The medium-bodied, juicy and fresh 2013 Chardonnay Gnesa is similar to the Machado with its steel, vibrant and mineral-driven style. Citrus blossom, white flowers, charcoal and hints of steel give way to a beautifully balanced, integrated and crisp white that will be better in a year and drink nicely through 2023+.

Beautiful today, it should be consumed over the coming 4-5 years. Also good, the 2012 Chardonnay Gnesa is a steel, fresh and focused effort that yields notions of apple blossom, citrus, lime and hints of rising bread to go with a medium-bodied, pure and clean feel on the palate. The acidity protrudes slightly here, and again, it needs more mid-palate depth and concentration, but it’s nevertheless a classy white to drink over the coming 3-5 years. Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer continue to produce a bevy of beautiful releases from the Sta. Rita Hills. Looking at their latest releases, their 2012 Pinot Noirs are superb and check in near the top of the vintage. While the Chardonnays are solid, and in some cases outstanding, I thought they lacked concentration and had too much acidity for their own good. Looking at the Pinot Noirs, which as a whole I found more successful than the Chardonnays, these were all harvested on the same date, fermented with 100% whole cluster and aged in neutral oak. Tel. (805) 735-9184; www.brewerclifton.com

Coming from pure sand soils, the 2011 Chardonnay Gnesa is a pretty, mineral-driven Chardonnay that has notions of orchard and tropical fruits that veer toward the citrus end of the spectrum with air. Medium-bodied, beautifully rich, with clean, classy acidity providing edge and definition, it, too, should benefit from another 6-12 months of bottle age and have a solid evolution for a number of years. Drink 2014-2018+. A benchmark estate in the Santa Rita Hills, these first rate efforts are made by Steve Clifton and Greg Brewer. The wines are all handled identically in the cellar, so what you get is exactly what the vineyard delivers. In addition, this estate is moving to only estate-farmed vineyards, with Gnesa, Machado, 3-D and Hapgood being the only single-vineyard releases going forward. These 2011s are fantastic and should not be missed! Tel. (805) 735-9184; www.brewerclifton.com

Brewer Clifton’s 2010 Chardonnay Gnesa is intense in its color and flavors. This is a decidedly big, broad-shouldered wine with plenty of acidity to back up the rich, vivid fruit. Apricots, nectarine, almonds, flowers and spices flesh out on the generous, inviting finish. The western and southern borders of this site are adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. Steve Clifton describes the 2010 harvest as 2-3 weeks later than normal. The Pinots were brought in during the second and third weeks of September, in between the heat spikes, while the Chardonnays were harvested later, once temperatures cooled off . The 2010s are beautiful, transparent wines that capture the essence of the vintage and their respective sites. The single-vineyard wines can be hard to track down, but to tell the truth, I am increasingly drawn to the straight appellation Chardonnay and Pinot, as they are less expensive, relatively easy to find and full of personality. Tel. (805) 735-9184; www.brewerclifton.com