A tight, dense red with berry, chocolate, currant and hints of bark. Full-bodied, yet tight and nicely framed with firm and tight, fine-grained tannins. Goes on for a long time. Fresh and attractive for a 2017. Drink or hold.

Lots of pine and walnut with gravel and dark fruit on the nose. It’s very fine-tannined with nice austerity and a dusty texture. Long and juicy. Needs to soften. Better in a year or two. Try after 2023.

Deep red/purple colour, youthful, with a dominant charred-oak note, smelling like heavily toasted oak barrels - but there is abundant blackberry/cassis-like fruit aroma as well. Very aromatic. The flavour is sweetly ripe and lush on the tongue, rich and full with a backing of fine, emery-like tannins. Good persistence and balance, and has potential to age well. (50% new oak; 3% cabernet sauvignon. Vines planted 2013.)

Deep, darkling purple/red colour, with a bouquet of wood-smoke and undergrowth. The wine is full-bodied and somewhat subdued in its fruit expression while the tannins are very abundant and quite firm, leaving a determined grip at the finish. Latent cherry and plum. A big, generous, solidly built shiraz that will reward cellaring.

Very deep, dense glass-staining purple colour. A dusty, earthy, oaky bouquet, which turns very sweetly-fruited on the palate, soft and succulent, almost syrupy, but nicely balanced in the final analysis. A big, hedonistic style of shiraz that will age well. (3% malbec, 10% whole bunches, 50% whole berries. Matured in a mix of barriques, foudre and puncheons, 30% new oak)

Impressive chardonnay with grapefruit, lime, white peach, biscuit, ginger, struck-flint and attractive nutty-oak flavours flattered by a peaches and cream texture and supported by juicy acidity.

This vintage of single-block, biodynamically grown Shiraz is more textbook than the cooler 2017. While it lacks the sexiness of ’17, it still offers more restraint and elegance than many of its South Aussie counterparts. An aromatic lift of tangy blueberry, raspberry and plum fruit interlaces gentle baking spice, ground pepper and terra-cotta notes. There’s muscle to the highly textural tannins (both chalky and granular), but it’s woven into layers of flavor. A charming yet serious wine for drinking now until 2030.

The 2018 Château Lassegue emerges from the home estate of Pierre Seillan, who's also behind the incredibly quality of Verite in Sonoma County. It's a beautifully seductive, seamless 2018 with a wonderful core of red and blue fruits, notes of leafy herbs and tobacco, nicely integrated tannins, a great mid-palate, and a rounded, mouth-filling texture. Beautifully done, enjoy this irresistible Saint-Emilion over the coming two decades.

Subtle aromas of sweet berries, Spanish cedar and blackberries with some black mushrooms. Medium-to full-bodied with fine yet chewy tannins and a long finish. Solid and racy. Tight now. Drink after 2024.

40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 59% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Which is a bit more merlot and a lot less petit verdot than was used to make the 2018.My initial impression was that this is a more voluptuous style than normal but then it quickly honed and straightened. This is complex, energetic, ripe and just plain lovely; it’s medium in weight, herb-flecked and clearly from the cabernet family and yet it’s seamless and svelte too. Seductive but with extras. True to itself but not without flair. You get the idea. It’s good. Structural but with freshness and flesh.

Tiny bunches (40-50g) from a very low yielding vintage. Total production is 150 dozen. Rather than make Wombat Stew, Flammo opted for the techniques he used while working in the Cote de Brouilly. I’ve been using the word ‘frisky’ of late, perhaps a little too often, though this wine is absolutely definitely of the frisky kind. It’s very spicy and perfumed, strawberry and raspberry, a peppered steak spread thing happening, and also, something a little like Turkish delight. Light in body, tight and sappy, red berries, perky and frisky, a fine dusting of soft tannin, pomegranate tang and white pepper on a nice long cool finish. It’s a light and feathery wine, but it lays the charm on heavy.

2011 California Cabernet - 10 years onAromas of dark roast coffee, oiled cedar, bramble and blackberry. A delicious combination of plush fruit, energetic acidity and rusticity on the palate, with a surprisingly juicy finish. The wet conditions of 2011 instill notes of menthol and mint throughout, balanced with La Jota’s signature polish and grit. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.

The Peake is an American’s (Chris Carpenter’s) ode to the classic Aussie red blend. 2017 was a fairly cool vintage and it shows here. More elegant, lucid and fruit driventhan the ’18, this may not age as long but it’s drinking pretty darn well now. Notes of cherry, blueberry, licorice, violet and five-spice powder are wound in sappy, savory tannins that have lovely texture and integration. A powerful but harmonious wine that should age gracefully until 2035.

Rich plum in colour, this grips right from the off, and moves slowly and carefully through the palate, revealing brambly blue and red fruits, and a lovely sense of energyand uplift. Extremely good quality, with sage and saffron edges alongside layers of fine tannins that close in towards the finish, slowing things down even more. Thiswill age well, and is an elegant yet concentrated wine.

California Syrah: top Mendocino County winesThe Hawks Butte vineyard consistently delivers savoury, elegant and complex wines – this being no exception. Ocean influences meet woodsy, forest notes on the nose. A perfectly balanced texture gives off chocolate-covered plum and allspice flavours.

The 2018 Zinfandel Winberrie Knolls was sourced from 100+-year-old vines coming from two vineyards farmed by Don and Jenny Hartford's neighbors. It was aged in French oak, 33% new, for 10 months. Medium garnet-purple colored, it charges out of the gate with rambunctious notes of raspberry pie, blackberry preserves and blueberry compote followed by nuances of Chinese five spice, black pepper and clove oil with a waft of plum sauce. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with spicy black fruit preserves plus a chewy texture and lively backbone, finishing long and exotic.

The 2018 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard was aged in French oak, 56% new, for 10 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it has a wonderfully fragrant nose of red roses, spice box, tilled earth and truffles with a core of prunes, blackberry preserves and kirsch, plus a waft of licorice. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully structured, it has a firm, grainy backbone and long, layered and refreshing finish.

Napa Valley’s 2018sYou don’t see many Chardonnays from Howell Mountain, but don’t let that stop you, the 2018 Chardonnay W.S. Keyes Vineyard is terrific and well worth seeking out. Revealing a medium/lighter gold hue as well as an exotic nose of orange blossom, melon, honeysuckle, and white flowers, this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a textured, rounded mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish. This rich, textured Chardonnay stays nicely balanced and is certainly a joy to drink. It picks up a touch of hazelnut on the finish with time in the glass and should drink nicely for 4-5 years.

This well-integrated, complex and structured wine from the mountain appellation is substantial in red fruit, toasted oak and powerful concentration. Cassis, black cherry and sage perk up a broadly rich, lively palate of bright, lasting acidity and savory dried herb and earthiness. This will do well in the cellar; enjoy best from 2027–2032.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesMade from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 45% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with notes of black cherry compote, kirsch and black currant jelly plus hints of menthol, dark chocolate, cinnamon stick and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of taut, muscular fruit with a firm, finely grained texture and bold freshness, finishing with great length and impressive vibrancy.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2018 Pinot Noir Warrior Princess was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 30% new. Medium ruby-purple colored, it springs from the glass with bold expressions of red currant jelly, pomegranate, rhubarb and wild thyme followed by hints of lavender, underbrush and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is tight-knit and intense, featuring loads of mineral and earth layers with a firm, grainy frame and long, energetic finish.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2018 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, 28% new. Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, it gives up the most gorgeous perfume of red roses, Ceylon tea, cinnamon stick and garrigue with a core of kirsch, black raspberries and pomegranate plus a touch of Provence herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate is super intense with a seriously lively backbone and gorgeous plush texture, finishing long and layered.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2018 Chardonnay Sevens Bench Vineyard was 100% barrel fermented in French oak barrels, 18% new, and aged for 15 months. It rolls out of the glass with seductive, spicy notes of allspice and coriander seed over a core of apple pie, ripe peaches and lemon butter with a waft of almonds. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with loads of chalky sparks and a lively backbone, finishing on a lemon zest note.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2019 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard was 100% barrel fermented in French oak barrels, 31% new, and aged for 9.5 months. It strides confidently out of the glass with bold, ripe pear and peach notes, plus wafts of pineapple, wet clay, honey toast and fennel seed and a touch of nutmeg. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing with a slight phenolic grip to the texture and a long, steely finish.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards was aged for 27 months in French oak barrels, 74% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose features compelling notions of crème de cassis, blueberry compote and boysenberries with suggestions of black olives, fragrant earth and fallen leaves plus a waft of Indian spices. Medium to full-bodied, taut, muscular and packed with black fruit layers, it has a solid structure of firm, grainy tannins, delivering a long, refreshing finish.