Hello, and welcome to my periodic dig through the samples pile. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

This week’s tasting included a couple of lovely Weissburgunders (known as Pinot Blanc to us English speakers) from the mountains in the north of Italy. If you like crisper styles of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll love these very mineral, citrusy whites.

The other white wine not to miss is the Wild Ferment Assyrtiko by one of Greece’s best winemakers. And this is one of his best wines — a snappy wonderfully balanced Assyrtiko that has a touch of richness and complexity thanks to the natural yeast fermentation.

Moving into reds, the lean and electric acidity of Thomas Fogarty’s Will’s Cabin Pinot Noir recommends this wine to anyone who enjoys the brighter, leaner styles of Pinot Noir. On the other end of the spectrum, the Trione Pinot Noir represents the richer style of California Pinot Noir that many people enjoy.

Also worth noting this week is the red blend from Kita vineyards, an unusual winery run by Chumash Indians, with a member of the tribe, Tara Gomez, making the wines in the Santa Ynez Valley.

All these and more below. Enjoy!

2012 Thomas Fogarty Winery “Albutom Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of pine sap, a hint of oak, and lemon peel. In the mouth, wonderfully tangy flavors of lemon pith and grapefruit have a resinous quality but also a touch of new oak. The oak is pretty well integrated in the wine, but something of a surprise given this producer’s tendency to minimize its presence. 12.9% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $70 click to buy.

2012 Thomas Fogarty Winery “Damiana Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon curd and candied grapefruit. In the mouth, rich flavors of lemon curd and grapefruit have excellent acidity and a nice silky texture. Somewhat heavy and rich compared to other Chardonnays in this portfolio. You can feel some of the wine’s 14.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $70. click to buy.

2013 Kellerei Bolzano “Bozen” Weissburgunder, Sudtirol – Alto Adige, Italy
Pale greenish gold in color, this wine smells of lemon pith and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, silky flavors of lemon pith and wet chalkboard mix with a hint of white flowers. Good acidity sneaks up on you over time, making for a lean and long finish. Deeply mineral. 13% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $14 click to buy.

2014 Kellerei Andrian “Finado” Weissburgunder, Sudtirol – Alto Adige, Italy
Pale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon and grapefruit pith with a hint of greengage plum. In the mouth, lemon and grapefruit flavors take on a tinge of green apple candy as they head towards a sour and mouthwatering finish. Tart and delicious, this wine is brimming with gorgeous acidity. Very tasty. 13% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $??.

2014 Gaia Estate “Wild Ferment” Assyrtiko, Santorini, Greece
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet wool, lemon pith, pollen and sea air. In the mouth, gorgeously bright flavors of lemon pith, pollen, and a touch of oak meld seamlessly on the palate. Fantastically bright acidity keeps the wine electric and sharp even as its silky texture seduces across the palate. Delicious. From 80-year-old ungrafted vines. 13% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $28. click to buy.

2012 Kitá “Hilliard Bruce” Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, California
Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of forest floor, cherry and raspberry fruit. In the mouth, rich raspberry and cherry fruit seems filtered through wet leaves and cola. Fleecy tannins grip the edge of the mouth and linger through a finish that has a deep loamy earth quality. Excellent acidity. 13.1% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $60. click to buy.

2012 Kitá “S’alapay – Camp 4 Vineyard” Red Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara, California
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of dark red and black cherry fruit. In the mouth, juicy black cherry and plum flavors are draped with gauzy, fine-grained tannins. Notes of new oak swirl in the wine but are very well integrated. Excellent acidity and nice length with cedar and cocoa powder notes in the finish. A blend of 50% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.2% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $??

2010 Anakota “Helena Montana Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley, Sonoma, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of struck match, and dark tarry cassis and black cherry. In the mouth, rich black cherry fruit has a nice stony, forest floor underbelly, even as drying tannins and flavors of oak start to overwhelm the fruit as the wine heads to the finish. Good acidity and length. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $75. click to buy.

2012 Thomas Fogarty Winery “Will’s Cabin Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of forest floor and raspberry and exotic dried flowers and green herbs. In the mouth, the wine has a wonderful dark cherry and raspberry fruit core but is wreathed by dried flowers and a hint of violets. Fantastic acidity and length. 13.8% alcohol. Score:between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $65. click to buy.

2012 Love & Squalor Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of green herbs, raspberries, and forest floor. In the mouth, raspberry and crushed green herbs mix with a hint of brown sugar and forest floor. Lightly leathery tannins grab the edges of the mouth as the wine finishes with green herbs and a stemmy quality. 13.6% alcohol. 900 cases produced. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $27. click to buy.

2012 Love & Squalor “Antsy Pants” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light garnet in color, this wine smells of cedar, brown sugar, red berries and dried flowers. In the mouth, lightly tacky tannins wrap around a quirky core of dried flowers, redcurrant and raspberry fruit, brown sugar, and cedar. Excellent acidity. 12.6% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $33
. click to buy.

2012 Trione Vineyards & Winery “River Road Ranch” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, California
Medium to dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of rich and sweet raspberry and cherry compote. In the mouth, sweet and rich flavors of cherry and raspberry are touched with new oak and its vanilla sweetness. Good acidity. This is the Pinot for those who like ’em dark and rich. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $40. click to buy.