Chamomile hints complement a blend of freshly sliced pears and yellow apples as the 2021 Chardonnay Dropstone slowly blossoms in the glass. This shows its minerality up front, salty and savory, with a sensation of liquid stone that mixes with ripe green apples. It finishes fresh and crunchy yet still potent. A candied lime tinge calls the taster back to the glass for more.

An enticing blend of cherry sauce, cola and clove introduces the 2021 Pinot Noir Emery. Soothingly round and supple, it washes across the palate with a cascade of ripe red berry fruits underscored by tactile minerals. A juicy, acidic core maintains fantastic energy throughout. This leaves a web of fine tannins and a crunchy sensation, finishing long and potent yet nicely framed as a tart blackberry concentration fades slowly.

The 2021 Chardonnay La Crete opens in the glass with a mix of dusty dried flowers, ground ginger and nectarine. This displays lovely depth and complexity, with soothingly round textures and masses of mineralinflected, ripe orchard fruits, all guided by brisk acidity. It leaves a citrusy concentration and edgy tannins to mingle under an air of sweet spice as the mouth waters for more.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Zena Crown is dark and brooding in the glass. Crushed stones and flowery underbrush give way to ginger, clove and dried black cherries. This is a juicy and playful effort, with ripe wild berry fruits and hints of candied citrus motivated by vibrant acidity. It firms up through the finish with a web of fine tannins, adding youthful poise. A bitter licorice tinge tugs at the cheeks, and hints of chalk dust slowly fade. Both accessible and refined, the 2021 Zena Crown is a pleasure to taste.

A transparent medium red color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard is spicy on the nose with notes of fresh, ripe cherries, pine needles, wildflowers, and porcini. From classic sedimentary soils, at moderate elevation, the wine is medium-bodied, juicy, and savory with sweet tannins and a good bit of length and purity that lasts on the fresh finish. It’s another charming wine that is going to drink well over the next 6-8 years.

The 2016 Blanc De Blancs comes from a great Chardonnay vintage in the Willamette Valley and pours a medium golden color. Expressive with notes of ripe peach, bread dough, tangerine, and frangipane, it was raised both in stainless steel and barrel, without going through malolactic fermentation. The palate is medium to full-bodied, and the wine is generous and ripe but fully dry, with a pithy structure, a peppery mousse, and a savory finish. A really solid and serious Blanc de Blancs, it’s drinking well now, but its structure should provide quality enjoyment over the coming 6-8 years.

Poppy but carrying a good deal of complexity, the 2022 Gamay Noir Flavorscape comes from 30-year-old own-rooted Gamay and has a fantastic nose, with aromas of wild raspberries, white pepper, fresh herbs, and pine. Medium-bodied, it has fine polished tannins, refreshing, ripe acidity, and a beautiful, tapered finish. I highly encourage readers to find this fun but very, very well-made wine. Drink 2024-2029.

A well-rounded, serious and textural gran selezione showing notes of dark cherries, cassis and baking spices. Full-bodied with sinewy tannins. Well driven and structured, with a juicy core of berries at the center and a textured finish with length. Drink or hold.

A well-balanced, velvety and harmonious riserva. Aromas of plums, spiced cherries and violets dominate on the nose, following through to a medium body with fine tannins. Subtle and juicy, with a vivid stream of berries at the center and a flavorful, lively finish. Drink or hold.

Dusty and cedary nose of dark berries, toasted spices and hints of dried herbs. Dry and a little tight on the palate, with raw, chewy tannins. Medium-bodied. I like the fruit concentration and succulent mid-palate, yet it needs a bit more time to integrate the tannins. Try after 2027.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Pas de Nom has aged gracefully and is at an ideal juncture between youthful fruit and tertiary maturity. It has a pale ruby color and layered scents of red and black cherries, dried tobacco and orange peel, mushroom and graphite. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with ripe berry fruit and savory tones, and it has a long finish. It's in a great spot for drinking!

The 2019 Pinot Noir Pas de Nom has layered aromas of cranberry, blueberry, blood orange, aniseed and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate features generous, expansive flavors. It's structurally seamless and refreshing and has a long, spicy finish.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Bella Vida Vineyard is alluringly broody with its scents of black cherries, black tea, earth and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated and fragrant with finely chalky tannins, mouthwatering acidity and a long, spicy finish. 319 cases produced.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Bramble Hill Vineyard is aptly named, offering aromas of dark, wild berry fruit, fennel, spice and flowers. The palate's powerful, spicy fruit is framed by chalky tannins and balanced by mouthwatering acidity, and it has a long, detailed finish. 326 cases produced.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Knudsen Vineyard is a new wine from Penner-Ash. It has intense aromas of black cherries and black tea leaves, bergamot and earth. The medium-bodied palate boasts a concentrated core of dark, fragrant fruit. It has a finely chalky frame, vibrant acidity and a long, perfumed finish. 148 cases produced.

Evolving aromas of lemon-glazed apples grow more prominent as this wine opens on the nose. The palate is quite tense in structure yet bolder in flavor, offering golden touches of lemon, yellow apple and light toast.

Silver metal in 2024 Royal Queensland Wine Awards

This smells savory, with a leesiness up front and mild grape-skin flavor that follows along a crisp coastal line. It feels shady and cool, while the orange-citrus fruit holds lasting acidity. —J.G. (270 cases)

Sumptuous but with clean lines, Hartford Court’s interpretation of the cool Radian site leads with scents of nutmeg and cinnamon, apple and pear, a kind of horchata savor and richness. Its golden-pear flavors are fresh and lively, brought to a close with rippling acidity.

Rich and creamy yet fresh, this full-bodied wine is loaded with ripe fruit and subtle oak spices backed by lively acidity. Aromas of coconut, kiwi fruit and honeydew melon, with vanilla bean nuances on the lingering finish. Drink or hold. 

Broad and rich at first sip, yet balanced to a tee. Fragrant red cherries, black cherries and spearmint lead to lively fresh fruit, minerals and appetizing chalky notes on the palate and finish. Braced by acidity, full-bodied but agile and moderate in tannins, it has the structure for further aging. Drink now or hold. 

Fresh lemons, herbs and spices on the nose. The palate delivers a focused and energetic body with vibrant acidity supporting a rounded and creamy mouthfeel. A very complex, mineral-driven and balanced chardonnay. Drink or hold. 

Incisive aromas of citrus and yellow orchard and stone fruits. Superb balance with firm acidity on a medium weight palate finishing very long with chalky minerals and lemon extract. Sourced from Adi Badenhorst's Kalmoesfontein Vineyard and fermented in oak, amphora, and concrete eggs. 13.5% alc. This label is owned by Jackson Family Wines, and the wine is made by Graham Weertz (here with the author) at a winery in Paarl. Graham offered to show me later vintages at the winery, but my time ran out before I could do so. Next year, definitely

The 2021 The Revivalist Merlot comes from a vineyard planted in 1971 and leads with brambly mintiness, cocoa and dark chocolate, raspberry and plum, aniseed and thyme. This is a classy wine. It has inflections of green, but it nails the brief Merlot characters, and the tannins in the mouth really ground the experience. I think this will age very well indeed. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

La Jota's 2021 Merlot Howell Mountain includes small proportions of Petit Verdot (5%) and Tannat (2%). Scents of mint, pine, black cherries, cedar and crushed stone mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is reasonably supple up front, then turns softly dusty on the long, elegant finish.