This is from 300 m, in the upper Yarra. Primavera is red volcanic basalt, quite a rare soil type in the Yarra, found in seams. 60 million years old, this is fertile and well draining soil, which gives the vines an easier life. One block is MV6 and the other is 115 and G8. Supple, elegant and fine with fine red cherry and redcurrant fruit. Fine, pure and delicate with lovely purity and finesse. Notes of pomegranate and cranberry. Has a sense of delicacy.

This is the most northerly and lowest elevation vineyard, and although it should be the warmest because of this, it isn’t. It’s a small vineyard planted to P58 clone and leased from the Long family. Hand picked, whole bunch pressed after cooling, using the a gentle cycle. The pristine juice goes to barrel (all 500 litres, 10% new) with full solids and is handled oxidatively. Wild ferment. Taut and linear with subtle mealy notes. Mineral and finely spiced with layered citrus and white peach fruit. Fine, delicate with lovely freshness and precision. Fine spices on the finish.

Polished in texture, offering elegantly layered flavors of raspberry and tart cherry, with black tea and savory spice accents that gather richness toward supple tannins. Drink now through 2032. —T.F.

Sleek and vibrant, with tart cherry flavors highlighted by fresh violet, cinnamon and spice tones that glide on the dynamic finish. Drink now through 2031. —T.F.

A focused, powerful and vibrant wine with potent black cherries, a vibrant, lively balance and polished texture. Energized tannins, great fruit concentration and subtle oak spices add up to a pure and linear expression. Drink or hold.

Offers bright and mouthwatering flavors of Meyer lemon, mango and lemon sherbet, with details of flinty minerality, ripe peach, candied ginger and buttery shortbread. Notes of orange blossom and wild fennel add aromatic complexity and linger on the long finish. Drink now through 2034. 1,147 cases made, 150 cases imported.

Black-fruited grunt with savoury olive and sage. A surprise compared to the suppleness of other Yangarra Grenaches, but these 1946 vines have attitude. A grumpy old bugger that begrudgingly yields with time in the glass, showing its tender heart.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon shoots from the glass with vivacious notes of redcurrants, black raspberries, and dried Provence herbs followed by hints of pencil shavings and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate has fantastic energy and freshness, featuring ripe, grainy tannins to support, finishing long and savory. 5,997 cases were made.

The 2021 Bear Point Chardonnay slowly emerges from the glass with fragrant notes of lemongrass, fresh ginger, and honeysuckle giving way to a core of Golden Delicious apples, guava, and baking bread. The medium-bodied palate is satin textured with mouth-coating apple and spice layers, supported by a lively line, finishing with a citrusy lift. 347 cases were made.

The 2022 Warrior Princess Pinot Noir is medium ruby-purple in color. Wow! It sashays out with showy notes of kirsch, raspberry coulis, and rose oil giving way to hints of cinnamon stick and dried Provence herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate is so smooth and satiny, with just enough freshness and finishing with a spicy lift. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. It is sourced from several blocks within the Zena Crown vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills, on blocks planted to Dijon clones 667, 777, and Pommard.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Truly Rita Pinot Noir bursts with vivacious notes of Morello cherries, pomegranate, and fresh mulberries leading to suggestions of garrigue, crushed rocks, and wild sage. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with fine-grained tannins and compelling tension, finishing on an evocative minerally note. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. It is sourced from the Dierberg-Drum Canyon Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, on blocks planted to two field selections: Calera and Swan along with Dijon clone 115

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2022 Jennifer's Pinot Noir jumps from the glass with scents of redcurrants, Bing cherries, and raspberry leaves followed by wafts of wood smoke, dried herbs, and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers smoky red berry flavors with a light chewiness to the texture and a refreshing herbal lift on the finish. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Jennifer’s is sourced from a vineyard south of Sebastopol influenced by the cold maritime air feeding the Petaluma Wind Gap. This very cool site ripens late in the season and produces distinct wines with great aging potential.

This is not a bottling offered every year. Lush ripe raspberry, sweet black plums, black molasses, zesty orange blossoms on the nose. The fruit is tart wild strawberry, cherry cola, black tea, orange vanilla cream on the palate rolling into mineral, acidity and a mouthwatering finish. Hold or drink 2024–2030.

Supple, black cherry, cranberry-pomegranate, dried potpourri, zesty pink grapefruit on the nose. The fruit on the palate is quince, Bing cherry, red apple skin, black tea and gripping tannins. Hold or drink 2024–2032.

Expressive citrus and pears on the nose with lemon curd and a mineral character on the palate. This is a medium-bodied wine with great texture, concentration and light tannins. Limited use of new oak leads to a bright wine with a long, sophisticated finish. Drink or hold.

Deep, dark plums and black cherries saturate this broad, full-bodied and lush-tasting wine. It’s quite ripe, opulent and deep, with full tannins weaving through the black fruit and subtle oak spices. Certified sustainable. Drink now or hold.

A big, broad, velvety wine that’s tempting to drink now for its lush, ripe black fruit and alluring oak spices like cinnamon and vanilla. Very concentrated black cherries, spearmint, blueberries and hints of dark chocolate. Certified sustainable grapes. Drink or hold.

This fragrant, medium-bodied wine practically melts in the mouth, all flowers and fruit on a silky texture. Grown on the coolest part of the WillaKenzie Estate, it offers rose petals, violets, creme de cassis, cocoa and Bing cherries that rest softly on mild tannins and tangy acidity. Drink now or hold.

Lovely nuanced nose of citrus, persimmons and a hint of cinnamon leading to a complex and concentrated palate of cardamom, lemons and peaches. A medium-bodied wine with very balanced tannins and acidity. Long and lovely finish. This is a special wine that is enjoyable now but should get better over time. Drink or hold.

A full-bodied cabernet of precision and class. The results are more approachable, fragrant and exquisite than warmer years. Perhaps the tannins are not quite as refined and resolved. Yet the pimento lift to the aromas riffs on spruce, a smattering of garden herbs, green olive brine, red currants and pickled cherries. It has an immediacy and great gusto. I'd drink this across a shorter-term window. Drink now or hold. Screw cap.

A deep, glossy ruby. Buoyant notes of lavender, lilacs, boysenberries and a sheer, joyous grapiness. And yet the tannic restraint is drawn tight. The oak is classy and beautifully handled across a medium-bodied texture. There is a great deal to like here. Most of all, the impressionable immediacy of the fruit. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Medium ruby red in colour. Pale pink rose, bluebell and gardenia are all found on the floral bouquet. Red cherry, pomegranate, goji berries, raspberry, orange peel and damp forest floor. Elegant entry. Good structure and weight. Juicy. Savoury. Secondary nuances of lead pencil and a puff of chocolate powder. Persistent. Long articulated finish.

The 2021 Penner-Ash ‘Zena Crown Vineyard’ Pinot Noir offers loads of stony minerals on the nose alongside rich red fruits, menthol and shades of white pepper. The palate is mineral-laden with loads of freshness and a seamless sense of mouthfeel. Finishing long with rich red fruits, baking spices and salty soils, this is a generous, complex bottling that will cellar well over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2039.

This rich, buttery and toasty wine seems to melt in the mouth. Viscous and soft, the texture coats every millimeter of the palate with buttery, pear-nectar lusciousness. The wine lingers long on the finish, echoing pears, vanilla, cream and coconut. —J.G.

Ripe and rich, this full-bodied, barrel-fermented wine packs in poached pears, ripe peaches and toasted almond flavors for a big profile and mouth filling texture.