“The Cab Franc was quite spectacular in 2017. There is a bit more in the blend this year,” Pierre Seillan told me during the tasting of the 2017s with his daughter and one day successor, Helene. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2017 La Joie has a very deep garnet-purple color. It opens a little closed and broody, giving glimpses of blackcurrant cordial, espresso, charcoal and black truffles to begin, before blossoming out to a whole array of preserved black and blue fruits, dusty soil, crushed rocks and iron ore scents plus a waft of roses. The medium to full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, with firm, grainy tannins and a lively backbone supporting the muscular fruit, finishing very long and mineral laced. The alcohol weighed in at just 13.9% this year (14% on the label), making for a particularly elegant but no less impactful La Joie!

What was the secret to achieving such impressive ripeness for Cabernet Franc in 2017? Pierre Seillan's daughter and one day successor, Helene, told me: “We make a lot of passes through the Cabernet Franc blocks—more than the other varieties. We drop any fruit that is not ripening at the same pace. We don’t pull out too much leaves, we need those for the ripening.” Blended of 80% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot and 3% Malbec, the 2017 Le Désir has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It comes galloping out of the glass with all the grace and precision of a thoroughbred, sporting notions of kirsch, potpourri, warm plums and wild blueberries plus hints of chocolate box, cardamom and star anise. The medium-bodied palate (just 13.9% alcohol) is at once powerful and wonderfully elegant, with firm, very fine-grained, exquisitely ripe tannins and bold freshness supporting the red and blue fruit layers, finishing with incredible length and depth. Wow!

Light cotton candy pink. Luscious red fruit with some peach. Tartness a go-go with a chalky finish. More fruit here as well. Yowza. Excellent.

Julia’s Vineyard was named for Julia Jackson back in 1988, 20 years after the original fog-covered Pinot Noir vines were planted at the Santa Maria site on ancient soils full of fossilized seashells, shale, limestone and sand. The vineyard site is unique in that it boasts one of the longest growing seasons in California, and with that comes consistency of quality. The fruit is always forward here with bright ripe black raspberry and blueberry aromas striped with cranberry, pomegranate, and sweet brown baking spice. A hedonistic, California Pinot Noir that entertains rather than confounds. Salmon, mushroom risotto, roasted chicken all work here. It’s a mix of clones including 4, 2A, 23, 667, 115, 777 and 828 that are barrel-aged for 8 1/2 months in French oak, 31 per cent of which is new.

Look for an earthy wild strawberry, sweet tobacco nose, and definitely on the cool side. On the palate, the fruit is all Pinot Noir — cherries and plums, with an earthy, spicy undercurrent. The tannin is negligible and easily manages most Pinot menu choices: duck, mushrooms, root vegetables, soft cheeses and pork. La Crema Sonoma Coast is a well made, large production Pinot of estate and grower vineyards, but all within the cool, marine swept boundaries of Sonoma County.

Classic pink with a rich nose and lovely fresh fruit. Tart, but not bracing. Good fruit and lengthy finish. Very Good to Excellent.

It wouldn't be fair to visit Napa Valley without heading across the border to neighbouring Sonoma County. Sonoma is actually twice the size of Napa – and grows considerably more grapes, including some serious cabernet sauvignon.Kendall-Jackson dips into a mixture of mountain and hillside vineyards to perfect its Vintner’s Reserve. The rich black cherry aromas are joined by blackberry and cassis, with vanilla and mocha blending in to help round it off.Speaking of blending, the Vintner’s Reserve is not a pure breed, but rather softened with merlot and malbec, and enriched by cabernet franc and petit verdot. It’s a tried and tested combination that makes for an approachable and incredibly moreish wine.

Mount Veeder is the birthplace of Napa Vallery wine – it's the holy ground for California winemakers. Wine has been grown here since the early 1860s by industry pioneers including Charles Krug, Agoston Haraszthy and William S Keyes.The parcel that became Mt Brave Vineyard, in the northern reaches of the Mt Veeder AVA, was originally purchased back in 1841 – before the Gold Rushhad even begun.It was named after the native Wappo people – known as ‘the brave ones’ – who were the original inhabitants of this land.It sits high atop Mt Veeder at an elevation between 1,400 and 1,800 feet. This high altitude keeps midday temperatures cooler than those in the valley below, while the position above the fog line gives grapes longer daily exposure to sunlight. A perfect combination when it comes to making refined, elegant cabernet sauvignons.The 2013 growing season was another banger – with temperatures regularly in the sweet spot between 85°-95°F, and barely any rain.It’s not all sunbathing, though. Thin, rocky soils and steep slopes make water retention a challenge, but the vines’ beneficial struggle produces tiny berries with unusually concentrated flavors.The resulting vintage of Mt Brave is an addictive burst of blueberries and raspberries, balanced with floral notes and plenty of minerality.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsAn attractively floral edge to the nose with savory, terra cotta-like notes, leading to rich red berries and red plums. The palate is powerful and focused, showing some muscle behind the blackberries and red plums and sturdy, fine-tannin texture. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsA very intense nose with instantly complex aromas of dried spices, dried wood, licorice and sappy blackberries and plums. There’s a direct delivery of strong, fine tannin and a core of succulent, redder plum and berry flavors. Concentrated and bedded in deep at the finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsThis has an intense delivery of redcurrants, raspberries and red plums with an attractive, leafy and bracken edge. The palate has a core of wild red berries with some chocolate also in the mix. Juicy, engaging and flavorful. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsIntense aromas of ripe dark berries, purple olives, violets, intense cedary oak, forest wood, leather and tobacco. The palate is dense, concentrated and packed with dark-berry flavors. Bold tannin chew. Needs time for the oak and tannin to settle in. Try from 2024. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsBeautifully fresh, peachy stone fruit and a wet-stone edge with flinty lemon peel and lightly spiced bread dough. There’s a very attractively fleshy feel on the palate, wielding both succulence and weight, as well as a bright, fresh and mouthwatering finish. Drink now. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsThis is a fresh, juicy glass of ripe apples, pears and light white peaches, delivered in a crisp, flavorful, mid-weight frame. A blend of mostly grenache blanc (74%), roussanne, clairette, picpoul and bourboulenc. Incredible value in this South of France-style white. Drink now. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsIf you’re after a very consistent, very good-value grenache, then this is a wine you should be buying by the case. It has such impressively energetic aromas and flavors of red and darker berries and a beautifully articulated frame of fine, sturdy tannin. Mouth-filling fruit pervades the finish. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsA striking wine for its extreme depth, as well as freshness. Ripe dark plums and blackberries bathe the nose and palate. This is lead in a fuller-bodied direction and makes a very youthful, bold and stoic impression on the palate. Fine now, but better in three to four years. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsThis grenache rosé nails the bright, fresh brief with aromas of light strawberries, peaches and apples, leading to a very elegant, zipped-up palate that delivers crisp, fresh appeal. This is right on the stylistic bullseye. Drink now. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsThis has a very attractive, fresh and spicy nose with rich, darker-plum and blackberry aromas. Chocolate and raspberries, too. This is a vintage that delivers bold, fleshy, darker fruit. Supple, fleshy texture and nice chew on the finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsPlenty of ripe red plums and purple flowers with a cedary and spicy oak thread, too. The palate has a succulent, smooth feel with a bold, assertive cut to the tannin. Ripe, rich and punchy merlot.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsA bright assemblage of fresh red-fruit aromas and flavors with crisp, easygoing texture and a neat, succulent finish. 62% grenache, 15% shiraz, 12% mourvedre, 6% carignan, 3% cinsault and 2% counoise. Drink now. Screw cap.

Melon and white peach flavors highlight this medium-body chardonnay with bright acidity and fresh fruit character.

Bright acidity and light oak make this a good food wine. Apricot and citrus aromas with apple, pear flavors. Long finish. This wine slow to evolve in the glass, so don’t over-chill it.

Bright, deep ruby-red. Slightly high-toned scents of raspberry, coffee, milk chocolate and rose petal, plus some Old World hints of meat and earth. Utterly fine-grained and seamless on entry, with perfectly integrated acidity and a floral element giving clarity and lift to the red fruit, spice and mineral flavors. A first sample of this wine showed some porty high tones but this one is refined and pure, rich but not a bit heavy. In fact, it's wonderfully delineated, aromatic and fresh in the style of a top Pomerol. Finishes with firm, dusty, nicely buffered tannins, terrific thrust and sneaky rising floral perfume. This wonderfully elegant, pure, broad wine comes across as less wild than the Le Désir and La Joie bottlings. It should continue to evolve gracefully on its balance and palate-saturating breadth. Wow! Held up beautifully with aeration.

Full medium ruby. Sexy, wild scents of black raspberry, meat, graphite, mocha and flowers, plus a whiff of leather. Densely packed and fine-grained but also quite powerful; a very tactile wine with lovely restrained sweetness and a strong Cabernet backbone. Dense but juicy, with nothing heavy about it. Very wild, Old World style of wine with terrific definition and inner-mouth lift, not to mention outstanding intensity and sophisticated grain. Boasts uncanny inner-mouth floral/ mineral lift for such a strong wine. Finishes with subtly mounting floral length and noble tannins that arrive late. A stunning showing--and still very young. Clearly a top vintage for this St. Emilion blend. I described this wine as tightly coiled when I first tasted it from bottle, and it still needs cellaring to show its full potential. My sample held up for days in the recorked bottle.

Saturated ruby to the rim. The nose shows more mineral lift but less fruit expressiveness than the Helena Dakota, offering hints of blackberry, cassis, menthol, flowers and spices. Sweet, dense and fine-grained but quite powerful too, conveying strong rocky minerality and verve. A bit less pliant on the finish than the Helena Dakota but the firm tannins are ripe and suave. Really stains the palate with violet. A higher-pitched wine than the Helena Dakota and a bit more tightly wound, reflecting its vineyard's somewhat higher altitude, but with its lovely floral lift and superb definition, this boasts outstanding potential for further development in bottle. (from a vineyard at 950 feet)