Some wines to go with Father's Day barbecueMore from CaliforniaJackson Family Wines from California is also jumping on the Father’s Day bandwagon.The winery is showcasing its 2018 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay and La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2018 as wines dads will love.Of course, that doesn’t stop moms and anyone else, for that matter, from enjoying these bottles from the Golden State.So, serve up roasted or barbecued chicken with the Chardonnay, which has a apple-and-butterscotch profile.And the Pinot Noir is a light-enough red from the cooler Sonoma Coast to pair with seared tuna or grilled salmon.

Bright, medium to full red/purple colour with a sweetly raspberry-like aroma, a lovely fragrant perfume. Rose petals and pot-pourri. Light to medium-weighted, with a fine sheen of tannins contributing a nicely tailored firmness to the structure. A wine of real finesse. (A higher altitude site but the soils are grey clays usually found in the lowest parts of the valley)

Aromas of almond, malt, smoky-sulfides and cracked wheat. The 60% malolactic doesn't show. A supremely refined, delicate yet intense wine with lovely flow to the palate, the aftertaste has a distinctively malt-biscuit character and lovely citrusy mouthwatering acidity that is beautifully integrated into the seamless whole. Tremendous length, a very smart wine. (400m altitude. North and north-east exposures. The highest site in the Yarra to reliably ripen fruit, formerly a sparkling wine vineyard)

Medium to light red/purple colour. Very floral and rose-petally, with a tinge of lavender. Highly aromatic pinot. The palate is light to medium-weight and finely-textured, with a sheen of firm but fine tannins adding grip and structure. The aftertaste has a brothy umami savouriness and a lingering aftertaste. Compact and focused. An excellent Yarra pinot but if anything just a bit light. (Site is 230m, similar altitude as Applejack but the difference is the soil, which is red basalt)

Medium-depth red/purple hue. Lovely ripe red to dark cherry aromas, fresh and bright, already very accessible. Ample fine tannins , in balance. Beautifully made. A juicy pinot to enjoy relatively young. This gives a stack of pleasure. (One of their warmest sites, the earliest pinot harvested; 100m altitude, east facing. All MV6 clone.)

Slightly reductive at first—smoky, then talcy and restrained, fresh and crisply tart, refined and lingering, with a hunger-inducing saltiness and grip at the finish. A beautifully refined, subtle and harmonious wine. (300m altitude. Unfiltered. Tiny crop due to poor fruit-set)

A notably deeper colour than the Giant Steps Yarra pinots, looking more Central Otago than Yarra! The bouquet shows dark fruits rather than red, rich and ripe, with more stemmy whole-bunch overtones than the 2020 Yarra pinots, although they all have about 50% whole-bunch ferments. The wine is medium-bodied and has more weight and tannin than the Yarra wines, finishing with a conclusive grip which is in balance and simply calls for heartier food. It has less perfume and detail but more brawn. (From a vineyard near Tee Tree in the Coal Valley, 80-90m altitude and hungry soil, sand over limestone)

Buttery Burgundian complexity sets this apart from the other 2020 Giant Steps chardonnays. It's rich and remarkably complex for an unoaked wine. Ageing in clay 'egg' vessels provided some similar effects to a wood-matured effect. A more up-front, generous style and a quite remarkable wine. (50% malolactic, unfiltered. A blend of one egg from each of the four individual vineyards, Sexton, Tarraford, Applejack and Wombat Creek, plus Gruyere Farm)

Malty, lanolin, raw almond aromas, delicate, refined, subtle and beautifully balanced. Tastes quite different to a Gingin clone wine from, say, Margaret River. Intense, very fine and long and there's a gentle grip on the finish that helps cleanse the aftertaste. (200m altitude, Gingin clone)

A soft, delicate, restrained wine with aromas of white flowers and a whiff of almond meal. Cashew-nutty too. A more straightforward style and a trifle short on the finish compared to other vineyards. It's remarkably backward and restrained considering it’s the lowest altitude vineyard and earliest harvested. (100m altitude, south-facing)

Dry-grown (biodynamically), whole-bunch pressed and fermented wild. 480 dozen made. Pale copper-crimson, gorgeously aromatic, spotlessly clean and a delight to drink. Echoes of redcurrant and spice, dried herbs and cherries. Dry and racy but not anaemic or underdone. Everything here, price included, is in alignment.

100% Pinot Noir. Another wine that seems to have improved over the last 12 months (92 Pts. in 2020). Classic medium pink with a lovely nose of ripe peach and rose petals. Fruity on the palate with a savory note, plenty of tartness, a another lovely wine. Outstanding.

82% Pinot Noir, 15% Syrah, 3% Grenache. More orange than pink. An interesting nose of fruit, a bit of oxidation, caramel even. Good fruit, with some RS here, and that interesting toasted caramel thing going on. I liked this last year (90 Pts.) and I still do. Very Good.

Light pink with an orange rim. A bit “dirty” on the nose but plenty of peach, a hint of rhubarb, lovely, actually. The palate, is unfortunately characterized by that “dirtiness” there is also some sweetness. Another wine that did not fair well with the additional year of age. I loved this last year (92 Pts) but this year? Not so much. Could it be an off bottle? Maybe…. Very Good.

This moderately oaked Oregon chardonnay is decidedly dry, brisk with initial notes of dried grasses, lemon peel, and a sizable melon component. It’s a bit flat on the palate, with notes of gooseberry and more lemon peel, leading the way to an oddball conclusion that evokes licorice, a touch of dry leather, and a hint of petrol. The wine doesn’t offer much in the way of typical chardonnay character, finishing in notes of sesame and milk chocolate — finally showing a hint of vanilla on the fade-out.

From one of California’s finest cool climate regions, this Chardonnay is notable in many ways. The grapes, from coastal Santa Barbara County, deliver vibrant and bright flavors suggesting citrus and green apple, along with a touch of oak spice and a tweak of stony minerality. The wine’s appealing creamy texture is fine tuned with just the right amount of acidity and the finish is pleasantly long.

Light pink with a very fruity nose and some red flower. The palate is lovely. There might be a touch of RS here, but it works, at least for me. Excellent.

Lifted fresh herbs on the nose which distinguished this Pinot Noir from the others and the multifaceted fresh red fruit (raspberries, strawberries and red cherries) that danced along the palate leaving a wafting aroma of freshly picked basil and ripe strawberries in one’s head.

This wine seemed to express so many facets of North Coast Pinot Noir with its gorgeous nose of wild flowers, layers of red, black and blue fruit that had hints of mossy tree bark and black tea leaves with velvety tannins. And although very complex, it had a lovely purity of expression of pristine red cherries on the finish.

Darker fruit with loamy earth and dried orange peel that had inviting juicy fruit flavors balanced by a linear body with an energetic drive.

An enchanting nose with pretty lilac notes and red cherries with an exquisitely etched tannic structure that gave a beautiful shape to this wine.

Baklava and allspice aromas with fresh apples and a creamy texture on the palate with mouthwatering acidity.

A bright nose with smoky minerality and roasted almonds that had a broad body with juicy stone fruit and expressive finish.

Attractive spice aromas are deeply woven into blueberry and dark cherries. This has enticingly complex style. The palate has such impressive intensity and concentrated flavors of blueberry and dark cherry sweep long and fluid. A beautiful, bold pinot. Drink or hold.

Attractive violet and blueberry aromas here with cassis and gentle herbal accents. The palate is smooth and velvety with a plush and open-knit feel. This has ample, fleshy dark-cherry flavor. Drink now.