This Kendall-Jackson project from Australia debuted with the 2000 vintage; beginning with the 2001 vintage they introduced the Appellation Series to showcase the regional Australian character (the original Varietal Series blends grapes from different sources). Winemaker Peter Fraser blends grapes for this wine from two different sub-regions of McLaren Vale: the cooler Foothills/BlewittSprings subregion and the warmer Seaview Hilltops region.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings There’s a rich array of ripe dark plums and blueberries on offer here, in a youthful, fresh mode. The palate has trademark, deep-gauge tannins and dark-blue-fruit flavors. Firm and full of character. Certified organic. Drink now. Screw cap.

Juicy and succulent, with blackberry, blueberry and pomegranate flavors at the polished core. Accents of black pepper and clove linger on the spicy finish, which is full of finesse and thick tannins. Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre.

Old vine grenache makes up the thrust of this wine. It’s from organically grown (certified) vineyards. McLaren Vale does GSMs very well, I reckon. Let the shiraz play second fiddle to the region’s better red grape variety, I say. It’s a nice thing to drink, easy thing to drink, feels smooth, even and tidy-ish in its components. That being said, oak peeks out a bit in old spice cupboard, pencil shavings and twigginess in perfume and palate, but there’s just about enough dark fruit, Xmas cake dried fruits and spice and earthiness to move things along. Just medium weight, finishes a touch short with smudged dusty tannins. Again, nice drink.

Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre offers a seductive perfume of potpourri, incense and baking spices over a core of kirsch and raspberry tart. Full-bodied, concentrated, voluptuous and oh-so-spicy, it delivers gorgeous red berry layers and a velvety texture to the palate and a finish that goes on-and-on.

Deep purple-red glowing youthful colour and a pepper/spice and gently vegetal aroma which is clean and characterful. It's intense and full-bodied with taut acidity and greater amplitude than the straight grenache, lasting long on the aftertaste. A terrific mouthful of wine at the price.

Full bodied and richly tannic, this gives lie to the notion that all Grenache-based blends are easy quaffers. Dried spices and mixed berries include hints of clove and cracked pepper, finishing with some dry, chewy tannins. The assemblage is 49% Grenache, 29% Shiraz and 22% Mourvèdre. Drink 2020–2030.

Bright aromas of cured meats, rosemary and complex spices. Quite firmly extracted, with muscular tannins holding in the dark red fruits and black pepper on the full body. Long and juicy with a persistent finish. Will unfurl with time.

A unique blend of spice and blueberry sets this Shiraz apart from the pack, and it pulls away even further due to a lush, creamy texture and long, mouthcoating finish. There's great purity to the fruit, but enough peppery spice for complexity. Drink now-2016.

Fragrant, spicy and dense with meaty blackberry fruit and power; ripe and long; showing elegant complexity.

Bright and jazzy, offering a riot of flavors, including plum, blackberry, floral and licorice notes that swirl through the finish against fine tannins. Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2014.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings A minerally and layered white with almond, dried-apple, pear and lemon character. Medium body. Creamy texture. Drink now.

Rich yellow color. Nose of apricot, lime, papaya, surprisingly vibrant fruit mixed with honey and orange blossoms. Plump texture, real depth on the palate, yet fresh acidity keeps the wine bright. Apricot, lime, green melon, pineapple, lots of fruit but it’s accented by honey, candle wax, white tea and ginger, notes of hay and salted almond. The balance here is really impressive, and the wine finishes clean and fresh. 13.5% alcohol, 100% Roussanne, aged 7 months in French oak, 10% new.

Roussanne is not commonly grown in Australia. Yangarra’s is grown 150 meters above sea level on a two-acre block composed of Ironstone gravels mixed with weathered sands. Fermentation was by wild yeast and whole berries were put through a basket press yielding a welcome, moderate alcohol level of 13.5%. Winemaker Peter Fraser says this wine should live long, and Roussanne is known for that. Yields sliced apricot, citrus blossom, and clover honey. The finish is long and the gentle acid lift provides a certain nimbleness.

High on texture and aroma. It helps draw you in. Honeysuckle, ripe melon and chestnuts with a yeasty twang as you swallow. Mid-palate blooms towards richness but the finish narrows down, losing some but not all of its momentum. If anything it helps with the wine's drinkability/food-friendliness. Does not lack intrigue.

Made in a rich, opulent style for near-term consumption, Yangarra's Roussanne features exotic notes of toasted hazelnuts, bananas Foster and ripe pineapple. It's full-bodied without being overly heavy, with a long finish redolent of tropical fruit and citrus.

Deep garnet/purple, the 2013 Small Pot Whole Bunch Shiraz has aromas of cassis, warm blueberries and blackberries with licorice, dark chocolate, cloves and dried herbs. Full-bodied, structured with chewy tannins, the savory and earthy palate has a long finish.

This is a very good rendition of the variety. It has spice and flavour but it's restrained and crisp. Not too heady but not bland either. It tastes of ginger, honeysuckle, melon and chalk with a burst of mineral-edged spiciness through the finish. If a viognier mood strikes, this would be a good choice.

Yangarra's viognier is an excellent advertisement for the variety. Only 173 dozen made. Matured in old oak. It's not hedonistic but it is rich and generous. It's all blossomy stone fruits and honeysuckle, spice and melon. It fills the mouth with flavour but then turns spicy and grainy through the finish; almost chalky. Excellent carry of flavour. A certain Granny Smith crispness. Straw-gold colour. Refreshing and flavoursome. This is worth an excursion over to the viognier side.

Bright colour: convincingly avoids oily extraction on the one extreme and bland anonymity on the other; there are nuances of apricot/apricot kernel and a squeeze of citrus on the fresh palate. It won't be a struggle to find a food match.

Yangarra’s first attempt at a proper Chateanuef Blanc style and incorporating varieties that they’ve brought in (hello Grenache Blanc). Round of applause for Yangarra’s effort as a start. The blend is Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Picpoul, Bourbolenc. Of that lot, the Roussane is picked separately on 6th March, the rest all picked on 18th March and co fermented in ceramic eggs, with no acid or sulphur additions (save for so2 at bottling). Spends a few months on lees in eggs and bottled July 2018. I’m only just geting to it now and it could do with more time to build. This is a gently textural, appley style with a phenolic tang, preserved lemon and grapefruit with a long finish. It’s just a bit neutral for big points now, but all the signs are there for a hero white wine of the future. Best drinking: It could well do with some more bottle ageing. I’d love to see this style with some skin contact and more time on lees. SO much potential. Would I buy it? I’d drink a few glasses easy.

Finely textured and rich-tasting, with hints of dried mint to the ripe dark plum and dried raspberry flavors. Creamy, spicy finish.

Sleek and racy with bright, earthy flavors of crisp cherry and spice; long and juicy.

A crisp display of cherry and raspberry fruit and a core of tangy acidity; nervy, Burgundian and balanced with fresh flavors and good depth; long and zesty.

8 California Chardonnays at 90+ Points Rich-tasting, with fine-grained flavors of apple tart, pear and quince paste backed by fresh acidity. The minerally finish is long and features plush, buttery accents.