Bright and loaded with tension the 2022 Rose by winemaker Erik Kramer offers red rose water with orange rind and pretty guava and red raspberry fruit flavors. Enjoy this beauty now and over the next several years to come. Drink 2024-2028.

La Crema's 2022 Monterey Chardonnay is a celebration of coastal influence and refined taste. With aromas of grilled pineapple, Asian pear, and tangerine, followed by flavors of white peach and Key lime, it's a wine that balances fruitiness with a touch of barrel spice. Its river stone minerality and balanced acidity make it an excellent match for seafood dishes or a simple cheese platter.

A superb vintage for this, the the finest iteration of Ovitelli Blanc thus far. Aromas of freshly made lemonade, herbal tea, salted quince and raw almonds, with a bitter kick of quinine at the finish. Full-bodied with just the right amount of pucker and a salty lick at the end. A brilliant expression that should age very well indeed. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

A full-bodied cabernet of precision and class. The results are more approachable, fragrant and exquisite than warmer years. Perhaps the tannins are not quite as refined and resolved. Yet the pimento lift to the aromas riffs on spruce, a smattering of garden herbs, green olive brine, red currants and pickled cherries. It has an immediacy and great gusto. I'd drink this across a shorter-term window. Drink now or hold. Screw cap.

Plenty of class here. Crushed currants, paprika, spiced Damson plums and a touch of pimento. More medium-bodied and savory than previous vintages. The oak is a perfect framework. This is not as spectacular as this bottling has proven in the past. And yet the poise and drinkability cannot be disputed. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

A classy, polished, consummately detailed, full-bodied shiraz. Not an ounce of flab or extraneous sweetness on its refined structural bones. Anise, blue fruit, grilled meats and mace on the finish. Tension across its classy oak and grape tannins. Drinkable now, but best from 2028.

Plush and compelling, with elegantly layered flavors of raspberry and tart cherry that take on black tea and rose petal accents as this builds richness and tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2033. From Oregon.—T.F.

A deep, glossy ruby. Buoyant notes of lavender, lilacs, boysenberries and a sheer, joyous grapiness. And yet the tannic restraint is drawn tight. The oak is classy and beautifully handled across a medium-bodied texture. There is a great deal to like here. Most of all, the impressionable immediacy of the fruit. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Seductive and elegantly complex, with silky raspberry flavors accented by notes of fresh violet, orange peel, savory spices and black tea that gather richness toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2033. —T.F.

An exuberantly floral, full-bodied shiraz, with the inherent elegance of Blewitt Springs, a grand cru in local parlance. Iodine, saddle leather, dried lavender and lilacs, with notes of boysenberry and cream. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

A late-released single-block bottling. Exciting aromas of porcini mushrooms, dashi, wood, mulch and a mocha oak element. This is delicious now, but I'd drink it up relatively soon, evidenced by the dryness across the finish. Drink now. Screw cap.

A late-released, full-bodied, bottle-aged wine from a single prized block. Old-school Aussie shiraz, boasting maritime accents of kelpy iodine amid darker notes of mocha, camphor, star anise and mulled red plums. The tannins are a bit drying. I'd drink this soon. Drink now.

Ferrous, nicely reductive and very savory, boasting grilled meats, camphor, iodine and cloves. A very earthy GSM, far from the fruitier Aussie norm. Plenty to like. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now. Screw cap.

A rich, plusher expression of merlot, at least in an Australian context. Tomato leaves, Damson plums and ferrous tannins directing solid length. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Very well crafted and quite versatile in style, this rings true to Cabernet’s reputation for rich, robust flavors while finishing with sufficiently soft structure. Aromas and flavors of blackberries and dark cherries are pure and very appealing, its firm tannins without any drying effect.

This elegant and refined Oregon sparkling wine is a fine example of the bubbly revolution going on in Oregon, where there are many producers are making excellent sparklings. I love Gran Moraine’s whisper-light pink hue, purity and generous textured palate rich with notes of wild strawberries and peach creamsicle.

This is about as fine as shiraz can get in the Vale, boasting filigreed tannins and such a natural sense of freshness that it whets the palate and makes one hungry at first sip. Northern Rhône-like scents of grilled meats, cloves, lilacs and Damson plums. A gentle cascade across the spicy framework to a long, immensely refined finish. All foudres vats, Austrian and French. Despite the full body, the wine is almost ethereal in the best sense, making for effortless drinking despite the profundity in the glass. This has such delicacy and cooler climatic tension to it that it is truly startling. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

A beautiful opening act from a splendid source of quality McLaren Vale grenache. Notes of dried rose petals, spruce and kirsch. A little hard, rustic and ferrous at the end, although nothing a stiff decant or a short stint in the cellar can’t remedy. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026. Screw cap.

Hickinbotham first planted dry-farmed vineyards near the hamlet of Clarendon in 1971 at the upper limit of McLaren Vale. The site’s climate is influenced by the coast, the Onkaparinka River gorge and the rolling hills offering different exposures and funnelling refreshing breezes. Almost opaque purple-black in colour, the wine has cassis, brambles and Christmas cake with tobacco and a hint of hedgerow and leather.

Dry, but sweetfruited, the wine’s flavours are balanced by crisp acidity and linen-textured tannins. Beautifully-defined with intriguing spices adding complexity, the wine will match rabbit simmered in white wine and chicken stock with onions and a bit of garlic.

showcases the region by delivering a full-bodied, richly concentrated wine with character. The dry red wine opens with layers of black fruit, including dried fig, plum, and cherry, that melds with toasted spice, woody herb, and a subtle smoked meaty quality that makes the wine incredibly food-friendly with anything you might throw on the grill. Pair with steaks, chicken, sausages, or fire-grilled vegetables. #Cheers

Deep, pure bright yellow. The grapes are sourced from 4 different vineyards across the Cape, fermented in a range of vessels (oak, ceramic, stainless) and matured in in oak barrels of diverse sizes and ages. The resulting wine is magnificent, elegant with excellent structure and complex, interwoven flavors. Chalky minerals run throughout the wine and mark the finish. A truly exceptional Chardonnay. Not inexpensive (even in South Africa) but great value!

Sourced from a special block (Flowers) of mostly 95 and 96 clones within the estate’s Fijnbosch vineyard at almost 600m altitude, only 100 cases were made in this vintage. The wine is refined, creamy and and sensuous. It reveals minerals with understated fruit and a broad, full mouth feel. While it sees a little more new oak (40-45%) than the regular bottling, it’s completely integrated with the fruit.

Silene is the “entry” level wine of Capensis, which suggests the very high standards of this winery. Aromatically, it shows sumptuous scents of citrus and orchard fruit kissed by hazelnut. Beautifully focused on the palate with a sense of minerality. A blend of Stellenbosch vineyards fermented in a variety of vessels and matured in 25-30% new French oak. 14% alc.

The pinnacle of pinot noir, La Crema has mastered the art of cultivating the varietal to a work of bottled art. Every sip of this sensation offers black fruit, yet it is tempered with ever-so-slight notes of pine, and its beautiful perfume fills the room, leaving a lovely, lasting impression.

The depths of winter can be a hard time for pinot noir lovers – 25 degree nights can call for something with more body and punch. But in a world growing more crazy for pinots, you better have a classic on hand all time. La Crema’s 2022 offering is pretty much the Platonic ideal of pinot noir. It’s elegant and unfussy, meaning it’s smooth but flavorful, fruity but not sweet, right for sipping alongside nibbles of roquefort or washing down a huge plate of eggplant parm.