2011 California Cabernet - 10 years onAromas of cigar smoke, old leather, underbrush and black cherry. Ripe and succulent palate of red cassis, mocha, wet gravel and anise. As ghostly and weightless as Cabernet blends get (here 74% Cabernet, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7%Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec) transitioning into an impressive, grainy finish with great length.

2011 California Cabernet - 10 years onSpice-driven and ever-changing on the nose, with aromas of coriander, sage, oregano and pine sap. Opulent, classy and refined on the palate, leading to a hard-edged, drying finish that is still in need of time to unfold. A great example of the longevity still present in the best 2011s.

2011 California Cabernet - 10 years onAlways the most floral of the Lokoya quartet of Cabernets, aromas here centre around fresh violet, lavender and sun-warmed stones. Rich, coating and quenching on the palate, showing a bevy of dark fruits, graphite and dried earth. The tannins are just starting to soften, with a powdery, grainy quality to the finish. Impressive as always, and clearly only starting to shed its primary shell.

2011 California Cabernet - 10 years onAromas of dark roast coffee, oiled cedar, bramble and blackberry. A delicious combination of plush fruit, energetic acidity and rusticity on the palate, with a surprisingly juicy finish. The wet conditions of 2011 instill notes of menthol and mint throughout, balanced with La Jota’s signature polish and grit. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.

2011 California Cabernet - 10 years onFrom a volcanic site above 730m. Dried flowers, cracked earth and dried mulberry aromas precede similar mouthcoating flavours on a generous, sturdy, broad-textured palate. It is slow to open but evolves considerably with time in the glass, revealing a dense, powerful structure.

2011 California Cabernet - 10 years onSpry and minty nose of incense, cedar, and a subtle note of red bell pepper. Fleshy and round on the palate, showing notes of black plum, cola, and wet gravel. The structure reflects the current state of the vintage, with a rustic, earth-forward tone throughout. The blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 5% each of Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Purple colour from core to rim and up the sides of the glass as well. Plums, rosemary and sea-spray aromatics. The palate flows majestically from front to back, light of foot but carrying serious intensity and drive. Structured to accentuate the long and lingering glide of fruit into the finish. So much pleasure now and will provide for many years to come.

Incredibly vibrant deep purple colour in the glass. Subdued nose, dark loam and black fruits lurk with intent. Remarkable poise for such a young wine, dark fruits, blood and ironstone all meld seamlessly. Full of palate yet has a feeling of compression from acid and tannin so it pushes very deep and long. Time will provide even further layers and complexity.

Medium ruby core, bright ruby into the rim. Raspberries, violets and dried thyme aromas. Medium-bodied but sits light and lithe. Red fruits, dry herbs and sandstone flavours are layered throughout. Sandy tannins are distinct but not without reason. There's an underlying power here that speaks of serious intent in the vineyard and winery. It lingers for days.

WINE! It’s National Drink Wine Day!From the Santa Maria Valley, Cambria’s sustainably farmed Tepesquet Vineyard sits nestled on the Santa Maria Bench where Pinot Noir fruit was first planted in 1971 in soils filled with shale, limestone, and sand. With a long growing season filled with very warm days and cool nights, delicate fruit maintains freshness, as shown in Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir while revealing ripe fruit notes of blackberry, cherry, and cranberry melding with sweet baking spice and a hint of wild herb.

California whites under £30 / $30Slightly restrained nose with nice stone fruit and floral character underneath. Light lemon sherbet notes with toasted pineapple on the palate, pleasingly dry and youthful finish.

California whites under £30 / $30Vanilla custard and fresh cream on the nose. Puff pastry and confit orange carries through to mid palate, persistent finish where a hint of oak comes through.

Winter WhitesStimulus spend-worthy winesIf a wine could taste like slipping on a classic little black dress, this golden wine would be the perfect fit. It has remained the cream of the crop of Chardonnay’s for over 25 years, and this year, especially, it’s best enjoyed with a favorite companion during an indoor picnic. Behind the making of this wine, whole grape clusters were pressed to retain the fresh fruit qualities and the fruit was sur lie aged with monthly battonage (lees stirring) to create a Kendall-Jackson signature velvety texture and creamy flavor.Its silky texture delivers powerful and seductive tropical notes of pineapple, mango and papaya and aromas of vanilla, honey and toasted oak. If this wine were a celebrity, it would be Meryl Streep, simply due to its versatility to act as a lovely accompaniment to winter squash, creamy pasta dishes and pork loin.

An easy-drinking but classically styled Syrah leading with aromas and flavours of black fruit, iodine, pie crust and white pepper. The silky palate is rich and broad, with zesty, cleansing acidity and an upright, precise finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2031.

Marcia Torres Forno, Matanzas Creek’s winemaker since 2010, has clearly influenced the stylistic direction this estate’s wines have taken. Like most talented winemakers these days, she is relentlessly active in the vineyard as well as the winery, overseeing such operations as selective leaf removal, which helps reduce extreme herbal aromas and flavors in Sauvignon Blanc. The 2019 vintage is a particularly savory white wine that suggests deliciously ripe fruit flavors dominated pink grapefruit, with vibrant acidity on the finish. There aren’t a lot of $20 wines out there that offer as much satisfaction as this one.

Pancake Day: The Perfect Wine Pairings for Your Favourite Pancake ToppingsCheese and HamFor those with a penchant for savoury crepes, cheese and ham is a logical starting point – and a classic combination. Patrick Schmitt MW says of the topping:If you’re going the savoury route, and stuffing your pancake with cheese and ham, I suggest a rich white wine, the most obvious being a classic barrel-aged Chardonnay from a warm climate. Such a wine style won’t be overpowered by the flavours in the food, while the dry, bright finish of well-made Chardonnay will refresh the mouth after all that mouth-coating cheese.With the current trend in Chardonnay-making in Australia favouring a leaner style of white wine, I suggest going to California for something with the richness that made this grape so popular in the first place. In this year’s Global Chardonnay Masters, I tasted an ideal option in Cambria’s Katherine’s Chardonnay from California’s Santa Maria Valley. I blind-tasted the 2018 vintage, which, along with my fellow Master of Wine judges, I gave a Gold-medal-winning score for its combination of peach and pear fruit, as well as notes of toast and caramel, and gently oily palate texture. And, retailing in the UK for around £25, it’s surprisingly affordable for powerful barrel-aged Californian Chardonnay with class.

Planted in 1988 (originally for sparkling production), the Wombat Creek vineyard is located on north-east-facing slopes. Rising to 410m elevation, the 16ha vineyard lays claim to being the Yarra Valley’s highest. This Chardonnay (clone I10V1) is planted in classic Upper Yarra red/ferrous volcanic loam. The vines behave very differently in this soil, said Flamsteed, producing much larger canopies than the Sexton vineyard; the roots drop deeper (you could dig 2 to 3 metres with a shovel, said the winemaker). According to the fiche, the soils produce “distinctively soft yet long wines.” Being deep and moisture retentive, I suspect they contribute to the long hang times. But I imagine that elevation is a major factor too? Whilst the Sexton vineyard (perhaps 50 minutes away) is typically picked in mid-February, Flamsteed said Wombat Creek is picked 4-5 weeks later, because it is so much higher. I think of long hang times as producing softer wines with finer, seamless acidity (so less overt/punchy drive). With longer hang times, the fruit profile is different too – stone fruits, not the citrus of the Sexton site (although Flamsteed sees more citrus in this wine, with poached pear with bottle age). Thanks to the different (finer) acid structure, Wombat Creek delivers its softer stone fruit in ‘slo mo,’ elegant fashion. No hurry here. And plenty of layers to unfurl, with nectarine, honeysuckle, apple pie, acacia and almond paste. The finish is long, textural, ever so subtly nutty and floral, with a hum of acidity.

Phil Sexton planted his eponymous 30ha vineyard in 1997 with cuttings from Leeuwin Estate (where Flamsteed used to work). It is located between 130 – 210 metres on a steep, exposed north-east-facing slope of the Warramate Ranges. The soil is grey clay loam over shallow granite/ironstone. Flamsteed described this chunky, compressed 450 million years old eroded clay with its thin topsoil as ‘hungry.’ It has water-holding capacity, he added, but also good drainage. Bunch yields set naturally low in this environment, resulting in intensely flavoured fruit with a high skin to juice ratio. With ‘hen and chicken,’ the Leeuwin Gin Gin clone cuttings play into that too. With not a lot of juice and phenolic input on pressing, Flamsteed finds lemon curd notes are quite typical for this wine. I certainly found it citrus-driven – zesty, relatively punchy, with mouth-watering lime, together with lime blossom and green almond to nose and palate. The citrus flavours have lovely drive, clarity and (fresh grated zest) perfume. Subtle hints of savoury lees bring mouthfeel, balancing the acidity. Persistent finish, with slate undertones. Very good.

Save Your Valentine’s Day With These Widely Available Rosés For Under $25The Wine:Here’s another stunner from Monterey. This wine is made of 100 percent pinot noir that is fermented in stainless steel tanks and displays a ton of fruit.Tasting Notes:This wine smells of strawberry, golden and white raspberries, and a spray of mandarin juice. The taste evolves into a dynamic, juicy melody of cranberry, red raspberries, and blood orange. The palate is booming with minerality—a nod to the flinty soil the grapes are grown on—but the finish is delicate and mouthwatering with acidity.Bottom Line:If you’re thirsty, this rosé is the fruit-forward quencher of your dreams.

Intense ruby colour, bright and clear throughout the glass. Wine gums, dry earth and wakame on the nose. The palate is medium in weight but full in power. Fruit sits with depth, but the tannin profile is something special in its intensity and grip. Great length, it lingers very long. Time in the cellar is highly recommended as this will age very well. If you're a classical Châteauneuf-du-Pape fan, then this is a wine to note.

California Syrah: top Mendocino County winesThe Hawks Butte vineyard consistently delivers savoury, elegant and complex wines – this being no exception. Ocean influences meet woodsy, forest notes on the nose. A perfectly balanced texture gives off chocolate-covered plum and allspice flavours.

California Syrah: top Mendocino County winesSubtle on the nose at first, then aromas of seaweed, clay and parsley. The palate balances plush richness and sappy intensity through to an expansive, nuanced finish. A blend of Yorkville Highlands vineyards that needs a several years for Mendocino's classic savoury notes to awaken.

California Syrah: top Mendocino County winesInitially muted aromas, so give it time in the glass. The palate is reminiscent of a barbecue with charred earthy mesquite wood notes and grilled black fruit flavours. Energetic on the finish, carrying through the meaty, roasted elements that eventually express themselves on the nose.

Best Wines to Pair with Valentine’s Day ChocolateCabernet Sauvignon with Non-Sweet Dark Chocolate & Cherry Infused Dark ChocolateFeaturing dark fruit flavors, Kendall-Jackson’s 2017 Jackson Estate Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon combined with the bitterness from the cacao accentuates the wine’s tannins creates a match made in heaven.

Best Wines to Pair with Valentine’s Day ChocolatePinot Noir with Chocolate CaramelButtery and rich, chocolate caramel pairs well with light-to-medium bodied wines like Kendall-Jackson’s 2017 Jackson Estate Anderson Valley Pinot Noir creating a harmonious blend of the creamy texture of the caramel and the silky tannins of the wine.