Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Franc is one of the most distinctive wines in this range. Inky dark fruit, mocha, gravel, spice, menthol and licorice are kicked up several notches in this potent, virile Franc. Time in the glass brings out the wine's floral and spice overtones along with distinctly red shades of fruit. There is a bit of oak influence, but the Franc handles it well while retaining quite a bit of varietal character.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is rich, sumptuous and exotic in its beauty. Inky red/purplish fruit, rose petal, spice and blood orange all build as the 2018 reveals its personality. The Spring Mountain is the softest of the Lokoya Cabernets, in relative terms of course, as all these wines require cellaring.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard is a rich, heady wine. Black cherry, blackberry, espresso, menthol, licorice, spice and mocha all flesh out in the glass. I would give the 2017 at least a few years to settle down, as the tannins are quite potent at this stage.

This vineyard is a real Zinfandel treasure – its dry farmed, head trained, hand farmed century old (plus) vines are sourced by several famed producers. Hartford’s offering shows lively black cherry fruit with complementary notes of tea, pie spice and fennel. It’s got great acidity that carries the ripeness of the fruit into the distance. The finish is fully integrated, showing all the components and inviting you back for more. Supple tannins keep the flavors pumping, and there’s an elegance here that is elusive at this ripeness level. This will suit a variety of foods, from a medium strength cheese selection to grilled red meats. Delicious!

Expertly layered aromas of toast, fine-grained oak, smoked apple, nectarine, crushed limestone and light butterscotch make for a nose that should please all types of Chardonnay lovers. The palate is immediately hit withchalky and fresh acidity, leading into lively flavors of sliced Asian pear and finishing with an intriguing hint of spearmint.

A captivating blend of savory characteristics along with great balance and a good fruit foundation make this wine especially interesting. Elements of sage, tobacco and earth mingle with red and black cherries, and are backed by moderate tannins and good, nervy acidity.

Whoa. A bit on the dark side, with a rich and lovely nose. Whoa. As I had hoped, the palate delivers on what the nose suggested. Whoa. Fantastic fruit, balanced acidity, lengthy finish. Whoa again. Excellent.

Napa Valley Cabernet: 2018 vintage reportYear in and year out, Lokoya provides a masterclass in crafting rugged mountain fruit into a svelte package, while always letting its essence come through. Their Diamond Mountain release is wonderfully perfumed and exuberant on the nose, with aromas of lilacs, fresh herbs and orchard blossoms. It is opulent and forward but with considerable lift on the finish. The tannins are prominent and fine-grained, with an impressively long and evolving finish.

Napa Valley Cabernet: 2018 vintage reportThe perennial centerpiece wine from Jackson Family Wines and winemakers Chris Carpenter. Composed around mountain fruit with supporting roles from valley floor vineyards across the valley. Hedonistic and commanding on the nose, with dense aromas of ripe black currants, black cherries, coffee beans and fresh herbs. The palate is svelte, balanced and expansive. The finish is grainy but fine, retaining a core of bright, refreshing acidity. Very much in the style of a modern cult Napa Cabernet but manages to do so with restraint.

The 2016 Mt. Brave ‘Mt. Veeder’ Merlot is a simply gorgeous effort by superstar winemaker Chris Carpenter that impresses now at the four year mark. The complex and hedonistic aromas entice with sandalwood tones that are woven together with kirsch cordial, cassis and graphite with chocolate covered espresso bean that all take shape in the glass. The palate is soft, seamless and very elegant, as this effortlessly glides across the mid-palate. A deep core of dark fruits collide with minerals, pipe tobacco, loamy terroir and suggestions of coffee grounds on the palate. Rich and layered, with tremendous aging potential, the 2016 Mt. Brave Merlot will cellar well for decades to come. Be sure to give this at least an hour decant if enjoying in its flamboyant youth. Drink 2020-2038

Flagship as detailed as the fynbos bordering its Stellenbosch single-parcel source. 15 full gamut of citrus tones (including piquant yuzu), nectarine & spice beguile on nose & palate; present yet harmonious oak (50% new) & vibrant acidity add impressive shape & stature for 5+ years cellaring.

LDR stands for Light Dry Red, a term used by Maurice O'Shea in the '40s-'50s. From three vineyards, one in the Upper Yarra, two in the Lower Yarra Valley, 51% pinot noir, 49% syrah, co-fermented, very little work during fermentation, matured for 5 months in large French oak vats. The bouquet is highly perfumed, rich and spicy, the palate a near identical display of flavours. This blend is here to stay.

In terrific form. It captures you from the outset. Stone fruit, custard powder, toasted bran and cedar spice notes have sparks flying in the glass. Crushed fennel too, particularly through the aftertaste. It attacks with flavour from the start and maintains a good pace throughout. The finish takes care of itself.

A finely textured and delicious pinot with ripe-strawberry and floral aromas and flavors. Medium body. Fine tannins. Flavorful finish. Always a gem. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

This producer may be more lauded for Chardonnay and Pinot, but this Syrah is downright sexy—cool-climate Shiraz at its finest. There's something comforting yet dynamic about the nose, the way it interlaces juicy, pristine plum and berry fruit with violets, licorice and soft baking and earthy spices. The palate is medium bodied with elegance and focus. Taut, powdery tannins slink around silky-textured fruit, and the gently pepper finish is long and fine. Drinking beautifully now but could likely cellar for another decade.

Deceptively light colour and body, but you have to wait until the wine opens its peacock's tail on the finish. As it does so, a wave of red fruits, violets, spices and forest notes flood the senses. Whole bunch vinification is the key.

Love the aromas of tea, strawberries, cherries and freshly cut flowers, which follow through to a medium to full body. Tight and silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Shows focus and finesse with structure. Drink now or hold. Screw cap.

Sourced from vineyards at 984-feet in elevation in the Upper Yarra, the nose of this wine is intensely reminiscent of truffles, but there's plenty of fruit, florals and spice, too, expressed in tones of red berries, roses, white pepper, dried herbs and minerals. Beautifully nuanced and textured on the palate, it's both broad and laser-focused, slinking with savory tannins, crunchy red fruit and herbs. The finish is long and complex, making it impossible not to take another sip. It's delicious now, but it could cellar until 2029.

A very attractive, succulent style with intense and energetic white-peach and lemon aromas and flavors. The drive and depth on the palate really impress here. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Identical vinification to its siblings, the intention to place all the emphasis on the site, including its micro-flora. A wine with substance and depth, and a (non-residual sugar) touch of fruit sweetness. I am confident that the individual personality of each sibling will express itself more and more over the next 2 years.

Tarraford Vineyard is located in a small valley that provides protection and a cooler site climate than adjacent parts of the Yarra Valley floor, with consequently higher natural acidity than any of its siblings (7.6g/l). The vinification remains identical. deliberately leaving the minerally shell intact.

Apples and honeydew melon with pie crust and poached pears in a fresh, attractive mode. The palate has a smooth, evenly paced and sleek feel. Polished texture and good depth of fresh white peaches and pears. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

A deep well of aromas fill this wine: plum, cherry, cocoa nibs, rose, violets, earthy herbs, baked clay and a charred note, like the pan scrapings of a roast. The palate is velvety and downright sexy, with spicy tannins and terracotta components adding complexity and austerity to the plush, almost playful fruit. It shows a power play of muscle and elegance. Drink now with a slab of charred red meat or age through 2030.

This has a savory, crushed stone edge to the nose with fresh pastry, as well as white peaches, lemon pastry and hazelnuts with honeysuckle and citrus blossom. The palate has an alluring density that holds very long into the peach, lemon and pastry-flavored finish. A spark of zesty lemon to close. Drink or hold.

A spicy mix of red and purple berries, cinnamon and oak-char, cinnamon spiced red plums. There's a lifted red-cherry note to the palate, energy and vigour, pinot-esque in its agility. Delicious and lithe. Masterful winemaking.