Tarraford Vineyard is located in a small valley that provides protection and a cooler site climate than adjacent parts of the Yarra Valley floor, with consequently higher natural acidity than any of its siblings (7.6g/l). The vinification remains identical. deliberately leaving the minerally shell intact.

50/50% Blocks 4 and 5, vinified separately. Block 4 was created from the original planting of Block 5 that included the Red Dog clone. The Block 5 ferment was 100% whole bunches, the bunches removed, destemmed and returned, Block 4 was 100% destemmed and given 7 days post-ferment maceration. It's a wine with intensity and extreme complexity, a long future ahead.

A particularly expressive shiraz with interleaving, luscious purple/dark red fruits with classy ripe tannins. Drink now or in 20 years, or any time in between.

Hand-picked, wild yeast, co-fermented in small open fermenters with 50% whole bunches, matured for 5 months in large French oak vats. A very cleverly made wine (in terms of preplanning) that is yet another example of the intrinsic worth of this blend, red and black cherry, spice and pepper all held in a fine net of tannins.

The latest vintage of this noteworthy producer's Chardonnay is singing. A harmonious, multifaceted nose offers notes of bright citrus, fresh melon and flowers, while a chorus of sun-baked stones and freshly baked bread linger behind. Beautifully textural and salty on the palate, it crunches with minerals and vibrant fruit. The oak is tucked away and the finish long and salty. Drink now–2030.

From a high elevation site with sandy, ironstone soils—and from a terrific vintage—this Shiraz is unlike many of its South Aussie counterparts. There are sanguine and graphite notes amid the broody black cherry, plum and vanilla aromas, plus a raw power that’s exhilarating. Alongside the muscle there’s also exceptional poise, balance and complexity. Chalky, precise tannins weave together the silky fruit. Drink 2022–2040.

Full crimson-purple; a powerful wine with red and purple fruits, bramble and whole bunch tannins all tumbling along the palate, but doing so in synergy with each other. Needs a few years in the cellar.

The winery’s special barrel selection, this is a robust, full-bodied and intensely concentrated wine, grippy, layered and ultimately bright. Raspberry and strawberry flavors wrap around silky elegant tannins and integrated oak,showing a hint of clove and cardamom on the finish.

This lovely, crisp wine is fermented in stainless steel. Herb, cedar and garrigue elements meet a juicy, sublime mid-palate, finishing on highlights of lemon peel and cassis.

This red is smooth and richly structured. Wood aging still shows and it needs aging to realize its full, ripe potential. Juicy berry flavors and spice come together in a wine that will be impressive as it ages further. Drink from 2022.

Yangarra’s egg-fermented Roussanne is pale gold in hue, with a slightly green tinge. An aromatic offering, it bursts from the glass with notes of ginger, lavender hand soap, fresh pineapple and peach, and speckles of honeysuckle and soft spices. The mouthfeel is rich and highly textural, with just enough acidity to freshen it. Minerals and spices run through to the finish, and the fruit takes a back seat. A characterful, site expressive, outside-the-box bottling with not a hint of funk.

Weighty and textured, this richly layered wine shows a density of baked strawberry, pomegranate and rhubarb, the fruit seasoned in clove. Toasted oak supports and complements, finishing in a subtle twist of black tea and cola.

Pomegranate, raspberry, carnations, rose petals and toasted sage fall into harmony on the nose of this appellation blend. Black-raspberry and light thyme flavors show on the palate, which deftly balances weight and acid.

This full-bodied wine offers seductive, pretty fruit aromas and flavors that reflect ripe black cherries, blueberries and strawberries. It tastes pure and uncomplicated, nicely polished in texture and with a lingering berrylike finish.

This serious, structured wine has a very deep color, intense blackberry aromas and concentrated, almost thick flavors. Blended with 9% each of Malbec and Merlot, it has plenty of fine-grained tannins surrounding the ripe black fruits and dark-chocolate notes. Best through 2024.

This wine is fruity in blueberry and black cherry, with an inviting nose of black tea and clove. Earthy and refined in tannin, it is softly layered and approachable in its lasting richness, the oak well integrated.

Yangarra’s third vintage of Roussanne aged in concrete egg is a distinctive bottling that shows the purity of the variety. It’s pale yellow in hue, and the nose is perfumed like lavender hand soap, grilled pineapple and ginger. There’s a purity of fruit and acidity on the palate, amid a rich, creamy texture and streaks of salty mineral nuances. Don’t make the mistake of drinking this too cold—just a quick cooldown in the fridge is all it needs. Drink or hold.

This widely available wine is compelling on many fronts. Strong aromas of Key lime pie, Anjou pear, grapefruit pith, chalk and buttercream lead into a generous palate of white peach and smoked nectarine. It’s rich but balanced.

A rich juicy blend of nearly equal parts Merlot, Petite Sirah and Syrah, this wine is generous in cedar, oak and lively black, jammy fruit. Lush on the palate, it’s a crowd-pleaser, outdoor barbecue-kind of red.

This appellation wine impresses in its delivery of supple herbal, earthy and high-toned flavor. Dipped in rhubarb, pomegranate and strawberry, it has the richness of cola and a spicy hit of cinnamon beneath its dense layers of cherry pie.

Rustic cherry, star anise, smoke and damp earth aromas show on the nose of this bottling. The palate is full of earthy elements as well as darkcherry and cranberry flavors, with a penetrating acidity.

Tart cherry-pie aromas are quite prominent on the nose of this bottling, yet get leveled by turned soil and wet rocks. The palate is all about tart cherry as well, with more flavors still hidden in the young structure.

Hickinbotham's 2017 The Peake Cabernet Shiraz is a 60-40 blend of the varieties, aged in a healthy proportion of new French oak. As a barrel selection, it stands above the other wines in the lineup, being more complex and complete than either the Brooks Road Shiraz or the Trueman Cabernet. Cassis leads the way, rounded out by ripe cherries and joined by shadings of cedar and vanilla. It's full-bodied and concentrated in the mouth, rich, supple and almost creamy in texture and boasts a long, silky finish. While nearly drinkable already, it should easily age for a decade or more.

I was thoroughly impressed by the opulent and layered texture of the 2016 Ironheart Shiraz, a wine that in previous vintages has sometimes seemed more about structure than pleasure. It starts off with scents of cedar, menthol, plums and baking spices, then eases into a full-bodied, plush, velvety palate that delivers waves of ripe black cherries. Deep and long, it's a terrific example of McLaren Vale Shiraz that should drink well for 10-15 years.

Aged entirely in older barrels, the 2016 High Sands Grenache is an epic effort that must surely be one of Australia's greatest Grenache wines. Exquisite perfumes of rose petals, strawberries and raspberries are underscored by hints of fine herbs and cedar, while the medium to full-bodied palate is plush and velvety yet structured, with a long, intense finish. I was still seeing fireworks long after tasting it.