Varner's 2014 Chardonnay Amphitheater Block Spring Ridge Vineyard spent eight months in 25% new French oak. While it's the lightest colored Chardonnay in the lineup, it doesn't lack intensity and offers terrific notes of white peach, honeysuckle, spice and a hint a of mint in its rounded, generous, supple, even sexy personality. Relatively forward and ready to go, drink bottles over the coming 2-4 years.

The 2013 Varner Chardonnay Amphitheater Block Spring Ridge Vineyard comes from a two-acre south-facing site with the Old Wente clone. It’s a beauty, with notes of pineapple, honeysuckle, damp earth and brioche. It is rich and full-bodied with crisp acidity and an elegant, fresh, lively style. Only 25% new French oak is used, which is their general rule, but its influence is very nuanced. It should drink well for 5-6 years.

The smallest production cuvee, the 2012 Chardonnay Amphitheater Block Spring Ridge Vineyard is a stunning effort that does everything right. Possessing an almost Chablis-like minerality, with loads of Meyer lemon, citrus blossom and white-flower nuances, this beauty flows onto the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, fabulous purity and a focused, precise feel that doesn't lack for depth or richness. It's a gorgeous Chardonnay that will evolve gracefully for over a decade. This block lies just up from the Bee Block, at an elevation of 735-780 feet, and consists of 31-year-old, own-rooted vines. As with all of the Chardonnays, it was aged in 25% new French oak.

The spectacular 2011 Chardonnay Amphitheater Block Spring Ridge Vineyard (187 cases produced) boasts lots of tangerine and orange blossom notes intermixed with caramelized citrus and hazelnuts along with terrific fruit intensity and a full-bodied mouthfeel with good acidity and little evidence of new oak (only 25% new French barrels are used). This outstanding Chardonnay showcases the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, and should drink well for 5-6 years. These organically, dry-farmed vineyards located ten miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Cruz Mountains are managed by two brothers. I was super-impressed by their attitude as well as their statement that “90% of what we do to contribute to our quality is work in the vineyard.” All of these wines are minimally processed with indigenous yeast fermentations, hand racking, and are produced in relatively small quantities, ranging from 95 cases of the Pinot Noir Three Blocks, to nearly 500 cases of the Chardonnay B Block. I can not recommend these fairly priced reds and whites highly enough. The Amphitheater Block is a two-acre, south-facing vineyard planted on its own roots thirty years ago. The Home Block is a two-acre, east-facing site planted on its own roots thirty-one years ago. The Bee Block, 3.5 acres on a northeast-facing slope, is grafted. All of the vineyards are planted in sedimentary, fragmented, rocky soils, and the brothers believe the Chardonnay, at least from the Amphitheater Block, is an Old Wente clone. They are not certain what clone was used in the two other blocks. I tasted three Chardonnays under the Varner label and one packaged under the Neely label, all 2011s, the coolest vintage on record with no heat spikes during the summer as well as a wet fall. There was no botrytis in these vineyards because of their high elevation. The Pinot Noirs are made from the Hidden Block, a northeast-facing slope planted with Dijon clone 115, the Picnic Block, a 2-acre east-facing slope planted with Dijon clone 777, and the Upper Picnic Block, a 2-acre block of 32-year-old vines planted with Dijon clone 777. Their prices are fair for what has been put in the bottle. www.varnerwine.com

The 2010 Chardonnay Amphitheater Block is a big, broad-shouldered wine. There is a directness to the fruit that is highly appealing. Nectarine, honeysuckle, mint and flowers are all supported by clean veins of minerality. This extroverted, enveloping Chardonnay could use another year or two in bottle to fully come together. The clone in this parcel is believed to be Wente, or a derivative of Wente. The wine certainly has the richness and weight typically associated with that clone. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Brothers Jim and Bob Varner describe 2010 as a cold year with two heat spikes that were shorter and less dramatic than in other parts of California. It was a long growing season, and the fruit came in 2-3 weeks later than normal. As always, the Varner and Neely wines were fermented in barrel, with native yeasts, natural fermentation and minimal handling. These broad-shouldered Chardonnays and deep, resonant Pinots remain some of the most compelling wines being made in California. Tel. (650) 321-4894; www.varnerwine.com