There are lots of small wineries in California you probably haven't heard about. Called "artisan," these wineries have small productions, which usually make them difficult for the consumer to find. As long as the winemakers don't get carried away, they can easily sell a meager 5,000 cases of wine among friends and cult followers who covet insider knowledge.

That may be the case with Tandem, a small California winery whose winemaker, Greg La Follette, has a knack for making some of the best chardonnay and pinot noir we've tasted in a long time. We warn you that after we tell you about these wines, you'll have to make an effort to find them.

La Follette studied Burgundian winemaking while attending University of California at Davis and developed an understanding of "mouth feel." He used that knowledge to resurrect pinot noir programs at La Crema, DeLoach and Flowers Winery, and traveled to Australia and South Africa to consult for wineries there. Then he launched Tandem Winery in 2001 with the idea of making the best chardonnay and pinot noir from grapes grown in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Just recently, the winery was bought by Pete Kight, owner of Quivira Vineyards, but La Follette remains as winemaker.

With the aid of a wife and six kids who pitch in to help at the winery, La Follette is one of those "aw shucks" guys who is more comfortable in a vineyard than talking to wine writers. But taste one of his chardonnays or pinot noirs, and you'll see what his passion contributes to wine. While many winemakers give up on thin-skinned, challenging pinot noir grapes, La Follette can't seem to fail.

"When I thought of making pinot noir, I said no way in hell at first. But I kept getting dragged into it and just surrendered. I finally said, 'pinot noir, take me, I'm yours,' " he said.

Just as he intended, the mouth feel of his wines is very silky. None of them is fined or filtered, so you get authentic, copious fruit flavors. We were stunned by their grace, intensity and finish. They are very Burgundian.

Here are the ones we really liked:

Tandem Winery Porter-Bass Vineyard Chardonnay 2005 ($42). Benefiting from the cooling fog in the Russian River Valley, this vineyard produces great fruit. La Follette believes that biodynamic farming has a lot to do with the quality of the fruit. Citrus notes dominate the aromas, followed by rich lemon and creme brule flavors. Slightly tart, it has balanced acidity to make for a good food match.

Tandem Winery Kent Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay 2005 ($45). Located in the Russian River Valley, the grapes are from three clones of Wente, Robert Young and See. Sporting even more texture, the chardonnay exhibits tropical fruit flavors and crisp acidity. Wine Spectator judged this the "best of the best" five straight years.

Tandem Winery Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 ($42). Our favorite chardonnay, it has what La Follette calls "feral" or gamey aromas. On the palate is an incredibly lush array of guava, passionfruit and pineapple flavors. Very long finish, this drinks like a Batard-Montrachet.

Tandem Winery Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 ($45). Forward plum and blackberry notes with good mouth feel.

Tandem Winery Van der Kamp Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 ($45). Our favorite pinot noir, this had a Burgundian feel with earthy, meaty and coffee aromas followed by intense berry fruit and a long finish. Brown around the edges. Good tannins give it great potential for cellaring.

WINE PICKS

Guardian Peak Frontier 2005 ($15). This was a pleasant discovery. From South Africa, the Frontier is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and merlot. As you would expect, it is fruit-forward with lots of bright berry fruit and spice.

R Collection Monterey Chardonnay 2007 ($13)....