Lots of lead pencil, iodine and black fruit on the nose. Some dried fruit, too, following through to a full body with a rich, juicy palate with lightly toasted oak and spice at the end. This needs another four or five years to come completely together.

Bright pure-grape character with citrus and blackberry aromas and flavors. Medium body, fine and fresh tannins with lemony and stony undertones. White volcanic-stone minerality. A new second wine from Anakota. Drink or hold.

This is very steely and fresh with crushed-stone and lemon-rind undertones. Praline, too. Medium-bodied, linear and bright. About 40% malo. Mostly Carneros and Coombsville fruit. Excellent value for this quality. Drink or hold.

Gorgeous aromas of blackberries and fresh herbs, such as lavender and sage. Bay leaf, too. Full-bodied with round, juicy tannins and a creamy and dusty finish. Hints of dried bay leaf and a dusty-wood undertone. Very drinkable now, but a year or two will improve it.

Blackcurrant and bay-leaf aromas with some licorice follow through to a medium to full body with dusty tannins and a juicy, savory finish. Creamy and lightly chewy tannins. Drink or hold.

Aromas of blackcurrants, spearmint, licorice and lead pencil follow through to a medium body with firm tannins and a fresh finish. Hints of chocolate and almonds. Really polished. Very drinkable now, but will age beautifully.

Complex aromas of blackberries, brambleberries and mushrooms. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and juicy fruit. Savory and delicious. Solid tannins. A little dry at the end. Drink or hold.

Aromas of mahogany, redwood and dust. Ripe redcurrants underneath. Turns to black truffles and mushrooms. Full-bodied and round with juicy fruit and tannins. Hints of dusty wood. Late release. Drink now.

Very pretty brambleberries, walnuts and crushed stones with hints of tile. Medium body. Juicy fruit. Spices and some fresh herbs. Creamy finish. Drink now.

Sublime cabernet franc aromas of currants, flowers and citrus. Full-bodied with incredible purity of fruit and length. You don’t feel the tannins, but they are there. The acidity gives you dynamic reality and perfect length. A truly great wine. 83% cabernet franc, 8% merlot, 5% malbec, and 4% cabernet sauvignon. Best from 2026.

Situated adjacent to the redwoods and one of the last vineyards before one reaches the Pacific, the Maggy Hawk vineyard is in what many refer to as the “deep end” of Anderson Valley. The vineyard contains a complex patchwork of different facings, slopes, and clones, all of which conspire to provide a dazzling array of different Pinot Noirs. The soil is comprised of decomposed sandstone, known for exceptional drainage and low nutrients, both critical to the development of naturally balanced vines.
This Pinot Noir is big, rich, complex, and assertive. The color in the glass is medium ruby. Out of the glass the Stormin’ Pinot Noir shows expressions of lavender, black cherry, dark chocolate aromas which intermingle with toasted chestnuts, ginger, and a hint of mushroom. On the palate there are bold red and black fruit flavors, wonderful texture, tart acidity, a joyous mouthfeel, and round polished tannins which give way to a long generous finish. All of nuances from this very well-made Pinot Noir from Maggy Hawk shows that the wine will age well for years to come. But I would find it very hard to wait!

Blueberry smoothie, perfumed, slight black pepper and exotic spices, violet perfume, dried herbs, and mocha oak. Medium to full-bodied, powerful, blackcurrant, some red fruits, ferrous tannin and plenty of them, firm ‘mineral’ acidity keeps it fresh and it’s very long and powerful. Needs a fair amount of time, but a what a great Cabernet this is. So emphatic.

Dried rose and classic Malbec perfume, so purple tasting, sweet spices and earth, violet. Medium-bodied, suede textured tannin, ironstone, spreads with tannin and perfume, plum and black fruit, so long with lush and opulent tannin and again all that fragrance. Superb. Benchmark Malbec. I love this wine.

Ripe, dark raspberry, blackberry, toasty nutty oak, earth. Fresh line of acid, firm chew to tannin here, bright flavour, frisky on the finish with plenty of tannin. A fair bit of toasty oak here, but fruit is sucking it up. It needs time, and it’s a powerful expression of Cabernet Franc, but so good.

Savoury, black olive, earthy toasty and spiced wood. Red fruits, open weave earthy tannin, rosehip, tannin shovels through on the back palate, which is long. A little oak tannin on the finish. Very savoury to close. Pretty brooding and coiled up as at now, but plenty of potential.

Ink black at the core, a deep and youthful purple-tinted rim. Mulberry, nori, and crushed violets on the nose. Rich and opulent black fruits on entry, the flow of this wine sits deep and with power, beyond the fruit there's savoury, seaside, nori minerality, boudin noir and smoky-oak notes. A little overt cedar oil character spikes at the middle but then the weight and intensity rolls on to a long and velveteen finish.

Wine of the Week AU
Yangarra Estate winemaker Peter Fraser is a great experimenter, this Southern Rhône inspired blend of grenache blanc, roussanne, clairette, piquepoul and bourboulenc was fermented and matured in large ceramic egg-shaped vessels.
The colour is medium straw-yellow, bright and clear, and there are savoury aromas of straw, dried herbs and dried flower heads, while the taste is similarly savoury and dry. It’s a far cry from simplistic grapy white wine, and there’s a certain sherry-like nuttiness about it (but not oxidation). An intriguing dry white wine, with backbone and structure to cope with hearty pasta and poultry dishes.

It is paradoxical to think that in the New World order of the right grapes planted in the right places, the Vale now produces among Australia's most exciting white wines. This, destined for legendary status. A synchronicity of 50/25/12/9/4% grenache blanc/roussanne/clairette/piquepoul/bourboulenc, all innately of the southern Rhône and well at home here. Partly macerated on skins (59%) for 90–126 days, the remainder whole-bunch pressed to ceramic eggs for wild fermentation. Taut, salty and nascent of feel. Then, an explosion with air. Loads in store. Lanolin, sea salt, skinsy quince notes, nashi pear, baked apple and preserved Moroccan lemon. Yet it is the texture that compels, from the first rail of chew, to the last lattice of saliva-sucking bite and pithy mealiness. Stay tuned. This is only the beginning of the ascension.

2017 Les Cadrans which tilted more to cherry and leather and was not as expressive and generous as the 2016, which is to be expected. Time will tell about the 2017s. In the meantime, try to secure the 2016 if you favor red Bordeaux.

Les Cadrans de Lassegue Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2016. Second wines of highly ranked wines from Bordeaux can provide great value to discerning consumers. The 2016 Les Cadrans de Lassegue, second wine of the Saint Emilion Grand Cru Chateau Lassegue, is no exception. A skillful blend of 90 percent merlot and 10 percent cabernet franc this very complex complete wine is an amazing value. The Les Cadrans presents a perfumed nose of mushrooms and violets with plum and clove notes in the mouth, creating a very complex and pleasing package.

Deep, youthful red colour in the glass. Pretty, lifted, perfumed aromas of musk, geranium, dark cherry, dried herbs, dark chocolate and spice. Full-flavoured, mulberry, blackberry, blood plum, mocha, spice and a menthol edge. The tannins have a fabulous minerally texture and mouth-feel and there's a lightness and brightness to the palate—nothing heavy or clunky here.

Bright ruby colour. A composed nose of raspberries, rosehip, fennel and sweet spice leads into a velvety core. Its harmonious flow is a standout feature of the wine, alongside its elegant composition of flavours. The palate features vibrant red fruits—raspberries and redcurrant and some savoury tones of fresh earth and bitter chocolate. It glides across with fine yet pliant tannins. Its presence could almost be called ethereal.

Alluring notes of violets, licorice and chocolate-dipped raspberries lead into a ripe and cushioned core full of life. There's a pleasing texture to the wine, a gliding tannin with a fine chew. A warming alcohol glow appears on the finish. This is heady and vibrant with dimension.

Aromas of fresh earth, fennel and raspberries—not as aromatic as its sibling, Hickinbotham grenache. These make way for a palate of dark red berries and savoury tones. There's a sanguine element that adds complexity and intrigue. This wine is all about the base, while its tannins are fine and framing.

Aromas of meat broth, earth and red berries on the nose. On the palate, it has lovely breadth and presence, red fruits mixed with savoury notes. The tannins are fine yet grippy, adding texture to the finish.