The colour is deep red/purple, the bouquet fresh and highly aromatic, spicy and lifted, red cherry, raspberry, mixed spices - a terrifically detailed fragrance. It's medium-bodied and elegantly formed, with fine-grained tannins that are perfectly matched to the lighter weight of this vintage. An utterly delicious medium-bodied shiraz, intense, long and satisfying, but a far cry from traditional McLaren Vale shiraz off the flats.

Impressively deep red/purple colour, with a meaty, smoky charcuterie-like overtone to the blueberry and violet aromas. It's elegant, medium to full-bodied, intense and finely-structured, with plenty of tannin and remarkable structure, perhaps partly thanks to the 7% petit verdot that has been blended in. The wine is intense but not big or weighty. A surprising wine.

Deep red colour with a good tint of purple. The bouquet shows both cabernet and shiraz with the former opening the batting. Masses of blackberry, cassis and violet aromas fill the bouquet, while the meatiness and spice of the shiraz are more apparent in the mouth at this stage. It's full-bodied but also elegant, with abundant tannin firming the middle and finish, the follow-through long and satisfying. (60/40 cabernet/shiraz, the highest cabernet content to date).

Deep red/purple colour, with intense violet and blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry aromas, the fruit leading the charge and oak very much in the background. It's superbly elegant and refined, with taut structure and clean lines. Fine-grained, keenly balanced tannins and fresh acidity. An even more elegant vintage of this wine than usual. Fine, persistent aftertaste.

Bright, medium red/purple hue, with a fresh fragrance of raspberry and blueberry, mixed spices and flowers. It's light-bodied and light in tannin, a fruit-driven but quite detailed wine of great aromaticity and charm.

Deepish red colour with a tint of purple. The bouquet has the trademark leafy raspberry lift of this varietal, with a hint of cedar, while the palate is tight and firm, elegant and intense, and it has more in common with St-Émilion than the Loire. Elegant, medium to full-bodied. A very tidy wine.

Slightly rustic, but with a vibrant dried and fresh fruit complexity based on a Russian River Valley template, but from the coolest regions of the county. And thus it displays a faintly herby component that adds depth and complexity, and the finish is classic (tar, smoke) to indicate that it means several more years to develop. Simply terrific wine. Exceptional.

A statewide tour of California pinot noir Deep, silky, spicy; Anderson Valley deep, juicy.

A statewide tour of California pinot noir Dark, savory, lavish, fine value.

Structured, buoyant, elegant; this one will float your boat, Pinot-lover. A-

Back to where it all began for them, and acting like they never left. A-

Rosé Wines (mostly from Oregon) for the Summer of 2019 I bought this at the winery after taking my mom wine tasting on Mother’s Day. We all fell in love with it (even my mom, who only ever enjoys Moscato). Now this one tastes nothing like Moscato, but everything that’s delicious about Oregon rosé. It’s fresh, clean, bright, and very mildly tart in finish (in the best way). Mild cherry, some citrus, mild minerality on finish Very mild and fresh, this Provence style rosé is going to be one I’ll reach for again this summer.

Pure and powerful, featuring precise flavors of crushed stone, dried apple and pear, with well-structured hints of peach pastry. The long finish is filled with rich mineral and spice accents.

A toasted apple character leads the nose of this wine, with additional glimmers of orange peel, pie crust, peach pit and some stony minerality. The palate is medium in weight and well balanced, with ripe cedar-grilled apple, grilled pineapple and buttered popcorn flavors that mingle with subtle accents of beeswax and orange pith. It is ripe and lush yet well balanced, with ample acidity to keep the richness in check.

Refined and rich-tasting, with plenty of minerality to the apple, pear and quince paste flavors. Buttery hints show midpalate, leading to a finish that unfolds with lemon curd and dried tarragon details.

Vibrant minerality meets crisp white fruit flavors, with dried savory notes midpalate. The resonant finish offers citrus zest and chamomile accents.

Fermented entirely in stainless steel, this reliably excellent wine is once again deeply fruited with mixed citrus, honeysuckle and Bosc pear. A pleasing minerality underscores the zesty finish.

Well-structured, with a smoky richness to the mineral-infused apple and pear tart flavors. The fresh, spicy finish lingers with a creamy texture.

Focused and crisp, with touches of richness to the concentrated apple pastry, pear and quince paste flavors. Dried tarragon and sage cream notes power the finish.

Well built from seven clones and seven vineyards spanning three AVAs, this is instantly appealing for its pretty boysenberry and cherry fruit, highlights of baking spices, and delicate, tea-touched tannins. Best of all, it's made in sufficient quantities to be widely available.

For reasons unknown, this year's Shea designate does not have the same concentration as past vintages. The blackberry fruit is accented with orange peel and pekoe tea, and finishes with drying, astringent tannins. Ample aeration is recommended.

Though clearly aimed at a super reserve tier, the Pas de Nom doesn't quite deliver the goods. At first taste it's a stiff, earthy wine, with herbal flavors of seed and stem competing with its medium-bodied blackberry fruit. It was given just 10 months in roughly one-third new French oak. Ample aeration is recommended.

Offers mouthfilling richness, with subtle floral notes to the custard, apple pastry and lemon curd flavors. Beeswax hints show on the spicy finish.

This good, old-fashioned and straightforward wine is nicely fruity, slightly spicy and has a smooth but firm texture that will be great with food. It is medium in body, shows attractive blackberry and black-cherry notes and has a good touch of tannin for grip.

Moderately ripe blackberry fruit, with a thin streak of cola, sets up a wine aged just 10 months in a mix of new and older barrels. The barrel time does not show up in the flavors until the finish resolves in a charred, slightly bitter note. This would benefit from another couple of years of bottle age.