Saturated garnet. Ripe red and bule fruits, candied violet and oak spices on the nose, along with a smoky nuance in the background. Sweet and subtly chewy in texture, offering juicy black raspberry, cherry cola and fruitcake flavors complemented by vanilla and mocha accents. Concentrated yet lively, showing fine clarity on the long, floral-tinged and youthfully tannic finish.

Deep, shimmering garnet. Lively, spice-accented red and dark berry aromas are complemented by suggestions of cola and candied flowers. Supple in texture and alluringly sweet, offering vibrant raspberry, black raspberry and rose pastille flavors enlivened by a building mineral nuance. Shows fine detail and spicy cut on the penetrating finish, which is shaped by smooth, well-judged tannins.

Bright ruby. Spice-accented red and blue fruit and floral scents, along with hints of cola and mocha. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that show very good depth and appealing sweetness. Closes very long and smooth, with sneaky tannins and repeating floral and cola notes.

Blackberry, fresh rosemary and basil with some hot-stone undertones. Medium-to full-bodied with currants, fresh earth and hints of chocolate. Lovely texture to this. Give it three or four years to come together, but already tight knit and nicely constructed. Try after 2024.

Michael Lane, who renovated the vines at Yangarra, grows this fruit at a 5.7-acre block where the shiraz grows on sand mixed with ironstone. That fruit ferments spontaneously with 25 percent of its whole bunches, then ages in large French oak foudres , allowing the minerality to race along with the black cherry flavors unbridled. Jason Hoy, of Tucker Silk Mill in Easton, PA, compared this wine's elegance to the feel of a St-Joseph. "It has light, savory fruit without being vegetal," he said. David Hawkins, who also grew up in Australia, found it "very McLaren," especially in the balanced sweetness of that fruit. Either way, it's bold and delicious.

This is Peter Fraser's barrel selection of the best grenache from a parcel in Yangarra's Blewitt Springs vineyards, the vines planted in 1946 on three feet of silica sands over clay. He cold-soaks the fruit without its stems, half of it as whole berries, then allows it to ferment spontaneously, bringing out a complex perfume in the concentrated old-vine fruit. Even as the alcohol is apparent—giving the tannins a mouth puckering power—the wine feels cool and rich. The savory intensity takes grenache in a classical direction, with the kind of grandeur more typically found in the Rhône or in the hills above Madrid than in the New World.

93 points, poured core black to a deep purple/red with a thin clear meniscus and hanging stained legs.
Aromas of coffee, currant fruit, lavender, and cedar were lovely.
This full-bodied dry red wine showed still fine grainy tannins, good acidity, and good flavors reflective of the aromas, red cherry, and pomegranate.
Finished long on the fading palate, a hint of citrus, cherry cola, and a well-balanced 14.1% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my guacamole burger.

Big and powerful, with buttery richness to the ripe pear and Gala apple flavors that are creamy and broad-textured. Shows concentrated spiciness and pastry accents on the textured finish. Drink now through 2026.

A wine with polish and presence, offering expressive cherry and pomegranate flavors, which have traces of black tea and savory spice and finish with medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.

Features vivid aromas of black raspberry, fresh violet and black tea, which open to structured and polished flavors that take on tension and complexity toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2030.

Brooding and well-built, offering blueberry and cherry flavors laced with crushed stone and dusky spices, which build tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029.

Hand-picked from the usual assortment of Giant Steps vineyards across the Yarra Valley.
Red fruit, spice, a little pepper, something of a blood orange/Campari character too. It’s slightly sappy, red cherry and spiced strawberry, again that blood orange flavour and some savoury ‘autumnal’ character. Tannin has light emery grip, and the finish is juicy/sweet/sour and slightly bitter, offering solid length. Good drink. Better again with a little more time in bottle.

A vibrant red that's multilayered with raspberry and tart cherry flavors that are accented by crushed stone and dusky spice notes, building tension toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.

Sanguine and nutty, this is a wonderfully generous and concentrated wine from the mountainous appellation. With tannin and power, it takes its time to unwind in the glass, with highlights of sage, black currant and blueberry fruit at its core. Enjoy best from 2028–2035.

Reductive on the nose, this ageworthy wine shows a ton of structure and elegant power, finessed in tight, youthful tannin and earthy underbrush. Sage, dust and oak support a framework of dense red fruit that should develop further in the cellar. Enjoy best from 2028–2035.

Complexity and nuance are the hallmarks of this sophisticated, layered and creamy-textured wine. Subtle oak spices of nutmeg, cinnamon and cedar meet rich black-plum, black-cherry and black-tea flavors as moderate tannins hold them together well.

Earthy compost, crushed rock and spicy oak combine around a weighty midpalate of exceptional texture and richness in this mountain-grown white. Pineapple, lemon candy and honeycomb highlight a palate of creamy intensity and concentration, finishing in a bite of brioche.

The 2019 Chardonnay Dakél Viñedo Maricerro comes from the Itata coast, 12 miles from the sea. Fallen leaf yellow in hue. The nose contains aromas from the aging process, such as cigar box and nutmeg, along with white fruit and green apple notes, a hint of creamed corn and a yeasty backdrop. In the mouth it has a lot of flavor, a terse feel and freshness wrapped in an oaky coating. Classical and extremely long-lasting, this is an accomplished, cosmopolitan white.

Visit the tropics with a bottle of Hartford Courts Four Hearts. I enjoy this, 93 McD for its trop fruits, citrus, toasty, buttery, hazelnut profile.

The 2019 Merlot is bright, nervy and full of Mount Veeder tension. Dark red/purplish cherry, iron, mint, spice and savory herbs are finely cut. This potent, savory Merlot is going to need a number of years in bottle to come together. It sure is impressive today.

The 2019 Merlot is a rich, dense wine. Black cherry, plum, spice, leather and tobacco are all kicked up in this sumptuous, racy Merlot from La Jota. The 2019 is pretty soft for a mountain wine, but it has tons of depth and plenty of stylishness.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford is vibrant and super-expressive right out of the gate. Inky dark fruit, mocha, plum, chocolate licorice and spice are pushed forward. Dollops of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc add dimension, especially in the aromatics. This energetic Cabernet has so much to offer.

Starting with the 2019 Merlot, it gives up a dense purple hue as well as a great nose of spicy red and black fruits, tobacco, loamy earth, and graphite. I love this rich, medium to full-bodied, textured Merlot, and it should keep for 10-15 years.

The 2019 Malbec sports a dense purple, almost blue color and a great nose of ripe cassis and blueberry fruits as well as violets, peppery herbs, and graphite. I love its balance, and it has terrific purity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Give it a few years.

Based on 82% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and the rest Tannat, the 2019 Merlot offers a deep, saturated plum/ruby color to go with youthful, powerful notes of ripe red and black fruits, scorched earth, Asian spices, and lead pencil shavings. Rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and textured on the palate, this rich, structured Merlot is going to evolve for at least 15-20 years.