Gorgeous. This is rich and long, with beautiful layers of grilled macadamia nut, quince paste, oyster shell, chamomile and ground coffee expanding on the raw silk–like mousse. Vivid acidity effortlessly defines the voluptuous profile, bringing a blonde bombshell feel to this impressive blanc de blancs. Mineral and spice notes echo on the vibrant finish. Drink now through 2036.

Black cherries, redcurrants, savory herbs, iodine, rose petals, and pepper all emerge from
the 2024 Pinot Noir 3D, another quintessential Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir vinified with plenty
of whole clusters and raised 15 months in 100% neutral oak. It's medium to full-bodied, with
a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great mid-palate. I'd put it up with
the crème de la crème of the vintage, and it's a sensational Pinot Noir to drink over the
coming 20 years. Drink 2026-2046.

A slightly more reductive, exotic Chardonnay, the 2024 Chardonnay Hapgood has ample
stone fruits, leafy herbs, toasted brioche, and almond paste-like nuances on the nose. It
slowly opens up with some aggressive aeration, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate,
with remarkable mid-palate depth, bright, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. Aged 15
months in 100% neutral oak, it needs to be hidden in the cellar for 2-3 years but will be
long-lived. I'd be shocked if it didn't keep for 20+ years in cold cellars. Drink 2028-2048.

An utterly classic and beautifully pure Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay, the 2024 Chardonnay 3D is
one of my favorites in the lineup. Stone fruits, white flowers, beeswax, and spice all define
the nose, along with tons of classic salty, mineral, and marine-like nuances that are the
hallmark of this appellation. Raised 15 months in 100% neutral oak, it's medium to fullbodied on the palate, beautifully textured and concentrated, with bright, clean acidity and a
great finish. Give bottles 2-3 years and drink over the following 15+ years. Drink 2028-2043.

Pouring a deeper magenta/purple color and coming in at just 12.9% alcohol, the 2023 Pinot
Noir Dropstone immediately impresses with aromas of fresh black raspberry, tea leaf,
violet, wildflowers, and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied in impression yet completely
weightless, it has tremendous complexity, remarkable definition to the tannins, and
exceptional balance without sacrificing ripeness. Easily the best wine I've had from Shane
to date. Bravo. Drink over the coming decades.

A seriously concentrated, spicy and structured wine with a good track record for aging,
showing aromas of star anise, cardamom and black pepper. Lots of dark-fruit flavors like
blackcurrants and black cherries alongside espresso, iron, iodine and crushed rocks. This
expands on the palate and lingers in the finish. Drinkable now and best from 2030.

The 2023 Helena Dakota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of crème de cassis, blackberry preserves, and black cherries, leading to suggestions of dark chocolate, licorice, and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with muscular black fruit layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and great tension, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. 

Composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2023 La Joie comes barreling out with powerful notes of plum preserves, crème de cassis, and molten licorice, leading to hints of bay leaves, graphite, and sandalwood with a waft of violets. Full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and fantastic tension supporting the concentrated black fruit layers, finishing long and savory. 

Silk. That's the first word that comes to mind with this Yangarra High Sands Grenache.
There is an incredible sense of delicacy and precision here, yet beneath the prettiness sits
a quiet tension that gives the wine remarkable presence.
Planted in 1946, these certified organic and biodynamic bush vines are rooted in six metres
of pure silica sand, and that sandy foundation seems to bring an almost effortless elegance
to the wine.
For the first time, 15% whole bunch contributes to the final blend, while the remainder is
selectively sorted, destemmed and fermented with 50% whole berries retained. Wild yeast
fermentation in ceramic egg and small open top stainless steel fermenters, followed by a
long, gentle maceration, has resulted in a wine where purity of fruit is front and centre.
Blueberries, mulberries, delicate raspberries and raspberry coulis glide across the palate,
joined by a nostalgic flicker of raspberry rope. The fruit is joyous, pristine and beautifully
shaped, yet never feels overly sweet or weighty. The tannins are fine and graceful, creating
a seamless framework that allows the fruit to float. There's a wonderful sense of flow and
feel, with that silica sand seemingly translating into that prettiness and finesse. Then, just
when you think the wine has revealed everything, a subtle tension arrives late, tightening
the palate and adding another dimension. I watched this evolve over a couple of days and it
just kept getting better and better. There's the structure and purity to age beautifully, but if
you're drinking it now, give it a proper decant and embrace the beauty. Incredible as ever.

Capensis’ world-class Fijnbosch Chardonnay hails from the highest vineyard in Stellenbosch, overlooking the Simonsberg at 600 metres on decomposed granite and sandstone soils. Still very fresh after four years in barrel and bottle, it has perfumed 50% new oak, remarkable purity and focus, chiselled acidity, flavours of lime, vanilla and lemongrass and impressive energy and va-va-voom.

Prominently herbaceous on the nose, this cool-climate Syrah shows bramble and black raspberry aromas as well as meatier, savory notes. The palate recalls Cornas-like flavors of thyme and listed pepper, as the fruity core of boysenberry is balanced by chalky tannins. Drink now-2044.

54/46% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz. This is a bit of an homage, inspired some years ago by a bottle of the iconic Bin 60A at the equally iconic Victory Hotel. Cabernet leads here, scented with fragrant leafy notes, tobacco, mulberry, currant and cedar, then blackberry, a mineral, iron-rich note, some buoyant red and black fruits, a certain exuberance, some levity. A tarry mineral quality, lightly expressed, ground anise, green cardamom, iodine. There are quiet vanillin notes from oak of the highest quality, some cracked pepper and spice. The fine detail, tannic finesse and elegance are admirable. It’s in such a beautifully classic vein, and it’s extraordinarily successful.

Still rather tight, this percolates with a steady, succulent feel through its dense core of boysenberry, blackberry and morello cherry paste flavors as they unwind slowly on the finish, where graphite, smoldering anise and black tea details emerge. Grippy and sapid, this is built for those with patience. Best from 2030 through 2050.—J.M.

Beautifully rendered, this manages to put forth steeped boysenberry, morello cherry and red currant fruit paste notes that sparkle with inner energy, while anise, bramble, black tea and wood spice details emerge steadily. Sapid, long and seriously grippy, but with freshness and drive, this is set up for a long, slow evolution. Best from 2030 through 2050.—J.M.

This offers up seductive aromatics of mulled anise, black tea and bay leaf, while a core of sappy mulberry, blackberry compote and boysenberry pâte de fruit rolls through with authority. Ample, iron-laced grip and racy acidity course underneath and give the dense core time to slowly unwind as a smoldering wood spice note chimes amid the fruit. There will be a long wait for this red’s peak, but it will be well worth it. Best from 2030 through 2050.—J.M.

The most complete wine yet released under the Giant Steps Bastard Hill name; which is saying something. Intensity, length, texture and X-factor are all so beautifully realised here. It tastes of grapefruit, nashi pear, almond butter, white peach and citrus, with a gentle run of brine carried throughout. Not only is this the most complete GS Bastard Hill; it’s also the most approachable on release. You could hook in right now and be blissfully happy. There’s a chalky/mineral/talc-like/chamomile aspect to the aftertaste which too is just such a delight to behold.

From the Sexton vineyard in Gruyere planted in the late '90s. 100% destemmed, 22% new wood. More black fruits than red fruits, stewed rhubarb, a little earth and iodine, too. This follows through onto the darkly fruited, compact and firmly structured palate. The most closed of the four single-vineyard wines today but one that will reward at least a decade, or more, in your cellar.

Mainly destemmed. A medium-bright crimson. A touch richer and more opulent than the '24. Having said that, this is still a supremely perfumed wine, with aromas of alpine fruits, herbal bitters, orange peel, sandalwood and light rose petal. Medium bodied, with lovely mid-palate intensity and energy. The tannins are just so silky and long. Classic Upper Yarra pinot that will reward cellaring over the next eight to 10 years.

A blend of Gingin and Bernard clones planted in '97 in Gruyere. Fermented and matured in mainly puncheons and one new 1200L foudre. Expressive with aromas of stone fruits, candied ginger, grapefruit and roasted hazelnut. Just as good on the beautifully concentrated mid-palate, finishing with mouth-watering acidity on the very long, pithy finish. An excellent Sexton to drink now and over the next six to eight years.

Prominently herbaceous on the nose, this cool-climate Syrah shows bramble and black raspberry aromas as well as meatier, savory notes. The palate recalls Cornas-like flavors of thyme and listed pepper, as the fruity core of boysenberry is balanced by chalky tannins. Drink now-2044.

Layers of red currant and black strawberry interlace with aromatics of baking spices, vanilla cream, molasses, and sarsaparilla on the nose of this wine. On the palate, lively flavors of Bing cherry, ripe raspberry, cinnamon,and clove glide into silky tannins on the finish. Drink now or cellar until 2038.

From an old-vine Chardonnay site, this wine offers concentrated aromas of honeyed stone fruit, citrus, tropical fruit, white florals, alpine sage, and sedimentary rock on the nose. The flavors on the palate are baked Asian pear, Pink Lady apple, pomelo, citrus rind, vanilla cream, clove, and ample mineral on the finish. Drink now or cellar until 2035.

Opulent, this wine offers aromatics of dark black plum, dark cherry, sage brush, cinnamon, sandalwood, vanilla bean and dried floral on the nose. Flavors on the palate convey pomegranate-raspberry coulis, sorrel, allspice, molasses, bittersweet chocolate, and silky tannins to finish. Drink now or cellar until 2037.

Lifted aromas of dark raspberry are layered with clove, star anise, black strawberry, mineral, and dried potpourri on the nose of this wine. The mouthfeel is concentrated with dark plum, cinnamon, and candied orange zest, simmering into mouthwatering pomegranate, blood orange, spice, and supple acidity on the finish. Drink now or cellar until 2038.

Fresh, this wine offers aromatics of ocean air, citrus, stone fruit, alpine florals, sagebrush, yellow plum, honeysuckle, and sedimentary rock on the nose. The flavors on the palate are youthful yellow apple, white nectarine, white peach, allspice, cinnamon, coriander, and supple acidity on the finish. Drink now or cellar until 2035.