Masses of lemondrop candy, pineapple tart and mashed ripe pears in this marvelous wine, but that’s not all. Buttered toast, creme brulee, bananas sauteed in butter and brown sugar are some of the additional complexities. That makes the wine sound sweet, but it finishes dry. High in alcohol, but balanced, this flamboyant Chardonnay is best enjoyed now.——S.H.(3/1/2012)—— 94

The 2008 Chardonnay Hawk Hill Vineyard has plenty of caramelized citrus, buttered fruit, some subtle, spicy wood, and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied, with excellent fruit, richness and density, the wine also has some minerality that makes it more complex than the Heintz. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. With thirteen separate Pinot Noirs, Williams-Selyem has something for just about everybody. Eight of these Pinot Noirs hail from relatively well-known sites in the Russian River and three come from the Sonoma Coast, while the two outliers are the Weir Vineyard from Yorkville Highlands and the Ferrington Vineyard from the Anderson Valley. Three well-regarded vineyards of the Sonoma Coast comprise part of this impressive Pinot Noir portfolio from Williams-Selyem. With eight Russian River bottlings, the two with the largest availability are the Eastside Road Neighbors and Westside Road Neighbors, which are blends from different fruit sources. The most underrated wines in the entire portfolio are the Zinfandels that come from winemaker Bob Cabrol.Tel. (707) 433-6425; Fax (707) 433-6546

Made in the ultraripe style that is Williams Selyem Chardonnay, this wine almost needs to be enjoyed by itself as a cocktail. It’s explosive in apricot jam, pineapple tart, pear creme brulee, buttered toast and cinnamon spice flavors that feel fat and dry and slightly hot in alcohol. Not particularly subtle, but earns points for sheer power.——S.H.(2/1/2011)—— 91