Medium red colour with a tinge of purple. The bouquet is very smoky, earthy and savoury. Later, more floral and aromatic than its High Sands siblings. The tannins are quite firm. Savoury spice flavours. It's very dry and very different. A lighter, elegant style of grenache. It's not easy to see the value in this, a very left-field grenache, but I have to admit it grew on me. (Vines planted 1946. Biodynamic. Hand-picked, destemmed, berry-sorted, 50% crushed, wild fermented in two ceramic egg fermenters. Unfined. 1128 bottles) 29/6/2017

Roussanne is one of the white grapes of the Rhone Valley where it is often blended with Marsanne. In the past it’s been a co-star but is now moving into a solo part. There is a smell to Roussanne that can be described as slightly unpleasant, there is no richness or overt fruit nuisances. The smell is of the earth, a slight odor of sweet decay, there is also a tang on the palate - in short it’s not an easy wine but one that needs input from the drinker. Taste it and it’s easy to dismiss, taste it with some thought and it becomes a different creature altogether. This is a smart wine, perhaps not to every ones taste, but I give it 92 and think it well worth the $25 price tag.

This is the non ‘egg’ roussanne. Tasted side by side though. Fermented in barrels of which around a quarter used are new. Yangarra, Your Roussanne Specialists. Has a ring to it. It’s pretty tight but also kind of juicy, shows nice pear and quince perfume, whiffs of green herb too. The palate has this nice, tight, puckering character, breathy licks of nougat and cinnamon woody spice, a slurp then starts its roll to tension. It’s nice to drink. It shows complexity in its way. It feels fragrant and serious and frisky. It’s doing a lot, yet feels kind of simple too. I find this all good.

362 cases made. Looking back, I see the 2011 was around 12%, with 2012 and 2013 being more weighty. In 2014, the scales are running backwards again. This Viognier has no trouble seeing its…feet.
Nice perfume here, and some savoury funky stuff going on as well. White flowers, spice, nectarine, nuts. Light to medium bodied, crunchy rather than fat, but delivers flavour very nicely. The line is unbroken from front to back, and throughout finesse and perfume are the order of the day. Almost lemony acid to close, though not coarse or hard. I like what they’ve done here.

Green apple, lemon zest and herb, lavender and sea spray. It’s tangy and crunchy in texture, good grip and lively acidity, saline with sour green apple and real lemonade flavour and a dry and flinty texture closing out a finish of good length and energy. Excellent.

Quite tart and sour on the nose. Some fruit, but a bit hidden. Weighty on the palate, on the verge of heavy. Thick rich fruit, pretty good balance, certainly on the big end of Pinot Noir. Not my style, but I really like it. Excellent.

A bit on the dark side when it comes to Pinot Noir but still translucent. Dark earth on the nose with dark berry fruit. Dark on the palate as well with bright acid and earth. Nice. Excellent.

This stainless-steel, no malolactic fermentation wine sourced from Chalk Hill Vineyard showcases the floral earthiness of the variety. Woody cedar and dried herb, with just a hint of bell pepper, accent dense red currant and
balanced acidity.

Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of cranberries, raspberries and cherries. Flavors of cranberries, strawberries and raspberries. Medium to tart acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.

La Crema’s Willamette Valley Pinot is sourced from 8 vineyards across four sub-appellations of the Willamette Valley which results in a very complex and representative premium Oregon Pinot. The inviting bouquet draws you in with dark cherry, plum, baking spices, cured meat, and a hint of mineral/earthiness. Medium-full bodied, this Pinot shows great freshness, with dark cherry and raspberry tarts on the long finish. Enjoy now and over the next 5 years with classic roasted rack of lamb, bœuf bourguignon, or pan-fried venison with blackberry sauce.

Gran Moraine Brut Rose Yamhill-Carlton Willamette Valley, 92 McD, shows spring florals, hawthorn and green apple nose. Orange citrus and slaty minerality without the petrol hints one would find in German Riesling complete the package.

Charming aromas of sliced lemon peel, chopped hazelnuts and crushed thyme. Medium-bodied with silky texture. Fresh and open on the palate with crisp acidity and subtle tannin structure. Sustainable. Drink now.

La Crema's 2019 Willamette Valley pinot is an expectedly polished and sleek, seamless wine from this professional organization. High quality wood is well-enmeshed into the ensemble, while sweet red cherry fruit and cola, pomegranate syrup and raspberry purée flavours lead in the classic west coast style. Length and depth are excellent. Drink or hold 2-5 years.

13.5% alcohol. Three day cold soak, 40% whole bunch, 10% new oak, seven different clones. Sweetly aromatic cherry fruit nose with some ginger and cinnamon notes. The palate is sweetly fruited, textured and quite generous with smooth, ripe berry and cherry fruit. Supple and expressive, in a smooth style with some ripeness. Fine grained tannin.

Grown biodynamically and matured in used oak. Tastes quite neutral at first but it reveals notes of nuts, ginger, honeysuckle and mineral as it opens and warms in the glass. Crisp finish but the palate is slippery and textural. Sweetish aftertaste. Delicious.

Light yellow hue with a spicy, stone fruit bouquet, apricot and fig flavours predominating. There is richness and roundness, with a substantial phenolic grip and a faint trace of bitterness, which is perfectly acceptable. A full-bodied, ample white wine with generous flavour and some viscosity. It would make an excellent food wine. (Fermented in ceramic eggs. Two-thirds fermented on skins with extended skin contact; one-third fermented without skins)

Full-bodied and firm, with good intensity to the blueberry and blackberry flavors at the core, with dried herbs, black pepper, loam and savory green olive and tobacco details. Drink now through 2030.

Shows wonderful density, with toasted herbs, tobacco and notes of laurel bay leaf, sage and rosemary that complement a core of dark berry and cassis flavors on a velvety frame. Reveals notes of black Assam tea that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2033.

Neither oak spices nor tannins dominate this medium-bodied wine, allowing the grape variety’s complex, savory characters of black currants and bay leaves to shine through, backed by a supple texture and light, integrated tannins.

This is the first vintage of this white Rhone blend. Chamomile, beeswax, apricots, lemons and white grapefruits. Round and textured, with some phenolic tension. Full-bodied yet fresh and sleek. Hint of gingery spice at the end. 50% grenache blanc, 25% roussanne, 12% clairette, 9% piquepoul, 4% bourboulenc. 59% skin contact in amphora between 90 and 126 days. Drink now. Screw cap.

In its bold, grapey youth, this wine needs decanting to show detail in the black fruit. Immediately fresh and clean, it turns fragrant with air, long and rich. A standard-bearer for the Yarra Valley.

This premium Napa Chardonnay is sourced from the Ahmann and Huichica Vineyards in Carneros, the Keyes Vineyard in Howell Mountain, and the Rancho Sarco Vineyard on the north east edge of Napa. The nose shows tropical fruits, russet apple, caramel, delicate sweet spices and wet stone. Medium-full bodied with a creamy and refreshing texture, look for ripe stone fruit and orchard fruit on the long finish.

This is reserved in style but has a nice well of loganberry and mulberry fruit, with subtle apple wood, loam and licorice root notes. A flash of sweet bay leaf flickers in the background, too. Polished feel overall. Drink now through 2032.

The 2018 Capensis is matured in 45% new oak that comes from three cooperages, though I found the wood component supremely well disguised. It has a pretty bouquet that demands a little coaxing, eventually offering dried yellow flowers and touches of dried mint. Quite understated compared to its peers. The palate is well balanced with a lovely, slightly waxy texture counterbalanced by a fine bead of acidity. Nicely focused, nothing extravagant on the finish yet everything feels neatly embroidered together with fine persistence.

Blended with 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, this wine offers firm structure and strong tannins. With more than two years in French oak, it unfurls into waves of earthy dried herb, cedar and peppercorn,
with a chalky texture of crushed rock.