This is an exceptional, mid-weighted chardonnay. A mesh of unresolved CO2 and juicy acidity provide trajectory. Vanilla pod oak provides direction. Taut and seamless. Lemon curd and roasted quince, nestled amidst creamed cashew, nougatine and truffle at the core. The finish is endless, joining a matrix of textural rivets and seams, underlain by the flavorful Gingin clone. With wines such as these it is little wonder that Australia boasts the finest expressions of chardonnay with Burgundy. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.

Silky in texture but grounded in fine-grained tannins, this aromatic and complex wine is tempting now but will improve with time. Black fruits, redwood forest, black tea and black cherry notes crowd onto the palate and linger on the finish. With great acidity and moderate tannins, it will be best to drink from 2025-2032

Honeysuckle, jasmine, and other white flowers as well as citrus and green apple aromas that follow through to a medium to full body. Crunchy. Hints of phenolics. Drink or hold.

Established in 1971 by Alan Hickinbotham on the hill above Clarendon, this vineyard developed into a legend under the halo of the family name (Hickinbotham’s father had established the oenology course at Roseworthy; his brother Ian was the first winemaker at Wynn’s Coonawarra). The Jackson family, already invested in Yangarra Estate, purchased the property in 2012 and put the Yangarra team in charge—Peter Fraser and Chris Carpenter, working with Michael Lane on viticulture. Shiraz accounts for 80 acres of the site, providing this “pure and concentrated, perfumed syrah,” as panelist David Hawkins described it. There’s freshness to the fruit, along with a savory undertone of fruity mushrooms. The brisk tannins are elegant and delicate in the context of McLaren Vale. Oak aging adds to the wine’s espresso roast depth, its firm, gentle touch like a finger on the pulse of the fruit.

The 2018 Pinot Noir La Crête is a new wine from Willakenzie, a result of winemaker Erik Kramer's quest to identify the best blocks of vines on the estate. Medium ruby-purple, it has generous scentsof black and red cherry preserves and accents of tar, licorice,potpourri and mushroom. It features concentrated, spicy flavors that glide seamlessly across the mouth, and a flourish of earthy accents appears on the extended finish. Juicy, perfumed and alluring, it drinks beautifully straight from the bottle.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Block 14, grown on volcanic soils, was matured for 16 months in barrel and an additional year in bottle. It has apale ruby color and wild berries on the nose with swirls of spice and floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate features streaks of iron-like mineral character, concentrated berry fruits, a clay-like texture and seamless acidity. I love this ferrous, rocky expression.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Slope is pleasantly restrained and earthy.Medium ruby-purple in color, it has intense aromas of cranberries,blueberries, potpourri, tobacco and tea leaves. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and fresh with concentrated, mineral-driven fruitsand a very long finish.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Smothers-Remick Ridge Vineyardwas the first vintage that Arrowood decided to bottle this section ofthe Smothers Vineyard on its own; it was previously blended into the Reserve Speciale. "The blocks I use for the reserve are very structural," says winemaker Kristina Shideler. "They bring concentration but not all the aromatics. This block showed quintessential, forward red cherry fruit and was less structured than the other blocks, so we started bottling it on its own." Grapes come from a western-facing, rocky section of the vineyard, where the initially planted Merlot was grafted over to Cabernet Sauvignon.It was matured for 29 months in French and American oak and bottled without fining or filtration. Deep ruby-purple, it offers an endless core of Morello cherries, with top notes of star anise,licorice and lilac and bass tones of mushroom powder, soy sauce and graphite. The palate offers freshness and lift without sacrificing intensity or power. Its tannins are grainy and gently softening, and it finishes with a flourish of spice. It is surprisingly youthful and has plenty of life ahead in the cellar. 248 cases produced.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Smothers-Remick Ridge Vineyard was aged for 32 months in 74% new French oak. Opaque ruby-purple, its aromas are layered and detailed, a core of blueberry andblack cherry accented by star anise, violet, leather and graphite.The full-bodied palate has alluring, powdery tannins, dynamic flavors ranging from violet to savory spice and incredible length.220 cases were made.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale matured for 32 months in 70% new French oak and was bottled without fining or filtration. It has an opaque ruby-purple color and singular, arresting aromas of licorice, star anise, rose petal, orange peel and leather,which complement an ocean of Morello cherry fruit at the core. The full-bodied palate is powerful and ripe, with loads of clay-textured tannins and generous fruit still curled into a youthful fist. This has the ingredients for long-term cellaring and will require plenty more bottle time to fully unfold. 304 cases were made.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Vales Edge is a newer vineyard designate from Arrowood, in its second iteration. Vales Edge is in a protected bowl behind the Vérité property in Alexander Valley.Knights Crown, the vineyard at the top of the slope above Vales Edge, burned in the 2017 fires. This matured for 32 months in 78% new French oak and was bottled without fining or filtration. The nose features red and black currants with accents of Chinese fivespice, tobacco leaves, sage and rose petals, with a streak of iron character. The full-bodied palate is fresh and expressive, with a powdery texture and bright fruit complemented by savory nuances.Its elegance, perfume and length make it enjoyable now, though itwill be long lived in the cellar. 244 cases were made.

From 667 clone vines, the 2018 Pinot Noir Clairière has a medium ruby-purple color and deep scents of briary fruit, graphite, EarlGrey tea leaves, aniseed and dried flowers. The medium-bodiedpalate offers surprising concentration, seamlessness and energy,although it has a long finish that's still youthfully wound. Give this powerful Pinot Noir another 3-5 years in bottle to unfold.

Pale ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Emery has a pretty perfume of wild berries, licorice, pencil shavings, nori and forest floor,unfolding as it spends time in the glass. The medium-bodied palate has an alluring, clay-like texture that anchors its concentrated fruits, and it has a long, fresh, spicy finish. It will benefit from another 2-3 years in bottle or a couple hours in the decanter

Medium ruby, the 2018 Pinot Noir Kiana has an alluring perfume of violets, lilac, black cherries and blueberries with accents of tangerine peel, aniseed and earth. Medium-bodied, the palate is concentrated and firmly structured despite its pure, detailed fruit.Powerful yet focused, it will benefit from another 3-5 years in bottle.

Pale ruby, the 2018 Pinot Noir Aliette features layered scents of woodsmoke, violet, earth and licorice with a deep core of spicy,briary fruit. The medium-bodied palate is open and inviting, its detailed, spicy nuances of licorice and tangerine gliding seamlessly through the mouth, and it has a very long, ethereal finish.
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The 2019 Pinot Noir Triple Black Slopes has a medium ruby colorand takes some time to open up aromatically to tea leaves, pipe tobacco, forest floor and licorice with a core of wild berry preserves. The medium-bodied palate packs a punch with concentrated, spicy flavors, powerful, grainy tannins, juicy acidityand a very long finish with a fan of Angostura-like accents.Generous yet complex, give it another 2-3 years in bottle or a long decant.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Kiana is transparent and nervy, expressive anddetailed! It has a medium ruby color and layered aromas of red andblack cherries complemented by bergamot, star anise, lavender,earth and mushrooms. The medium-bodied palate offers veryfinely grained tannins, invigorating bursts of acidity and complexearth and citrusy detail lingering on the finish.

From a valley floor site and a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche offers a great bouquet of both red and black fruits as well as notes of herbes de Provence, loamy earth, and spicy oak. Brought up in two-thirds new French oak, it’s medium to full-bodied, has ultra-fine tannins, and beautiful overall balance. A brilliant 2019, it will evolve for 20+ years.

Deep-ish red-purple colour, bright and glowing; the bouquet is reserved but is spicy, earthy and red-fruited with hints of Turkish delight, and the wine comes into its own in the mouth, where it's full-bodied and powerfully structured, with excellent concentration, drive and persistence. There is density and richness, fleshy extract, masses of tannin and a big finish. A grenache of real gravitas

The 2019 Shiraz Ironheart shows immense color, power and density as it ripples with licorice, chocolate and blackberry fruits with a distinctive peaty edge. Robust and flavorsome, it perfectly walks a tightrope between power and subtlety, taking on a more tarry and chocolatey personality through the extremely long finish. Punctuated by a firm core of muscular tannins, this wine is built to deliver for the long haul.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard is sourced from vines planted in 1975, meaning some of the oldest Pinot vines in the Russian River. Exotic Martini clone aromatics give this mid-weight, wonderfully translucent Pinot tons of character. The Arrendell is not an obvious wine, but rather a Pinot built on understated nuance and character. Sweet red
berries, mint, cedar and crushed flowers open effortlessly.

The 2017 Cabernet Franc Arcanum is a brooding and expressive wine made entirely from Cabernet Franc. Musky aromas of graphite, cassis, cigar box, sage, and incense evolve in the glass. Weightless and full, it has ripe tannins and a refined arch of black fruit, mocha, and earth. Its ripeness is balanced with fresh acidity and delicate salinity. Drink 2024-2044.

Sublime. What a gorgeous Grenache! Prettiness and class all in one package. Sourced from the certified organic and biodynamic block adjacent to the famed High Sands, the vines were planted in 1946. Fermented in ceramic eggs and on skins for 176 days, this is Grenache purity at its best. Glorious fruit, sizzling weight, it's just marvelously executed. Easily my favourite Grenache in the Yangarra Estate range, juicy raspberries run riot with flashes of blueberries. Superfine exotic spices frame the edges and push long to a persistent and ever moreish finish. So bright and vibrant in the glass, it feels so luxurious with its silky touch. The High Sands is the flagship of the range but I'd easily take three of these to one of those. Just brilliant! Drink to eight years.

Pale colour. Lemon curd, grapefruit, hint graphite waxy aromas. Well concentrated grapefruit hint nectarine pear skin flavours, supple slinky / al dente textures, lovely mid-palate richness and fresh long cutting acidity. Very refreshing and complex – an amazing wine. Drink now – 2030.

Very deep, dark, saturated red/purple colour; the bouquet is savoury, walnutty and dried-bayleaf scented. The wine is very full-bodied, super-ripe and almost opulent in its proportions. It has density and generous extract, licorice hints and spicy nuances. The finish rolls on and on. A big, bold, solid wine, which will live for decades. Outstanding and loaded with character. (25% whole bunches; 40% new oak; 482 dozen made. Grown on ironstone and sand.