A newly released premium blend of the Rhône varieties about which winemaker Pete Fraser is so passionate, this is a complex and utterly delicious bottling that changes over days and open in bottle. Subtle peach, waxy lemon and white-flower blossom ride a wave of raw, saline minerality. The texture is like concrete and skins, the flavor delicate but persistent to the salt-flecked finish. There's potential here for outstanding bottle age over the next five to seven years, but this is also a highly food-friendly drop now.

This vintage of King's Wood is densely packed with layers of savory herbs and spices, licorice root, succulent black cherry and blackberries, with ground pepper an a floral nuance. The palate, while still young, is juicy, fresh and linear, with a silky line of fruit and muscular, granular textured tannins. With poise alongside the power, this should cellar gracefully for another 10–15 years.

First made in 2015, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is a tiny production release (roughly 500 cases) that sports a deep purple hue as well as a gorgeous nose of blackberries, currants, tobacco, camphor, and sandalwood, with some classic Cabernet herbal notes emerging with time in the glass. This full-bodied, elegant, yet concentrated 2019 is perfect for drinking over the coming 15 years.

Light bright green-yellow; fresh but savoury aromas, elusive cedar, white-pepper and almond-meal traces, the palate very dry and crisp, and finishes with a peppery aftertaste. Intense and long-lasting, and one senses it could even age happily, rewarding some cellaring. Impressive wine.

The Tenuta di Arceno 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Strada al Sasso (made with 100% Sangiovese) is a balanced wine, and it also possesses great intensity with dark cherry, plum, light spice and sweet tobacco. The wine is supple and richly textured but not in a heavy or over-extracted manner. In fact, it feels silky throughout. This special wine reflects the warmth and sunshine of Castelnuovo Berardenga in Tuscany. 12,500 bottles were released.

Modern winemaking is at play here in the single vineyard 2020 Roux Beauté, which is all fermented and aged in ceramic eggs, partially on skins. This has created an exotic and textural wonder with honeysuckle, creamed cashews, apricot and gentle floral aromas. The 2020 builds in the mouth with a more savory profile and significant grip to drive a lengthy finish. Expressive now and promises plenty over the coming years.

A deep color in the glass. The 2020 Shiraz Brooks Road is a decadent and bold expression of McLaren Vale, delivering charcoal and sweet blackberry aromas, plus an attractive eucalypt lift with a rich seam of vanilla oak. A firm and punchy palate follows, with intense sweet fruits and peaty complexity. A rich core of tannins offers support and provides significant aging potential.

A fascinating Cabernet/Shiraz blend, the 2020 The Peake comes from some of the highest vineyards in McLaren Vale. This wine offers excellent purity with blackberry, cassis and clove-scented fruits backed by a generous serving of high-quality oak. A beautifully vibrant palate follows, radiating with dark berry fruits that are kept in check by manicured tannins and deliver a long, flowing finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay Gold Run is an airy, gracious and wonderfully finessed wine. Pear, white flowers, mint and candied lemon peel all run through this classy, superbly polished Chardonnay. The silky, caressing finish is a thing of beauty.

The 2019 Chardonnay Red Point is a bright, piercing wine. Crushed rocks, lime, slate, menthol, white flowers and sage lend notable volume. There is good depth in the glass and plenty of texture too, but the 2019 is very bright and intensely saline, with all of its energy seemingly directed inwards.

The 2019 Chardonnay Broken Road Vineyard is wonderfully deep and layered. Candied lemon peel, honey, tangerine oil and white flowers add an exotic quality to the 2019 that is quite appealing. This dense, phenolic, richly textured Chardonnay has a bright future. It's a gorgeous, inviting Chardonnay from Stonestreet.

The 2019 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard is weightless and wonderfully nuanced. Tangerine oil, mint, crushed rocks and chamomile are all finely sketched. Time in the glass brings out attractive tropical overtones, but the Upper Barn is really a wine of energy more than anything else.

The 2019 Chardonnay Skycrest is a knockout. Bright, floral and energetic, the 2019 is wonderfully detailed and nuanced. Lemon confit, almond, sage, mint and dried flowers lend striking complexity. The 2019 is wonderfully vibrant and sculpted, with exceptional balance, the 2019 is an absolute winner.

The 2019 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard is another incredibly distinctive wine in this range. Candied ginger, passionfruit, lemon confit, white flowers and tangerine oil give this mid-weight Chardonnay tons of character. Bright acids lend freshness and verve to a Chardonnay that is very much on the exotic side of things.

The 2019 Chardonnay Fog Dance Vineyard is marked by soaring, lifted floral aromatics and mid-weight structure. White flowers, mint, lime and green pear lend
brightness throughout. The style is airy and understated. All the elements are so nicely balanced.

The 2019 Chardonnay Stone Côte Vineyard is quite delicate, with a lovely mix of floral accents and the more mineral signatures that are so typical of this site. Orchard fruit, apricot, mint, tangerine oil and hints of pastry all grace this exquisite understated Chardonnay from Hartford. This is very nicely done.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Truly Rita, from Dierberg-Drum Canyon in the Sta. Rita Hills, is a big, potent wine. Huge tannins wrap around a core of blue/purplish fruit. Lavender, mocha, spice, chocolate, gravel, incense and licorice add to the wine's brooding intensity. Give this muscular Pinot a few years to soften.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Jennifer's is a potent and incredibly distinctive wine. Poor soils in a very cool site yield a Pinot full of game, leather, blood orange, spice and earthy notes complement a core of dark red/purplish fruit. A Pinot of power and breadth, the Jennifer's is not especially subtle, but there is a real feeling of energy here that is undeniably appealing.

Hartford's 2019 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard offers up an explosion of crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, rose petal and cedar. This fruity, aromatic Sonoma Coast Pinot is a real charmer. It will drink well with minimal cellaring, but also has enough energy to develop positively for a number of years.

The 2019 Syrah Sea Lift is packed with blue/purplish fruits, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice, black pepper and mocha. Pliant and deep, with striking depth, the 2019 has a ton to offer. I imagine it will benefit from a few years in bottle, which should help the reticent aromatics open.

The 2019 Chardonnay DuPratt is layered and super-expressive right out of the gate. Orchard fruit, white pepper and flowers are some of the many notes that grace this delicate, understated Mendocino Chardonnay. I especially admire the energy and persistence here.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is packed with dark red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, mocha, spice and licorice. Plush and explosive, with terrific energy, the 2019 has a ton to offer. All the energy of this mountain appellation wine comes through beautifully. The 2019 offers tons of fruit intensity in a mid-weight, savory style that is hugely appealing.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Crown is a very pretty, perfumed wine that shows the more elegant, aromatic side of Knights Valley Cabernet. Sweet floral and spice top notes lend finesse to this deep, structured Cabernet, with hints of blood orange, dried herbs and red berry fruit that linger.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Smothers-Remick Ridge is a classic Sonoma Valley Cabernet loaded with strong savory/mineral accents. Plum, black cherry, gravel, licorice, incense, chocolate and sage open with a bit of time in the glass. This powerhouse Cabernet just needs time to soften.

Produced from 60% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Valadorna is rich and polished, with a luxurious influence of sweet, wooded spice. A ripe perfume of black plum, vanilla, leather, and cedar emerges with a warming and sunny feel. It is full-bodied, with ripe tannins, velveteen texture, and a blanket of fruit without feeling heavy. Dried currant, turned soil, and herbs of amaro all move through the palate, and it speaks to the warmth of the vintage. It will drink well now or over the next 15-20 years.