The 2019 W S Keyes Chardonnay was aged for 24 months in oak, 10% of it new oak puncheons, with no malolactic and lees stirring to give texture. It pops with lively lemon curd, fresh grapefruit, and lime blossom notes with suggestions of blanched almonds and mandarin peel. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is super intense, with amazing tension and fantastic length with loads of mineral sparks.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, sourced mainly from Keyes and La Jota vineyards. Deep garnet-purple in color, it storms out of the glass with notes of blackcurrant pastilles, plum preserves, and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of tar, cedar chest, and cardamom. Full-bodied, the palate is solidly constructed with a rock-solid texture of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the tightly wound fruit, finishing with loads of shimmery mineral sparks. 6,825 cases were made. While the 2018 is bright and floral, 2019 has more of the savory character. Every vintage has a personality, and 2019 is definitely more sultry.

The 2018 Cabernet Bosche Rutherford is composed of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes galloping out with energetic notes of blackcurrant cordial, stewed black cherries, and black raspberries, plus hints of pencil shavings, black olives, camphor, and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid structure of super firm, ripe, tannins and compelling freshness supporting the intense, youthful fruit, finishing long with a skip in its step. It should age very well! 2,200 cases were made. The wine takes its name from the Bosche vineyard situated in the Rutherford Bench, which features deep gravelly soil and a seasonal underground stream that feeds the vines in the spring and dries up in the summer.

The 2019 Cabernet Franc is a blend of 79% Cabernet Franc and 21% Merlot. From Spring Mountain and Diamond Mountain, this Cabernet Franc is very different from what Carpenter makes at La Jota or Mt. Brave. Deep garnet-purple in color, it delivers gorgeous notes of red roses and lavender over a core of ripe redcurrants, black raspberries, and mulberries with suggestions of underbrush, damp slate, and pencil shavings. The medium to full -bodied palate reveals a compelling texture of super-pixilated tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

This has aromas of cassis, plums, oranges, milk chocolate, bay leaves and clay. So juicy and succulent, with a medium body and firm, creamy tannins. Pretty hazelnut and chocolate character at the end. Long and elegant. Drink or hold.

Fresh, brambly and fragrant, this has aromas of blueberry and red plum with a very chiseled palate that winds fine tannin around an elegant core of red-cherry fruit flavor. So focused and elegant. Drink over the next six years. Screw cap.

This has such effortless depth and impressive measure. It delivers aromas of ripe red and dark plums with slate and blackberries, framed in fresh, subtly spicy and cedary oak. The palate is packed with ripe red plums, red cherries and mulberries, as well as deeper blueberries and darker plums. The power is innate and the palate so focused. Elegant and pure. Drink over the next decade or more. Screw cap.

Aka Giant Wombat. It’s worth going to the Giant Steps website just to see the pic of the Wombat Creek Vineyard – here – and how it’s quite literally cut out of forest. As a general rule with the Giant Steps single vineyard Pinot Noir “We try to do as much whole bunch as we can get away with. Wombat and Primavera are on red soil. Applejack and Sexton are on grey soil. Wombat (MV6) 2021 is entirely whole bunch/the rest are roughly 50/50.” This release is taut, spicy, herbal and sure. Wonderfully savoury and wonderfully good. Fruit pushes through the savouriness without ever taking over. Perfume, this is aflame with it. Tannin, in sheets, inscribed with the finest handwritten flavours. A wonderful wine, pure Upper Yarra, detail and texture, perfume and flavour, mouthwatering red cherry and cranberry fruit with salty, silty tannin and fragrant herbs/flowers wafting over. The power of the light touch.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it features bold notions of warm cassis, plum preserves, and mulberries with touches of tree bark, dried mint, and chocolate box. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has wonderfully fine-grained tannins and bright acidity supporting the vibrant, crunchy black fruits, finishing long and energetic.

The 2019 Cabernet Franc comes 50/50 from the Keyes vineyard, with old vines dating back to 1976, and La Jota vineyard. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little subdued to begin, opening out to reveal notes of redcurrant jelly, fresh blackberries, and black cherries, plus hints of charcoal, underbrush, and red roses with a touch of crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is finely grained with superb freshness and electric intensity, finishing with amazing length and shimmering energy.

There’s a very approachable feel to this pinot, with aromas of blueberries, blackcurrants and sweet hard spices, such as star anise. The palate has a polished feel, with a plush texture and a plump blueberry and black-cherry core. Drink over the next six years. Screw cap.

The 2019 Cabernet Franc is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of stewed red plums, baked blackberries, and Morello cherries with hints of bouquet garni, pencil lead, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is bright, refreshing, elegant, and refined with loads of subtle black and red fruit layers and a mineral-laced finish.

The 2018 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to offer notes of warm cassis, blackberry preserves, and mulberries, with an undercurrent of dusty soil, fallen leaves, iron ore, and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is soft and juicy, with plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with beautiful harmony.

The 2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon comes from vines just in front of the Cardinale winery. Deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out with vivacious notes of blackcurrant jelly, baked plums, and boysenberry preserves, leading to suggestions of cedar chest, unsmoked cigars, crushed rocks, and black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate has a firm frame of finely grained tannins and oodles of freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy.

This medium gold colored Chardonnay opens with a grilled pineapple and golden delicious apple bouquet with hints of melon and toasted oak. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is nicely balanced, unctuous, and rich. The flavor profile is a flinty minerality, gentle mango, and white peach blend with notes of Meyer lemon. We also detected hints of nutmeg, sautéed mushrooms, butter, and subtle oak. The finish drifts away nicely. The Tasting Panel would pair Chard with bay scallop casserole.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Malbec charges out of the gate with expressive notes of baked blackberries, stewed plums, and black raspberries, plus hints of tar, dark chocolate, and fertile loam. Full-bodied, the palate has a sturdy frame of grainy tannins and tons of freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and savory.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Merlot wafts easily out of the glass with notes of juicy red plums, bay leaves, and tilled soil, plus hints of cracked pepper and wild fungi. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut with muscular, youthful fruit and firm, rounded tannins, finishing long and earthy.

A blend of 82% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and 7% Tannat, the 2019 Merlot is deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps with savory notions of black olives, dried herbs, and charcuterie over a core of redcurrant jelly, cassis, and ripe black plums. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits with lifted red berry flavors and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and refreshing. 1,038 cases were made. Sadly the six rows of Tannat that went into this were frozen and killed last year, so there will be no Tannat in the blend going forward for a while.

The 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, and 1% Cabernet Franc, predominately sourced from Oakville with some fruit from Rutherford, Yountville, Oak Knoll, Atlas Peak, and Howell Mountain. Deep garnet-purple in color, it leaps with bold expressions of blackberry preserves, cassis, and wild blueberries, plus hints of menthol and forest floor with a spicy waft of cinnamon stick. Medium-bodied, the palate is bright and crunchy with impressive intensity and nice ripe, grainy tannins, finishing with a minty lift.

The 2020 Napa Valley Chardonnay sings of ripe, juicy pears, warm peaches, and apple pie, plus suggestions of baking bread and allspice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a satiny texture and plenty of freshness to lift the concentrated spiced pears flavors, finishing with great length.

Warm Weather Wines
Rosé is the best of all wine worlds, which may explain why it’s thought to be among one of the first types. Rosé is known for being particularly sweet but this one is subtly so without being overbearing and also acidic without being too dry, a fruity wine that goes down easily and pairs well with most summer dishes.

I met with Steve Flamsteed and new Giant Steps winemaker Mel Chester last week to taste through the 2021 Single Vineyard releases and wow, what a range of wines. Everything was excellent but this Tarraford was really up and about on the day. I’ll post my chardonnay reviews in order of altitude or ‘meters above sea level’. Tarraford is the lowest of them, and each from there is about 500 metres higher.
Sweet oak into white stonefruit, citrus and apple, grapefruit. Powerful from the outset. Hand picked, whole bunch pressed, full solids for all of the single vineyard releases. A bit of mlf for all of them too. This is in impeccable – not to mention incredible – shape. Controlled. Powerful. Tarraford should be the most rich, for site and aspect, but it’s so taut, almost salty in its savouriness. Cracking wine. The ‘loudest’ of the single vineyards in that it brings the flavour but simultaneously so very, very good.

This seemed ultra-reserved in the context of the Tarraford, which I’d tasted immediately prior.
Citrus here and red apple, with pear, the citrus both pure juice and preserved. Oak spice, and custard powder characters, are so well threaded, ginger nut/biscuit aspects rising through the finish. World apart from the Tarraford; perfect pigeon pair. The longer it sat in the glass the more those complex, juicy, apple-like characters blossomed, marzipan with them, nectarines squeezed with salted lemons. This is a wine of tight, complex power, the fruit pure and commanding, the finish taut but persistent.

Another 500 metres further up the hill, so to speak.
The 2021 Giant Steps single vineyard chardonnays mean business. They have the reserve of the confident. This seemed yet more reserved than the Sexton, which itself was more reserved than the Tarraford, and yet like them both it feels commanding. Stones, green pineapple, musk and poached red apple flavours, almost and pretty much effectively into quince, with grippy texture even as it pushes (confidently) through the finish. There is the influence of florals here, the influence of pear, the influence of crushed woodsy spices. This needs time but wow what a wine.

Vines here are nearly 40 years old. It’s the highest, coolest and most southerly of the single vineyard chardonnay sites.
Great push of musk, fennel and red apple flavour before toasted peach and vanilla characters power through. Incredibly intricate wine, perfumed, powerful, long, textural/grippy, gently creamy, and then when you think it’s finished, a peppery/herbal spray to the aftertaste. You can see the oak on this but it absolutely carries it; of all the 2021 releases it’s the one most in need of extra time for the sake of pure oak integration. But we have another super wine on our hands here.