A rich, boisterous wine. Rose petal, mint, dried herbs and spice lend striking aromatic complexity to play off a core of dark red/purplish fruit. Medium in body, yet full of flavor, the Lucky Well is a joy to taste at this early.

A very pretty, expressive wine. Airy and beautifully perfumed, the 2018 is all class. Dried pear, flowers, mint, chamomile and citrus are some of the notes that grace the 2018, a wine that shows the more restrained, elegant side of the Russian River.

A very pretty, appellation-level wine. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry fruit, spice and dried herbs give this mid-weight, ethereal Pinot lovely aromatic complexity. Silky tannins add to its considerable appeal.

Baked apple, pear tart and dried apricot flavors glide across the palate, with lemon curd accents. Shows light buttery and spicy accents on the plush finish.

Apple pastry, ripe pear and lemon tart flavors are filled with buttery richness in this white, which is well-knit and creamy midpalate, with a finish that offers a plush, silky texture.

Powerfully structured, with an unctuous mix of white fruit and cooking spice flavors. Hints of roasted fennel midpalate lead to a sculpted finish that shows plenty of toasty accents.

Big, rich and powerful, with concentrated apple and peach pastry flavors that are filled with cooking spice and custardy accents, followed by notes of buttered toast on the finish.

I always love this cuvée, and the 2018 Chardonnay UV El Diablo Vineyard doesn't disappoint, offering a full-throttle, rich, yet still poised and elegant style with lots of ripe melon, honeyed lemon, flower oil, crushed stone, and subtle toasty oak-like aromas and flavors. Beautiful on the palate, with lots of clean, crisp fruit as well as ample texture, it's balanced, has a great finish, and is just a brilliant Russian River Chardonnay.

Starting off with the appellation 2018 Chardonnay Russian River Valley from Arista, this smoking Chardonnay would be ideal for readers trying to understand the style of Arista as well as the overall quality of this estate. Offering up a light golden hue as well as a beautiful perfume of stone fruits, pear, honeyed minerality, and white flowers, it hits the palate with more medium-bodied richness, a round, supple, layered texture, beautifully integrated acidity, and one heck of a great finish. This is one incredible appellation Chardonnay that should be snatched up by readers.

More pineapple, white flower, and chalky minerality notes as well as a touch of nectarine emerge from the 2018 Chardonnay Banfield Vineyard, which comes from a site in the Russian River Valley. Another fresh, vibrant yet also rich and beautifully textured Chardonnay from this team, it does everything right, offering medium to full-bodied richness, perfectly integrated acidity, and just a rare mix of purity and elegance with richness and length.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard from the Anderson Valley is another richer, beautifully textured wine from this estate. Built for the cellar, this beauty has some classic bright darker cherry and raspberry-like fruits supported by notions of background oak, scorched earth, and bouquet garni.

The appellation 2018 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley showed well, with lots of spicy, meaty, underbrush, and foresty notes as well as medium-bodied richness, loads of darker cherry and redcurrant fruit, some smoky background oak, and a great finish. It will benefit from just a few years in the cellar and should see its tenth birthday in fine form. This is a classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that still holds plenty of freshness and structure.

Another enjoyable wine from this team, the 2018 Pinot Noir UV-Lucky Well Vineyard has a lighter translucent ruby color as well as classic notes of mulled strawberries, leafy herbs, forest floor, and spice, with just a touch of background meatiness and earthiness. Nicely textured on the palate, it’s medium-bodied, with supple tannins and a good finish.

The 2017 Chardonnay Banfield Vineyard has a nose of white peaches and baked quince with touches of orange blossom, lemongrass and baker's yeast. The medium-bodied palate offers bright, fresh, perfumed fruit with gentle yeasty touches and a perfumed finish.

The 2017 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is a stunning wine. It offers singular aromas of guava, grapefruit peel and musky hints with layers of tangerine, green herbs, crushed stone and hints of elderflower. The medium-bodied palate is very expressive with kaleidoscopic flavor layers and addicting juiciness, finishing long and ever-changing in the mouth. This is a flamboyant expression that can be drunk immediately or cellared for a few years.

The 2017 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is scented of poached pears, lemon peel, baker's yeast and golden apples with touches of citrus blossom and hazelnut. The palate is light to medium-bodied, silky and fresh with pure fruits and a juicy finish.

The 2017 Chardonnay UV - El Diablo Vineyard is slow to open aromatically at this stage, offering glimpses of citrus blossom, honeyed almonds, saline and orange peel with a core of quince, gaining intensity and nuance as it sits in the glass. It explodes in the mouth with savory, concentrated flavor layers, and it's medium-bodied, ultra silky and fresh with a very long, energetic finish. This has great potential to gain depth and nuance in bottle, so forget it in the cellar for a couple of years.

Pale ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard has earthy aromas of dried herbs, damp soil and mushroom powder with notes of graphite, dried flowers and tea leaves over a core of crunchy blackberries and cranberries. The palate is medium-bodied and intensely minerally, with very juicy, fresh fruit character, finishing a tad coiled. Give it more time in bottle.

Light to medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is scented of cranberry sauce, dried lavender, tangerine peel, tea leaves and earth. Medium-bodied, it offers bright, spicy fruits with a soft frame and juicy finish.

Medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir UV Lucky Well Vineyard offers aromas of charcuterie, raspberries and blackberries with accents of tangerine, potpourri and floral perfume. Medium-bodied and silky, it has concentrated, perfumed red berry fruits in the mouth with a firm, grainy frame and addicting freshness, gaining even more perfume and flesh through the long finish. Lovely! It will benefit from another 2-3 years in bottle.