Complex, textural, with developing honey, roast hazelnut and lees nuances to the languorous, slippery, golden delicious apple and ripe citrus fruit. A touch of green apple peel too. Lithe, with balanced acidity to the lingering finish. Planted in 1997 to a single Chardonnay clone (I10V1), the east-facing Applejack vineyard in the Upper Yarra Valley, rises from 180m to 280m on grey clay loam. Harvested 3 and 6 March.

Impressively youthful, dark and deep in the glass. Evocative aromas of mulberry, dark cherry, dried herbs, anise, cola, mocha and sweet spice. Really exotic and lifted. Flavours are full, dense, dark and powerful, lashings of dark fruits, spice and nutty oak. There’s firm, shapely tannins and punchy acidity ensuring the plush fruit is kept under control. Long, textured and delicious. Drink: 2023–2038

Fine, crystalline and juicy. Energetic, with pear, pineapple and lemon fruit, showing such focus, and amazing energy and precision. There’s a core of pure lemony fruit and a touch of pithiness, with some nice structure. Great focus and purity here: really alive.

Seventy six year old vines, fermented in 675L ceramic eggs and on skins for 133 days. No oak, matured for 13 months. There’s no question that Grenache is having a moment, and rightly so. This oh so svelte expression of the variety is everything one looks for in the glass. Textural, perfumed and constantly shifting in the mouth. There are plenty of pert red fruits, as one would expect; cranberry, just ripe raspberry and sour cherry. Crushed pink rose petals and rosehip oil, a whiff of green peppercorns and a fine, crunchy line of granite and quartz. Tannins as fine as crushed, powdery glass which in another lifetime might have formed a looking glass of clarity and definition, much like the finished product here. This wine takes one last turn with a savoury finish, not a chewy and dense meatiness, more so the lightness and melt in your mouth finesse of thinly sliced coppa. Impeccable length, long taught acid and rippled with tension. A wine to sip at the bar with limbs outstretched and grace aplomb.

I can’t help but do a little happy dance for the savvy team behind Yangarra when I crack the seal on the Ovitelli Blanc. Grenache Blanc in capable hands – YAY. This is a blend of 73% Grenache Blanc and 27% Roussanne and it makes sense in the old country of McLaren Vale. Like anything Yangarra does, there is thought, consideration, trials and a purpose behind each decision made both in the vineyard and winery. It’s no surprise then that the fruit is handled with a portion macerated on skins for over 110 days, some batches whole bunch pressed and other elements with the finest pressure imaginable. All parts into ceramic eggs for fermentation. Sounds like a lot of work and you bet it is. However, what you are left with is a bouquet of alluring white gardenia, Cape jasmine and aloe vera gel. Star fruit, winter melon and mangosteen. All of this before a rattle of what you thought you knew of textural white wines. A lustrous and creamy palate that winds down your tongue. With hints of bee pollen, whey and almond meal, this has the force of a fighter jet with the soft wing flutter of a night owl. It’s dynamic and pristine. I’m completely enamoured. Drink with..hmmm .. geez something bloody brilliant made by someone very talented. Or perhaps the sweetest scallop nigiri placed at room temperature in your hand by the Sushi master.

A meld of 3 blocks, strewn with lighter silts, screes of ironstone and clay loams. Hand picked, cold soaked; pumped over in open-top fermenters. A minimum of 21 days on skins before élévage in French wood (50% new) for just over a year. As always, an immensely classy and richly flavoured wine, shaped as much by a curl of juicy, precise and beautifully alloyed tannins, as it is by the sheath of blueberry, currant, sage, graphite and dried herbs. The frame of cedar oak, all class. The finish is tenacious, ferrous and densely packed with a nascent energy auguring for much more to come. Bury this.

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