This is rich and textured in feel. A bold, dramatic wine, the Diablo races across the palate with striking depth and tons of textural richness. This is an especially oily, viscous Chardonnay, with all the elements nicely balanced. Tangerine oil, mint, honey, almond, dried flowers and chamomile all grace this caressing, inviting Chardonnay from Arista.

A powerful, tightly wound wine, which is surprising for a year in which most wines are pretty open. Crushed rocks, mint, lemon confit and white pepper all open in the glass. The 2018 is translucent and yet t also packs a pretty huge punch of both fruit and structure.

The 2018 Chardonnay Banfield Vineyard is wonderfully deep and fleshy. Soft contours give the Banfield much of its immediacy. Tangerine peel, lemon confit, almond, dried flowers and mint fill out the layers nicely. This creamy, highly expressive Chardonnay has quite a bit to offer.

A another stellar wine in this range. It captures the natural exuberance of Anderson Valley with plenty of stylishness. Dark cherry, plum, tobacco, licorice, spice and menthol build into the heady, substantial finish.

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.

It’s bursting with vivid aromas of smoky blackberry, wild herbs and liquorice. The palate is full of vibrant acidity and creamy vanilla flavours, interwoven with blackberries and brambles against a sappy, green-herb background, tannins round and nicely integrated. It’s one of the best examples of Perricone I know

A mix of dusty ashen stone, black currants and hints of animal musk lifts up from the darkly alluring 2019 Perricone Core. This fills the palate with pliant, soft textures complemented by juicy notes of blackberry and inner lavender tones. It remains energetic and fruit-focused even as youthful grippy tannins settle in through the long finale, where hints of licorice and blueberry skins resonate. The Core does an excellent job of integrating the gruff Perricone tannins that often make this variety bitter and difficult to enjoy in its youth. Well done.

This gorgeous wine opens with aromas of pressed rose, camphor, new leather and ripe forest berry. Full bodied and loaded with finesse, the delicious, elegantly structured palate features ripe Marasca cherry, blood orange, tobacco, licorice framed in firm, refined tannins.