The nose is impressively complex and deeply scented herb, red berry and briar. The palate entry is velvet-like spiced cherry and black plum with a vibrant spine of herb and mineral through the core. It carries stunning balance throughout. Drink 2020 - 2027.

Merlot from Howell Mountain has long been some of the finest produced in the Napa Valley. Situated on the eastern side of the valley, the Howell Mountain vineyards are well above the fog line and catch the afternoon sun, ensuring full ripeness in most vintages. This beauty from La Jota is richly layered, showing ripe black cherry and blueberry fruit, and complex oak spice aromas.

A top bottling of the variety, this small-production wine is structured and strong, opening reductively, with elements of tobacco leaf, oak and sage. The savory character persists in the form of leather and black pepper, allowing just a touch of sharp red fruit to enter and complement. This wine has further secrets to be revealed; enjoy best from 2027–2032.

Very deep, dense purple colour, with a thoroughly oak-dominated aroma. The palate is very firm and tannic, with youthful, almost callow flavour and a solid tannin finish. This is a wine that grows on you. At first glance, too much oak. But it has impressive concentration, volume of flavour and palate length, and I suspect time will vindicate it thoroughly. It's an outstanding wine, and quite extraordinary within the rather ordinary gamut of Australian merlot. (From vines planted in 1976 and 1989 at 220-245m altitude. Aged 15 months in 50% new Bordeaux coopered oak. 4% petit verdot.)

Lots of dark chocolate aromas, toasty barrels, black fruits and black olive, with some graphite or tar overtones. The palate is rich, profound and dense, very fleshy and supple, the tannins fine-grained and the texture superb. A great shiraz indeed. (1,500 cases made)

Deep, dark, youthful red/purple colour, the bouquet showing some char-oak and rich sooty, smoky plum fruit. The black fruit aromas emerged the longer it aired in the glass. It's rich, full-bodied and smooth, with density and textural grip. The palate is intense, full-blooded, bright and assertive, with tremendous length and finish. A seriously good shiraz.

From only the 1971 plantings and a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Shiraz. You can think of it as being a single site version of Penfolds 389, only better. 370 cases made. If you wanted to show an overseas visitor an example of a ‘classic’ South Australian wine, then this would be a fine place to start. It’s medium to full bodied, almost svelte, with succulent but intense ripe tannin, truffle and grilled meat, blackcurrant and boysenberry, a little toast and smokiness, pitch-perfect acidity, and a finish  of impeccable length and composition. Great wine. Dead set classic.

In a word, breathtaking. Yes it's powerful, richly flavoured and full-bodied but the angel is in the detail. Black-crimson-purple same as the fruit notes within flecked with bay leaves, dark chocolate with cinnamon spice. The oak is neatly tucked in, the tannins plump and slightly grainy with exceptional length.

Joyous and aromatically arresting scents of creamy black cherry, black raspberry, licorice and black cardamom grab hold of the nose and don’t waver on this bottling. Deep and dark fruit flavors mix with hints of dank herb, tarragon and even cannabis on the palate, where the acidity is penetrating and persistent.

Black-raspberry, smashed slate, damp oregano and light pine-needle aromas all converge on the attention-grabbing nose of this bottling, which marks a return to the Santa Maria Valley for Greg Brewer. Snappy herbal tones, bright acidity and grippy tannins frame the sip, where mushroom and forest-berry flavors mesh into rounded strawberry fruit.

Lovers of forest-floor elements in Pinot Noir will rejoice at this four-barrel bottling, which is redolent on the nose with pine-needle, eucalyptus and sage-driven garrigue aromas, cut by intense green-peppercorn spice. Its mint and tarragon qualities extend to the sip, where wildstrawberry and cracked pepper flavors align.

Top 20 Shiraz of August 2020This is magnificent McLaren Vale Shiraz and a glorious Jackson Family contrast to the Hickinbotham Cabernet. Quality-wise they’re on a similar plane, but very different personalities. This is more translucent, less muscular, less oak-driven voluptuousness and some welcome spice. Both wines are McLaren Vale megalords, just different. The Ironheart still fits the definition of Vale Shiraz and, most importantly, it’s absolutely delicious. Winemaking-wise it 25% whole bunches and included in the wild ferment, the wine spending 15 months in 35% new French oak. ‘We select individual barrels which showcase the characters of the ironstone’ says the little quote. There’s this textural width here, with a certain silkiness too, the tannins grainy, the oak a lightly toasty companion piece. Nothing out of place, just pulsating McLaren Vale Shiraz with a surprising balance. Possibly the most drinkable Shiraz I’ve had in a long time. Really. I can’t fault much here, it just flows and feels lively, yet satisfyingly generous at every point. Superb. Best drinking: now to twenty plus years. Would I buy it? Worth a bottle.

Intensely flavored and full bodied in style, this wine shows golden oak, honey and flint, with a floral earthiness throughout. Fig, pear and quince dance around the opulence and texture, as forest mushroom and a touch of spice tease on the finish.

From a far coastal site dipped in Goldridge soils at 700-feet elevation, this white is adorned in mineral-laden earth, stone and briny fog. Pear, vanilla and orange peel contrast a refined richness, buzzing in tension and acidity.

From six estate blocks, 50% on sand, 50% ironstone. Destemmed and mechanically sorted whole berries and 20% whole bunches open-fermented with a splash of viognier, 10 months in French oak (20% new). Dark fruits with earth, chocolate and licorice nuances. Sensational price.

Hand-picked from vines planted in '46, wild yeast open-fermented. It only takes a millisecond in the mouth for the wine to establish its varietal purity and generosity. It is supple, round and deeply satisfying, red and purple fruits to the fore, fine-grained tannins bringing up the rear.

From Block 20 planted '46, hand-picked, mechanically berry-sorted, crushed, fermented in 675l ceramic eggs, remaining on skins for 158 days post-ferment, no oak used, the wine pressed and matured in eggs for another 6 months. Brilliant colour. Perfumed. The late Len Evans' description for bouquet such as this was ‘old lady's handbag.' Arrestingly fresh and vibrant.

Excellent flow of ripe, berried, fruit-driven flavour with grass, dust and herb notes as complexing inflections. Perfectly integrated, and yet assertive, dusty tannin through the back half of the wine. There are no missteps here and lots of highlights. Velvety mouthfeel and the perfect application of cedar wood oak add finishing touches to a dramatically high quality red wine.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Pinot Noir Julia's is one of the smaller production releases, with just over 1,000 cases produced. Its translucent ruby hue is followed by a complex, nuanced 2018 that offers gorgeous purity in its raspberry and strawberry fruits as well as lots of sappy, foresty, spicy notes, medium to full body, integrated acidity, and a layered, elegant, yet still powerful style on the palate.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Chardonnay Hapgood offers a touch more precision aromatically and gives up lots of buttered stone fruits, toasted hazelnuts, white flowers, and brioche aromas and flavors. More medium-bodied, concentrated, and nicely focused on the palate, it's a beautifully complete, classic Santa Barbara Chardonnay that does everything right. It has 10-15 years of prime drinking ahead of it.

I was thoroughly impressed by the opulent and layered texture of the 2016 Ironheart Shiraz, a wine that in previous vintages has sometimes seemed more about structure than pleasure. It starts off with scents of cedar, menthol, plums and baking spices, then eases into a full-bodied, plush, velvety palate that delivers waves of ripe black cherries. Deep and long, it's a terrific example of McLaren Vale Shiraz that should drink well for 10-15 years.

Aged entirely in older barrels, the 2016 High Sands Grenache is an epic effort that must surely be one of Australia's greatest Grenache wines. Exquisite perfumes of rose petals, strawberries and raspberries are underscored by hints of fine herbs and cedar, while the medium to full-bodied palate is plush and velvety yet structured, with a long, intense finish. I was still seeing fireworks long after tasting it.

Shit the nest! Second release of a straight Cab Franc from Hickinbotham, and it’s a beauty.Ripe dark raspberry, pencils and fine spicy biscuit oak, good perfume, a smattering of sweet dusty herbs and mint. It’s packing in plenty of ripe red and black fruit, roasted red pepper, feels supple and firm at once, and has a great sense of energy too. It’s succulent yet controlled. It lays on the charm and doesn’t let go. Of all the 2018 Hickinbotham releases, this is the wine that speaks to me most clearly. It’s exceptional.

From a panoramic estate site above Occidental in view of the Pacific Ocean, this wine is peaty and feral, with plenty of fruitiness to spare. Beautifully layered and crisp in orange peel and plum, it is aged in 100% French oak, 37% of it new, allowing for structure and grace with lasting teases of clove, pepper and briny sea.

This rockstar wine is from a cold site south of Sebastopol fed by the Petaluma Gap. Peaty and piquant in licorice, it is rich and balanced, with elongated tannin. Smooth, velvety texture carries strong flavors of blueberry,black raspberry and a tease of grapefruit.