More traditionally styled than the Ovitelli or Hickinbotham, the 2018 High Sands Grenache underwent indigenous fermentation in open-top vats and then the free-run juice was put into older French oak, where it matured for 11 months. It's deeper colored yet not dark, with subtle notes of pencil shavings accenting black cherries and licorice. Full-bodied and concentrated without being heavy or dense, it delivers a range of berry flavors, intriguing notions of garrigue and a long, richly textural finish.

Matured in 35% new French oak, the 2018 Ironheart Shiraz adds subtle vanilla and cedar elements to a roaring noseful of blueberries and spice. Full-bodied and concentrated, it's supple and rich on the palate, with a texture somewhere between velvet and silk—velour, perhaps? Marked by mouthwatering acidity on the lengthy finish, it's a balanced, finely proportioned wine that should age effortlessly for at least 10–15 years.

From vines planted in 1946, the 2019 Ovitelli Grenache fermented in 675-liter ceramic eggs and stayed on the skins for another 158 days post-fermentation. Free-run juice was then returned to eggs for another five months of maturation (no press wine is utilized). The result is a medium-ruby wine with extraordinary aromas of red raspberries and cherries, laced with delicate strands of garrigue, wild roses and black tea. Medium-bodied and silky-textured, it's drying yet mouthwatering at the same time on the prolonged finish, an intriguing paradox that prompts sip after sip. It's the best vintage of Ovitelli that I've tasted to date.

Attractively fresh red fruit, blueberries, spiced bread and blue florals make for a fresh impression with plenty of fragrance. The palate is so smoothly polished and has long, fine tannins buried beneath supple, red-berry fruit flesh. Drink over the next six years. Screw cap.

Polished, vibrant and generous, with black cherry, red licorice and maraschino cherry flavors that mingle with details of white tea, brown sugar and fresh loamy accents, lingering on the long, expressive finish, with supple tannins.

This distinctive red offers a powerful, robust mix of blood orange, dried cherry and pomegranate flavors on a firm, muscular frame. Notes of baking spices, cigar box and salty black licorice linger on the finish, with a touch of sarsaparilla. Drink now through 2035.

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.

This expressive white showcases a mouthwatering mix of tahini, fresh ginger, lemon zest, pear and green apple flavors on a juicy, sleek frame, with remarkable precision and intensity on the finish, oozing with freshness and vibrancy. Drink now through 2032.

Stylish and memorable, with a touch of salted caramel adding a rich, savory edge, yet the core is pure and juicy, featuring lively Meyer lemon, Asian pear and lime sherbet flavors that show wonderful transparency and intensity, followed by candied ginger notes on the finish. Drink now through 2022.

Pleasantly leafy and herbal—without getting into the vegetal end of things—Hickinbotham's 2019 The Nest Cabernet Franc is the third consecutive strong vintage for this wine, which is loaded with dark cassis and black cherry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and richly textured, it finishes long, with echoes of cigar box and pipe tobacco.

Grapefruit, lime and lemon flavors are intense and juicy on a sleek frame, with a thread of saline, candied citrus peel and matcha green tea. Impressive for its laserlike focus and mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2022.

This offers a vibrant, mouthwatering mix of lime peel, peach and pineapple flavors on a sleek and juicy frame, with hints of spearmint, matcha green tea and fresh ginger that linger on the long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2022.

Blueberries, blackberries and hints of espresso mingle on the nose of the 2019 King's Wood Shiraz, which matured in a large (2,500-liter) foudre. Without obvious wood impact and with 25% whole bunches, it's reminiscent of a good Saint-Joseph, melding fruity and savory notes into a harmonious whole. Medium to full-bodied, it's supple on the palate, with just a hint of menthol appearing on the long, silky finish.

Hickinbotham's 2019 The Revivalist Merlot features classic varietal notes of black cherries, mocha and gentle tobacco-leaf shadings. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, showing unexpected crispness to offset the wine's formidable heft. Rich, velvety tannins coat the palate, while the finish lingers. It's a rich, concentrated Merlot that surpasses many other New World versions.

Marked by notes of vanilla and creosote on the nose, the 2019 Brooks Road Shiraz follows those opening salvos with blueberry and plum fruit, cedar shavings and dark chocolate. It's medium to full-bodied, supple and ripe, with a plush feel and a long, licorice-tinged finish. There's ample concentration and power, but the wine is already approachable and I'd expect it to age relatively quickly. Drink it over the next decade or so.

This is a fresh, crisp, dry style that’s made with grenache that has all the attractive peach, strawberry and floral allure you’d expect in a modern Australian rosé. The palate has a mouthwatering, sleek feel. From organically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap.

This is a very pure, super-young style of shiraz that is all about the unadulterated taste of blueberry and red-plum shiraz fruit. Smooth, open-knit and plump, it has no sulphites added – hence the preservative-free acronym. Drink now. Screw cap.

Fresh and attractive fruit, in the pear and apple spectrum, with some light, pastry-like notes, too. The palate delivers a smooth, crisp impression with a gently chalky finish. I like the restraint here. A blend of 49% grenache blanc, 18% picpoul, 15% Claudette, 13% roussanne and 5% bourboulenc. Drink now. Screw cap.

Vibrant, expressive and spicy, with fresh raspberry, cherry and pomegranate flavors, and notes of toasted cumin, cardamom, sage and dried orange zest that linger on the finish, where details of loam emerge. Drink now through 2035.

The medium-ruby 2019 Hickinbotham Grenache is a new wine, completely destemmed, fermented in cocciopesto egg-shaped amphorae and kept on skins for 90 days, then aged in the amphorae for another eight months. It's marked by delicate scents of red raspberries and pomegranate on the nose, then adds wiry suggestions of fine herbs amid the silky mouthfeel of the medium to full-bodied palate before finishing on notes of crushed stones and dusty tannins. I'd give it another year or two to resolve some of those tannins, then drink it over the next seven years or so.

Upon harvest, the grapes for the 2019 Roux Beaute Roussanne were divided into two parts: half were destemmed, crushed and fermented on the skins (total time on skins was 193 days); the other half were pressed for a conventional white-wine fermentation without skins. Both halves were fermented and aged in 675-liter ceramic eggs. The final blend is 60% conventional and 40% skin-macerated, yielding a deep, brassy-hued wine with scents of honey, quince, fresh cider and baked apples. Medium to full-bodied, it's richly textural yet fresh, tightly structured and lively, a bit of a quixotic wine, intriguing and cerebral yet not entirely hedonistic.