It would be fascinating to put this Hickinbotham Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 up against 707 or the like. It sure has the guts. An absolute top shelf McLaren Vale Cabernet, and structured to last generations (and nowhere near ready). In fact, that readiness counts against it – it’s a monster.Oh and do you like the new labels? I think I like the old ones tbh. But that might be a cognitive bias thing. Speaking of cognitive bias, I struggled to rate this for philosophical reasons. Do you call this a Top Gold (18.7/20, 95/100) scoring wine, because of the impeccable structure signalling what it will become? Or do you go a little lower, because the oak is such a dominant force rather than an expression of fruit and terroir?The winemaking, as usual, is ace. Sourced from 3 blocks on the Hickinbotham property, with the bulk yielding at less than 1.5t/acre. The juice spends 17 days on skins minimum, bottled October 2020 (so let’s say 12-15 months in oak minimum). Numbers, for the interested: pH 3.6 TA 6.4g/l.Classy oak is indeed a potent feature here. Dark berries meeting coffeed oak. It’s deep, dark and very finely polished too. Too much? It’s hard to argue with the perfection of the palate otherwise – coiffed and ultra-fine, with the most perfect tannins. But I’m torn. I see oak on nose, on the palate and through the tannins, while the Shiraz is just glorious from the get-go. Just a teensy bit warm on the finish it is too.Too young by half, but the perfection of the body is excellent. The plus signs couldn’t be more important.

Lots of whole bunches driving a sappy fresh-herb edge to the nose, as well as fruit that moves in a strawberry and red-cherry direction. So fresh and vibrant on the palate, this has a bright stream of red-cherry flavors and attractively crisp tannin. Drink now.

Deepish red/purple colour, bright. The bouquet is complex with mixed-spice and dark-fruit aromas, plus a dusty-earthy mineral overlay. The wine is full and round and supple in the mouth, with soft, almost pillowy tannins and savoury dryness, the after-impression one of harmony. There is a core of deep-buried sweet fruit that comes on all pastille-like, and the tannins on the finish are earthy and peppery in the same way green olive-oil leaves a peppery feel in its aftertaste. This is a baby, a bit closed, and demands more time. High potential.

Restrained, youthful pinot noir, with peppery tannins keeping the volume down at this early stage. Quite a savoury, spicy wine suggesting the use of whole-bunches in fermentation. A moderately complex and supple wine that clearly has cellaring potential.

Sour cherry, tart pomegranate characters, lots of red fruitines and a light dusting of spice and minty herbal notes, Crisp texture, lighter feel but multi-dimensional in its layers of flavour and detail. Tannins wash over the wine and build gently to a tightening chew. Quite a floral wine here. Very appealing.

“Possibly the most delicate of all the 2020 pinots”, Steve Flamsteed tells us, “needs time to relax too”.So fine boned, tiny needle work points of acidity and sour cherry, the smallest pinch of alpine herbs and white peper. A mouthful of glass shards and sour cherry-kissed mineral water of the finest pedigree. A little smudge of walnut paste in finish? Barely. Anyways, beautiful, fragile, refreshing, edgy, pure feeling. Wonderful expression on the edge.

This svelte and sleek wine offers wonderful, beautifully integrated red and black fruits, forest floor nuances and dashes of earth and wood smoke. It’s fascinating and complex but also harmonious, elegant in texture and memorable in flavor.

There’s a detailed softness to the nose of this bottling, ranging from warm butter and cake batter aromas to lemon zest and egg souffle. The palate is much more firm and vibrant, offering sharp lime and grapefruit, a chiseled structure and then warmer flavors of toasted nut toward the acid-washed finish.

Floral, with edgy acidity, this white is made from a block within the Durell Vineyard that is rocky. The rock shows through on the palate, adding texture and complexity to the highlights of apple skin, pear, stone fruit and oak, the finish loaded in spice.

Delicious fruity richness comes with bracing underlying acidity in this full-bodied, generous, creamy but well-balanced wine. Lemon, almond, ripe Bosc pear and toasted baguette flavors give it more than enough to savor.

There may be no better bang for your buck in Russian River Valley Chardonnay. Rich, unctuous and velvety, it is expansive and balanced, with lush layers of peach and pear dusted in nutmeg. The oak is well-integrated and contributes cohesive elements of baking spice.

This white gold colored Chardonnay opens with a great nose featuring lemon and oak with a hint of honeydew melon. On the palate, this wine is full bodied and slightly acidic. It also round, well-balanced, and lush. The flavor profile is a lemon and green tea blend with notes of subtle minerality, and oak. We also detected hints of pineapple and coconut. The finish is dry, and its flavors fade away nicely. This excellent Chard was enjoyed by everyone who tried it. It would pair well with a chicken ravioli with wild mushrooms with a light cream sauce.

Ambitiously priced it may be, but there's no denying the quality of pan-Cape Chardonnay from the Klein Karoo, Overberg, Stellenbosch and Robertson. The oak is a little smoky, but the palate is racy, dense and structured, with impressive extract, lees and baking spice notes and a core of minerality.

This rich version is well-knit and minerally, with concentrated savoriness to the pure-tasting white fruit and spice flavors. White stone accents linger on the powerfully structured finish, with sea salt notes. Drink now through 2026.

Layers of brisk sandstone and dried mango weave together into silken pleasure, this wine's golden richness notably cool and mouthwatering. Dry and savory, it lasts in a sphere of flavor, sustaining its healthy integration for days without any frayed edges. You could decant it for scallops tossed with ginger and scallions. Or take it in a completely different direction with bloomy-rind cheeses.

Rich nose of vanilla crème brûlée then focused but generous flavours of yellow apple, plum and banana giving sunshine and warmth. A light touch of reductive winemaking gives a struck match and gunsmoke character to the finish, elegantly balancing the rich fruit.

Dark as night, packed with concentrated aromas of menthol, bay leaf, tobacco, cedar, vanilla and cassis, the 2019 Trueman Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, powerful Cabernet with notable herbal overtones. Full-bodied, ripe and velvety in texture, it finishes with hints of dark chocolate and scorched coffee. Long and structured, with dusty tannins on the finish, it should age well for at least 10–15 years.

This Coal River Valley pinot has a modern, gently reductive edge to the nose with plenty of brambly, spicy and sappy complexity to the ripe red and dark cherries. The palate is delivered in such pure and plump style and really fresh cherries abound. Very drinkable. Drink over the next five years. Screw cap.

This is a complex and powerful edition of this estate-grown grenache with aromas of red and dark berries, ginger bread and toasted spices, as well as wild herbs. The palate offers vibrantly fleshy style with impressive concentration of raspberry and blueberry flavors. Fresh, with structure and drive. Drink over the next eight years. Screw cap.

This is a rich white, showing impressive structure and plenty of ripe lemon, pear, peach and mangosteen with some savory pastry-like notes, too. The palate has a tangy edge and smooth-toned phenolics carrying plenty of flavor. From organically grown grapes. Drink over the next six years. Screw cap.

Aromas of terra cotta, blueberry, rose hip and iron, as well as an earthy, sanguine edge. The palate has intense red-plum flavors and assertively powerful and long tannins. Very focused and contained. Drink over the next decade. Screw cap.

2019 Pinot Noir, Lingenfelder Vineyard The nose is spiced black fruit, taffy with a note of menthol. The palate entry is a supple vanilla and plum backed by deep, polished cola and baking spice throughout. It's a very complete, flavor-packed wine. Drink 2021 - 2026.

The 2019 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard is also rich but shows slightly more salty minerality and chalky nuances as well as clean, classy citrus fruits, white flowers, and toasted nut-like aromatics. It's beautiful on the palate as well, with a beautiful vibrancy and focus, medium-bodied richness, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish.

Gorgeous kirsch and framboise fruits as well as spice and dried flower notes all emerge from the 2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills. It's a fresher, more elegant example from this great estate, with a solid spine of acidity, beautiful balance, and a great, great finish. It's brilliant today but will be even better with another year of bottle age and keep for at least 10-15 years in cold cellars.

The 94 McD Rockfall Cab 2015 is ready to drink if you bought some on my recommendation and kept your mitts off it. It still has plenty of shelf.