Very deep red/purple colour, with a very rich, deep aroma of dark plum and blackberry, with latent spices emerging the more the glass was worked. Some subtle bunchy traces as well—'forest floor' and leaf litter. A profound and already quite complex shiraz with full body, richness and drive, the finish reverberating on for some minutes. A trace of licorice. The tannins are very abundant and so soft that the wine drinks well already. A ripping shiraz with a big future.

Deep, youthful red colour in the glass. Pretty, lifted, perfumed aromas of musk, geranium, dark cherry, dried herbs, dark chocolate and spice. Full-flavoured, mulberry, blackberry, blood plum, mocha, spice and a menthol edge. The tannins have a fabulous minerally texture and mouth-feel and there's a lightness and brightness to the palate—nothing heavy or clunky here.

Eucalyptus and peony, the merest hint of liquorice and redcurrant make for a layered and complex nose. The palate is light but profound, tracing a clear and pristine outline of finest tannin, contouring the fruit with exactitude. This is vivid, bright, intense but oh so translucent. Bravo.

Loads of ink and tar on the nose with incense and spices. Inky. Full-bodied and firm with velvety tannins that spread across the palate, thanks to the Napa mountain vineyards. Unique malbec. Big wine, but agile. Drink or hold.

Blackberries and black currants with grape skin, lead pencil and pine cone. Full-bodied with round tannins and juicy fruit. Tamed tannins. Bright finish. Classy and authentic. Beautiful now, but will age beautifully.

The purple fruit is prevailing, together with conifer, lead-pencil and ink-pot aromas, following through to a full body with layered, ripe tannins and lightly toasted oak at the finish. Give it three to four years to come around. Try after 2025.

This is a big wine with solid tannins that are layered and powerful, yet there’s underlying, layered fruit between the phenolics. Suppleness and good length. Tight at the end. Needs three to four years to open.

This is so fine and refined with currant, crushed stone, lime stone and fresh mushroom. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Minerally finish. Tight and racy. Drink after 2025, but already beautiful.

Bright ruby colour. A composed nose of raspberries, rosehip, fennel and sweet spice leads into a velvety core. Its harmonious flow is a standout feature of the wine, alongside its elegant composition of flavours. The palate features vibrant red fruits—raspberries and redcurrant and some savoury tones of fresh earth and bitter chocolate. It glides across with fine yet pliant tannins. Its presence could almost be called ethereal.

Dried rose and classic Malbec perfume, so purple tasting, sweet spices and earth, violet. Medium-bodied, suede textured tannin, ironstone, spreads with tannin and perfume, plum and black fruit, so long with lush and opulent tannin and again all that fragrance. Superb. Benchmark Malbec. I love this wine.

The 2019 Chardonnay Machado has a soft honeyed character, with brighter tones of saline, Meyer lemon and chamomile. The medium-bodied palate has great textural presence, its satiny, expansive flavors foiled by bright acidity that brings an energetic quality to the long finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir 3D is lovely, with pomegranate and raspberry aromas and nuances of lemon peel and wildflowers. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and polished, with sleek layers of spicy fruit and juicy acidity calling you in for another sip on the long finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir 459 has a medium ruby-purple color and rich scents of raspberries, blood orange, sage and angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate is layered and deeply fruited, with fine, silty tannins and a long, iron-laced finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay 3D has a singular expression this year, with expansive flavors and fine aromatic nuances. Quince fruit is overlaid by wafts of chaparral, sage, mushroom and dark spices on the nose, and the palate has a satiny texture and gentle tang,
finishing long and mineral-driven.

Barossa and McLaren Vale Grenache: 20 top wines to try
Great care has been taken in crafting this elite expression of Grenache from a rare old dry-grown McLaren Vale vineyard. Winemaker Peter Fraser captures a heady high-toned perfume of ripe berries and a hint of wild herbs, with a fine, clean palate and a long, beguiling flow of subtle flavour hits. The impact of the initial impression persists, with lean muscle in the structure enabling every nuance to ring clear and true.

The Rockfall Vineyard is between 2,000 and 2,200-feet in elevation, and the wine that originates there is powerful and concentrated in style, with robust red-fruit and mineral tones. Herbal and classic, it shows elegance and integrated oak and tannin within its context of intensity and structure. Enjoy best from 2027–2037.

From a site planted at 1,800-feet elevation, this impressively built and structured wine is complex, with floral openings of apple blossom and pear. The richness of stone fruit continues on the palate, with notes of rocky soil, mineral and acidity wrapped around a core of elegance and length.

Lots of blackberries and walnuts on the nose with some violets. Full-bodied, yet lively and agile, with polished tannins that run across the palate and show class and focus. Bright and vivid. Needs three or four years to come together. One of the best I have had from here. Try after 2024.

Deep mahogany. An outstandingly gorgeous nose, redolent with autumnal fruit. The palate is equally beautiful – perfumed with fruit and flowers but still minty fresh, bright and remarkably youthful. The age only becomes apparent in the perfectly resolved tannins adding layered texture as padding rather than structure. This is a complete and balanced masterpiece, alive and dancing; immensely flavourful but with flavours yet unnamed, making it wonderfully intriguing and totally moreish. Superb wine from a great Napa vintage.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Mount Veeder wine loaded with strong savory and mineral accents. Black fruit, graphite menthol and licorice lend complexity to this huge, explosive Cabernet Sauvignon. The tannins are pretty fierce at this stage, so readers should plan on being patient.

The 2019 Cabernet Franc marries density, energy and varietal character in a huge mountain wine that is going to need a number of years to come together. Cedar, tobacco, licorice, coffee and dark-fleshed fruit infuse the 2019 with tremendous character. The 2019 is a powerhouse. Give it a few years to soften.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is the most elegant, nuanced wines in the Lokoya range. Bright red cherry, red plum, blood orange, mint, cinnamon and rose petal lend brightness to this big, potent Cabernet Sauvignon. The Spring Mountain is differentiated in this range for its distinctly red-tone fruit, floral top notes and silky tannins. In 2019, the wine is a blend from Wuerder and Everdon.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain is a huge, strapping wine packed with inky black fruit, graphite, crushed rocks, menthol, bittersweet chocolate and espresso. This huge, virile Cabernet packs a serious punch in its first impression. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of floral and savory notes that are so typical in wines from this appellation. Give the potent tannins a few years to soften.

A huge, dense wine, La Jota 2019 Merlot W.S. Keyes is sourced from vines planted in 1982. Blackberry jam, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cloves are all kicked up in this sumptuous, exotic Merlot. The 2019 is deep, full-throttle and so exciting.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is another superb wine from La Jota. Rich and explosive, the 2019 possesses tremendous density and plenty of mountain power. A rush of black cherry, blackberry, licorice, spice and menthol builds into the huge finish. This is a fabulous vintage for the La Jota Cabernet.