The blocks for this wine were planted between 1971 and 2002, each of them yielding little. The wine has 3% Malbec in a blend. Destemmed, sorted, cold soaked, pumped over on a daily basis and 21 days on skins. Basket pressed to new and used French barriques. Dark purple in hue, there is serious structure here. Firm and focused, dense and yet balanced. There are aromas of mocha, coffee grinds, blackcurrants, florals, dried fruits and chocolate. Excellent length, the intensity is maintained throughout and the finish is tied up neatly by those firm tannins. This is youthful, but has a good ten years plus ahead of it. Excellent warmer climate Cabernet.

La Crema always brings the rosé vibe to life. Soft, serious and structured, this California pink can bring grilled barbecue shrimp into new dimensions.

Bright, glowing youthful purple-red colour, medium depth; the bouquet is concentrated and rich, plummy and dark-cherried, bold and bright and punchy. The wine is at the fuller bodied end of the Aussie pinot spectrum. Great depth of concentrated black-cherry flavour, terrific length and assertive but nicely balanced tannins. Almost luscious. A very impressive pinot.

Medium colour, purple-tinted, spicy and vegetal aromas greet the nose, floral and raspberry too, with some vanilla and chocolate notes, the palate light-medium bodied with good intensity and a backbone of fine and taut tannins adding tension to the finish. Dried flowers and dried herbs. Great intensity, focus, depth and complexity and it has the potential to build more with time in the bottle. A pinot of real beauty.

Mid-light purple-red colour, bright and youthful, with aromas of mixed spices, raspberry, smoky oak and charcuterie, gentle palate texture and pleasingly drying tannins at the end. Excellent intensity. A nice touch of fruit sweetness at the heart of it, then a drying flush of fine tannin moves in. Delicious pinot.

Very bright, youthful purple colour, medium depth, the nose also very young and a bit callow, with some estery notes, plummy notes too, the palate intense and quite powerful, straightforward and bold with a hint of mid-palate fruit sweetness and a very long carry. It's not that delicate but is a solid mouthful of pinot, and should reward a little cellar time.

Medium red-purple, bright colour; pronounced spicy, floral and dark-cherry aromas with a lick of smart oak; the palate is rich and full in profile, with abundant softly drying tannins and a bold, up-front structure. A generous pinot, of focused intensity and a long carry. It's refined and aromatic but also powerful, a wine of considerable charm.

From sandy, loamy soils in Sta. Rita Hills, Brewer Clifton Machado Pinot Noir highlights the structure, density, and balance of Pinot Noir wines from the area highlighting a mineral-rich, earthy quality. Crafted utilizing whole cluster fermentation, utilizing neutral oak, highlighting the gifts Mother Nature gives to the fruit of the area, creating a wine with mineral-rich earthiness, melding with layers of strawberry and rhubarb, black tea, blackberry, and crushed stone. Elegant and elevated, a beauty to enjoy now but with the capability of being aged up to a decade, maintaining freshness and elegant appeal.

One of the great things about Australian wine is that the planting frenzy in the late half of the 1990s now has a great many vineyards marking their 25th year in the ground. The east-facing Applejack Vineyard was planted in 1997 at Gladysdale and is a star performer. This release saw 80% whole bunches and 25% new oak. Pure red cherry flavours push straight into undergrowth, mushroom, fragrant herb and spices. Cedarwood oak is present but so happily married to the fruit. There are briar notes here, particularly through the finish, and throughout it feels structured without necessarily feeling grippy. There’s a (positive) smoky aftertaste and a (very) good level of richness, in a varietal context. All up, hands down, this is a gorgeous wine to drink.

Red-fruited, nutty, almost raspberry, pomegranate aspects, pips, florals, star anise. It seems slight and lifted, strict and precise, on the whole, but its exuberant fragrance and that slight sweetness to the fruit helps promote an impression of generosity. Talc-powdery, ultra-fine grained, velour tracksuit-esque tannin is another high quality marker, as are the whispers of stalk and briar. This is from a vineyard planted by Lou Primavera 25 years ago at Woori Yallock. Excellent release, no question.

Vineyard is at the wonderfully-named Gruyere, planted in 1997. North-facing, exposed site. Cherry pie, sweet and delicious, with earthier/meatier aspects. It’s like drinking sweet roasted lamb, studded with berries and herbs. Blue fruit aspects here, woodsy herbs, sweet acidity through the finish. It’s not simple but it feels like a simple pleasure, if that makes sense; it just has that drink-me-now exuberance. That said the tannin here is beautifully crafted. I’d drink this before the others in the Single Vineyard range though it may well hold for as long as any of them. Up-front pinot deliciousness, with substance, is the message here.

Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills 2011 Chardonnay shines with soft herbal notes, candied pineapple, caramelized lemon peel, lime leaf, and orange blossom, with layers of golden apple, pear, and creamy honey. Medium-bodied, with a welcoming, balanced palate that finishes with just a touch of briny saline.
And, though it is not an inexpensive option, it is only $55, which for a ten-year-old Chardonnay that is completely delicious, is a bargain. Available by calling the winery. The nice element of the aged selection is that every year the winery crafts the wine in the exact same manner, from the same fruit, aged the same way, leading you to believe that the current release and each release going forward can also potentially age for upwards of ten years, likely more.

Yangarra High Sands Grenache 2019 is youthful with red cherries and slight whole bunch fragrance. It’s supple with excellent balance and fine tannins. Pritzker noted: “An intriguing bouquet of dried roses, redcurrant, peppery spice and damp earth. Fresh, fruit driven and juicy, crunchy red fruit. Lively acidity. I love the buoyancy and freshness.”

Raspberry, redcurrant and toffee apple. Fine-boned and hi-toned with lush red fruits. Vibrant with a nice interplay of acid and tannin driving the finish.

This large estate in Castelnuovo Berardenga is owned by Jackson Family Wines. This wine, from a single block of sangiovese vines planted in 1998, shows deeply concentrated flavors of black cherry and plum framed by fine, polished tannins. Notes of vanilla and sweet spice are balanced by earthy tones that emerge on the finish.

A deeper lemon-gold colour. Medium intensity nose of rich, ripe pineapple plus butterscotch and a touch of toast. Medium body, dryish, soft and round mouthfeel. Light acidity. Rich ripe pineapple and butterscotch flavours. Medium-plus length finishing with tropical fruit, butterscotch and a touch of tannins.

A lighter, clear orange-salmon colour. Dry, medium-plus body, soft with a thicker mouthfeel. Medium acidity with decanting. Mainly red fruit flavours with a touch of grape stem. Medium length with light pepperiness, tart red fruit and strawberries, along with a touch of tannins.

Best Buy Wines OVER $35
A compelling mix of grenache blanc, roussanne, clairette, piquepoul and bourboulenc grown biodynamically. A fully textural white that lavishes skin contact (some ferments remains on skins for months) to create one of the most compelling Rhône-inspired blends seen in recent times. Wildly aromatic with stone fruits dusted heavily with exotic spice and floral things, the palate is sheathed in fine tannin and coursing with flinty minerality. Detailed and delicious.

Often found in blends but at times underappreciated on its own, a great Merlot has a fruit-forward nature that’s a natural pick for summer grilling. This one’s nose is delightfully nuanced with layers of blueberry, pomegranate, and bit of freshly cut wood, while that woodsy quality carries forward into the palate to mingle with flavours of black cherry and hazelnut. It’s pleasantly layered and complex, which would lead it to pair well with some smoked pork ribs or even a wood-fired pizza with strongly flavoured toppings such as salty prosciutto and peppery arugula.

A traditional Chardonnay is a beautiful thing in the summertime, and this one is about as traditional as they come. Float your nose over its straw yellow colour and you’ll breathe in full aromas of pineapple and toasted coconut with a hint of minerality. On the palate, this Chard is full-flavoured but mellow and lightly astringent with flavours of ripe pear mingling alongside vanilla and buttery toast. If you’d like to try this with something different, go for a Christmas in July vibe and grill some simply seasoned turkey breast to serve with a seasonal berry compote.

On the other hand, there is something decadently delicious about pouring a “Boujee” Pinot Noir while the coals cook down. Really, if you’re dining in why not splurge a tad on a bottle of wine? Pinot Noir is generally a great grilling partner thanks to its exuberant fruit and suave disposition. Case in point is La Crema’s Sonoma Coast bottling, which pours a bright ruby and presents vibrant as all get up: ripe berry meets vanilla and tobacco, silky smooth with robust fruit and a kiss of a balanced, fruity finish. This bottle is totally food versatile, bring on the grilled pork chops, eggplant, and/or salmon.
Bottom line: B, Easy elegance