Stephen Brook: Lively apricot nose, with a touch of honey that suggests there could be a little botrytis here—but it’s attractive. Creamy and concentrated, this has weight without too much heaviness. It’s a voluptuous style, undoubtedly lacking in finesse, but has some intensity and drive, though it does smack of added acidity. A big wine with a real California imprint, but it has personality and is far from clumsy or heavy-handed. Quite long and spicy 17

Alison Buchanan: Rich gold in color, this has a rather unfortunate, dull nose: stewed orchard-fruit allied to mocha cream. Biscuit, pastry shop, and macadamia-nut richness all make an appearance on the palate, which is much more upbeat, ripe, and rather forthcoming, if a bit squiffy and anemic. Lacks focus—heavy and a tad alcoholic. 14.5

Anthony Rose: Pale in color. A fine nose on this dry California Chardonnay, with really worked leesy solids character bringing substantial complexity to the opulently peachy fruit character, which is richly concentrated and full-bodied and nicely integrated. This is a powerful dry white with a broad-shouldered structure of oak, lees, and fruit, just about contained within a powerful framework of alcohol 17