnay from Clos Pepe vineyard. On the palate, these flavors are complemented by a mineral component and a very subtle touch of sweetness. The mouthfeel is fairly rich, bolstered by excellent cut from the well-balanced acidity. Superb with food.

This is a superb, complex California Pinot Noir. It achieves ideal ripeness, striking a balance between old world earthiness and new world fruit. The nose exhibits mineral, earth, and a hint of cola. On the palate is where this really shines. Wild strawberry, herbs, mineral, earth, dill, cola, and bing cherry are all held together by superb acidity and vibrant texture. The finish leaves cocoa, lavender, and dried strawberry. Beautiful!

God save Josh Jensen. This is a superb Chardonnay, showing just how ageworthy the wines of Calera are. The nose is full of minerality, baking spice, and Meyer lemon. On the palate, this opens the scents hinted at on the nose, bursting with lemon, stones, spice, pear, and a hint of fresh corn. Even at this age there is still a wonderful zing of acidity, though it is incredibly well-integrated, subtly balancing out the round, creamy mouthfeel. The finish leaves a haunting impression of Granny Smith apple and almond that lasts forever. This is one of California's great Chardonnays, challenging even the great white Burgundies. For those seeking out a distinctive Chardonnay capturing the essence of California without the buttery, overoaked approach, here ya go.

Joe Davis claims that his wines are more Burgundian in style and approach. Whenever I hear a California winemaker say this, I often expect to taste a half-assed approximation of Burgundy. That is not the case here. What Joe really is striving for and achieving is the same purity of expression presented in Burgundy while recognizing the unique qualities and challenges that California brings.

This Pinot, from Sleepy Hollow Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, still has the big, ripe fruit that SLH is known for. However, it doesn't possess any overripe or jammy flavors. Instead, it exudes essence. This is the essence of Sleepy Hollow fruit at optimal ripeness: A nose of cinnamon, brown sugar, and spices, imparted by the use of whole-cluster fermentation (this is what ripe stems should taste like). On the palate, bright Bing Cherry, plum, Asian spice, pepper, and dark berries, all tied together with an electric rush of acidity. The finish leaves a lingering touch of licorice, mushroom, and chocolate-covered cherry.

No one would ever mistake this for Burgundy, and thank God for that. This isn't trying to be anything but what it is- the essence of its California site, a pure expression of place, and ultimately, a superb Pinot Noir.

A very nice wine exhibiting traditional Santa Cruz Mountains qualities at an excellent price. The nose has black olives, gravel, Asian spice and a background note of herbs. On the palate, the wine exhibits herbs de Provence, pine needles, and blue and black fruits, particularly blueberry. The wine has a silky mouthfeel and soft tannins that sail through the long finish.

This is the first Calera I've had the pleasure of trying, and it lives up to the reputation. 7 years after the vintage, this wine is still a knockout, and could probably go at least another 5 years. The texture/tannin relationship is actually reminiscent of a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon; hard tannins, yet the texture allows it to go down like water, a balance that I find very appealing. The acidity is still bright and refreshing as well. On the nose, this gives raspberry, plum, gravel, truffles, brown sugar, cinnamon and Yerba Mate tea. The midpalate is gorgeous, showing Asian spice, earth, minerals, red fruits, and a touch of blueberry. The long finish exudes floral qualities, particularly lavender, milk chocolate, and the Yerba Mate tea quality exhibited in the nose, albeit more pronounced. I look forward to tasting more of Josh Jensen's efforts.

2005 is the first of 3 excellent vintages we'll be seeing that show Sta. Rita Hills fully coming into its own. The alcohol levels are dipping slightly, as producers seem to be finding that sweet spot between ripeness and balance without getting overripe. The first of these from the '05 vintage that has truly blown me away is Clos Pepe's estate Pinot Noir. Wes Hagen, one of the few true vignerons in California, is a meticulous vineyard manager, and seems to always pick at just the right time. His hands-off approach in the cellar shows through in the wine, as it perfectly balances oak and fruit. The nose pops with pomegranate and cranberry, as well as the Asian spice, raspberry, and cola notes Sta. Rita Hills Pinots seem to always exhibit. On the palate, the cranberry bursts forth with other red fruits. The mouthfeel is impeccable, with silky tannins and a wonderful structure of acidity, which is too often lacking in Cali Pinot. The long finish leaves lingering memories of spice and flowers. True terroir at its finest.

To taste this side by side with Diatom's Clos Pepe vineyard bottling, a vineyard which is basically across the street from Huber, is an intriguing experience, and one that exhibits perfectly what Greg Brewer is striving for with Diatom- a clear, unobstructed expression of terroir. While similar in style, Clos Pepe showed a little more bright fruit character and slightly less acidity. Huber, on the other hand, attacks the palate much harder. The first flavor that jumps out of the glass is agave, like a pure blanco tequila. Next there's sea salt, lemons and limes, and an underpinning of minerality. The mouthpuckering acidity holds it all together. The experience is actually somewhat akin to a Margarita made from scratch with only the freshest ingredients, though the Huber occupies its own unique realm of flavor. With Brewer-Clifton, Melville, and Diatom, Greg Brewer has mastered Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay and all the different ways it can express site. And though all 3 projects hold a place in my list of favorites, Diatom is the leader of the pack, providing what is arguably, alongside the great producers of Chablis, Chardonnay's most direct and pure expression of terroir in the world.

We opened this for a tasting on Saturday, gassed it, poured it Wednesday, and it was even more gorgeous. A beautiful, classically styled Bordeaux from an excellent vintage. The nose exhibits earth, dried strawberry, and a subtle hint of coffee. On the palate, the wine opens up with earth, gravel, dried red fruits, coffee, and subtle hints of mocha and vanilla from the oak. The finish exhibits flowers, particularly lavender, as well as a touch of dried apples. A good wine, and an excellent value.

An older vintage of Tandem, this is from the days when the two Gregs actually got along and were still working together. The results are stunning, as this wine has aged beautifully.

The nose presents herbs, smoke, and a subtle note of cocoa powder. On the palate, this wine explodes with bacon, smoke, herbs de Provence, black licorice, and subtle forest floor. The finish goes on forever, beginning with a medicinal, almost cough syrup quality, and then fading to dried fruit and floral elements- strawberry and raspberry, lavender and rose petals. Throughout, there is a beautifully balanced acidity that has integrated perfectly over time, adding to the wine's impeccable mouthfeel.

The level of complexity here is comparable to some of the greatest Burgundies I've experienced, unraveling layers of nuance with every sip. For anyone who questions the ability of California Pinot Noir to age, this is a bottle to try.