The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith is a dense, powerful wine. Beams of tannin wrap around a core of rich fruit. Inky, deep and layered in the glass, the 2017 offers tremendous richness allied to the structure that is such a signature of these wines.

That rare domestic rosé that captures the vibrant acidity of Champagne, offering delicate strawberry, raspberry flavors laced with steely minerality and sprinkle of graham cracker on the finish. Drink now through 2022.

There are not many noses in this line-up of 54 wines that I find more appealing: rich (but not unctuous) fruit, touches of earth, hints of vanilla. The palate did not disappoint. Great fruit, acidity, and verve. Yeah, I can do this all day long and twice on Sunday. Outstanding.

Napa Valley Cabernet: Best Mount Veeder 2018 winesThe winemaking precision of Chris Carpenter as his team is apparent across all their projects regardless of price point, making the Mt. Brave Howell Mountain particularly impressive as a relative value proposition. Soft but ripe red fruits and briar on the nose. Rich, energetic and attractively dry on the finish. Punches above its weight across all metrics of power, complexity, length, and intrigue. 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, 1.5% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec.

Napa Valley Cabernet: Best Howell Mountain 2018 winesLa Jota’s Howell Mountain bottling is a distinctively pure and floral. The nose is loaded with ripe blue fruit and fresh purple flowers centered around a dense core of power. As structured as it is, there is a fantastic refinement to the tannin structure and softness to the acidity. A great example of a modern mountain-sourced Napa Cabernet-based blend. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot.

A dark heart of black fruit centers this complex and well-balanced wine. Enticing, spicy clove, cedar and earth aromas lead to a supersmooth but well-structured palate that reveals black-cherry, rhubarb and black-tea nuances. It’s distinctive and should age well in the mid-term. Best from 2023.

If you're looking for a quality pinot noir to drink right now then look no further. This is all about fragrance, juiciness, fruit and flow, a myriad of spice-riddled flavours running wild and free through the palate. It puts a smile on your face; it's joyous. It has tang, smoke, spice and autumn leaf notes thrown through a core of red and black cherry. It's not heavy or profound but it delivers.

Elegant and distinctive, offering fresh raspberry, sage and white pepper notes that are precise, supple and juicy, with a thread of fresh loam and forest floor, supported by polished tannins. A touch of matcha green tea lingers on the finish.

Full crimson-purple; a powerful wine with red and purple fruits, bramble and whole bunch tannins all tumbling along the palate, but doing so in synergy with each other. Needs a few years in the cellar.

Powerful yet restrained, offering creamy notes of fresh wild strawberry, red licorice, toasted cumin and violet. The complexity and detail keeps gaining momentum on the long, expressive finish, where accents of white truffle and spice linger. Drink now through 2036.

Giant Steps owner Phil Sexton's self-named vineyard soars once again in this beautifully textured Chardonnay that is all at once modern and timeless. Take a deep dive into a nose of honeysuckle, lime leaf, salted cashew, waxy lemon and stony minerals. Then let the liquid roll around on your tongue, pricking it gently with crystalline acidity. Complex and ageworthy yet totally approachable now, this is the face of today's Aussie Chardonnay, and it's a mighty fine one. Drink now–2029 and likely beyond.

A very composed and attractively elegant chardonnay that has an impeccably smooth array of lemon and peach-sorbet aromas with very subtle, fresh-nutty notes. The palate has such smooth build. Really refined and elegant. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Sourced from 30-plus year-old vines in a south-facing vineyard, this single-vineyard expression gets the balance of texture, flavor and acidity just right. Tones of minerals and sea salt weave between citrus, melon and well-managed oak. The palate is an expertly built combo of pristine acidity, a smooth texture and supportive oak. The finish is chalky and long. Drink now–2030.

Mouthwatering and precise, with a lovely blend of Asian pear, green apple and mandarin orange flavors that mingle with candied ginger peel, spice and floral details. Shows a silky weightlessness, retaining plenty of intensity to the flavors.

Bright red cherries and strawberries in a pure style of pinot that has a gently herbal edge and some light reductive, tarry notes, too. The palate is precise and refined in terms of tannin shape and fruit purity. Bright red cherries abound. Acidity sparks up the finish. Drink or hold.

From the Coal River Valley (Nocton Vineyard). One of my favourite things is ‘Death Can Be Fatal’, a Two Ronnies mini-serial, featuring Piggy Malone and Charley Farley.Dark cherry, plum, spicy biscuit oak, dried rose perfume. It’s fleshy, mouth-filling, though not particularly heavy, thick and silky tannin, even raspberry acidity, and a long insistently silty, slightly ashy tannin finish. Plenty to grab onto, yet it’s still identifiably Pinot Noir.

Spring hasn’t sprung at the time of tasting but the wine does feel Spring release-ready. Good for that season rather than winter, which is approaching.Lots of detail here and very high drinkability, a wash of texture, cinched very gently with lacy tannins, pretty spice, floral notes, succulent overall and just feels darn high quality. I love the looser knit feel here, it spreads in the palate like a gentle quilt. Warmth through the finish, perhaps, but comforting in a quiet way. Beautiful drinking.

Sexy Sexton. Supple, soft and come-hither pinot noir. Cherry, red berries, nougat, subtle spice and a good lick of juicy acidity. It feels broad but well honed, lots of flavour, lots of space in the palate, finishes spicy and fresh. A very seductive pinot with lots of detail in tow.

Pinot Shiraz – who knew? Well the blend has a bit of history in the Hunter Valley but now is making a resurgence in the Yarra too, with Giant Steps and winemaker Steve Flamsteed , as usual at the front of the curve. It is a food wine, made for the table – Australian for Beaujolais, and it is delicious.It is a very pretty bright cherry red and the fruit is immediately attractive. There are layers of cranberry, raspberry, dried herbs and stalky spice with a touch of aged meat thrown in too. The palate shows superb purity, a textural silkiness but is also quite savoury with supple tannins underlying a long and drying finish. While it is delicious, it does not feel ready just yet – this wine has more to give and just needs maybe six months to start showing its best.

Stunningly precise, vivid and mouthwatering, with a hint of butterscotch to the lemon curd, pear and mango flavors. Intense and juicy, finishing fresh and vibrant. Details of white tea and roasted hazelnut emerge on the finish. Drink now through 2030. From Australia.

Powerfully structured, with a deep well of dark currant, dried blackberry and plum flavors, framed by concentrated notes of dried green herbs. Cedar and cigar box accents show on the finish, revealing some sanguine hints. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2024.

2018 Santa Lucia Highlands: What a Difference a Year MakesLimpid ruby-red. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes raspberry preserves, cherry cola and exotic spices, and a suave floral topnote emerges as the wine opens up. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering intense red and dark berry, lavender pastille, spicecake and succulent herb flavors that show notable depth and appealing sweetness. Finishes impressively long and sappy, delivering repeating florality and pliant tannins that meld smoothly with the vibrant fruit.

2018 Santa Lucia Highlands: What a Difference a Year MakesDeep, shimmering garnet. Assertively perfumed black raspberry, boysenberry, potpourri and exotic spice aromas show fine definition and pick up subtle vanilla and cola nuances with air. Stains the palate with concentrated red and blue fruit, cherry cola and candied rose flavors that are braced by a core of juicy minerality. Delivers a compelling blend of depth and energy and finishes extremely long and gently chewy, with well-integrated tannins and resonating florality.

2018 Santa Lucia Highlands: What a Difference a Year MakesDeep, glistening magenta. Expressive aromas of fresh, spice-tinged red and blue fruits and candied rose pick up cola and mineral nuances with air. Juicy, focused and seamless in texture, offering penetrating raspberry, cherry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that deepen steadily as the wine opens up. Smoothly blends power and finesse. A very long, gently tannic finish echoes the floral and spice notes.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s The 2018 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard is fabulous. Silky, perfumed and supple, the 2018 offers a compelling expression of this site. All the elements meld together in a Pinot that is incredibly delicious and inviting. Black cherry, plum, leather, licorice and lavender build into the refined, nuanced finish.