Not surprisingly, this red is the darkest and most youthful of the flight, with maraschino cherry and mulberry fruit offset nicely by the bracing savory and mineral hints buried within. Broad in feel, but not lacking in cut, with mouthwatering apple wood and dried anise notes checking in.

Feels a little fuller and rounder, though not lacking in drive, offering damson plum, cherry and red licorice notes flecked with savory and red tea. Super fresh through the finish, with a brighter, more distinctly savory feel than the ’10. Drink now.

A touch reticent on the nose, offering hints of sous bois and black tea before giving way to a slightly more mature fruit profile as the damson plum, black cherry and raspberry fruit brings a gently mulled note. There’s a bright savory streak through the finish, which then echoes prettily. Drink now.

Very expressive, with a juicy, open feel to blood orange sorbet, damson plum coulis and cherry fruit notes flanked by the wine’s typical rooibos and savory details. This is the one vintage in the flight where the fruit is ever so slightly steeped in feel, and Brewer notes this was the rare Sta. Rita Hills vintage marked by an elongated heat spell, which shows in the forward aspect here. Drink now through 2030.

At first sip, this is almost bracing in its freshness, catching you off guard for a 13-year-old Pinot, with high-toned notes of rooibos tea, bitter cherry and damson plum. Offers perfume and minerality through the finish, which is inviting and open. This red softens slowly and steadily with air, giving way to blood orange coulis and mulled cherry notes. In its secondary phase, but in the way 40 is the new 30, this is a wine that’s taken care of itself. Drink now.

Black-fruited grunt with savoury olive and sage. A surprise compared to the suppleness of other Yangarra Grenaches, but these 1946 vines have attitude. A grumpy old bugger that begrudgingly yields with time in the glass, showing its tender heart.

Vivid petrol, peach skin and smoked ham flavors signal that this new brand from Jackson Family Wines makes a classic, varietally correct Riesling. It comes from a cool pocket of vineyards in an otherwise warm region, bringing tangy acidity, mineral accents and a fresh, palate-cleansing texture. 

The 2021 Syrah comes from the Perilune Vineyard, where vines were planted in sandy soils in 2017, in the Sta. Rita Hills. Made with 100% whole clusters, it's expressive and alluring with pure scents of cassis, bitter chocolate, garrigue and cracked peppercorn. The medium-bodied palate features a concentrated core of floral fruit framed by silky tannins and refreshing acidity, and it has a long, ethereal finish. It's beautiful now and will reward 3-5+ years in the cellar.

The 2021 Chardonnay 3D opens with matchstick aromas that give way to perfumed quince, peach and exotic floral and ginger tones. The light-bodied palate, however, is bright, salty and mouthwatering. It has a luxuriously silky texture and an expansive finish that hints at latent exotic tones. It's the most coiled of the Brewer-Clifton Chardonnays this year and will benefit from several years in bottle

The 2021 Pinot Noir Machado has deep, gently broody scents of pomegranate, blackberry, Angostura bitters and dark spices. The medium-bodied palate is chalky with vibrant acidity, a concentrated core of spicy fruit and a long, layered finish.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Hapgood is expressive and detailed. The nose opens with ringing tones of tangerine and pomegranate, plus nuances of tobacco leaves, mossy bark and dark spices. The light-bodied palate has a silky texture and softly tangy acidity that adds a shimmery quality to its core of spicy fruit, ending with an ethereal finish. It will benefit from 2-3+ years in bottle.

The 2021 Chardonnay Hapgood is scented of toasted meringue and apricot with accents of beeswax, cashew and citrus blossom. The light-bodied palate has a rounded texture which tempers its tangy acidity, and it has a deep core of youthfully reticent, saline-driven fruit. It will benefit from several years in bottle to unfold.

The 2022 Chardonnay, vinified without malolactic conversion and matured in stainless steel, opens with inviting aromas of quince, white peaches, toasted meringue and citrus blossom streaked with hints of matchstick and saline. The medium-bodied palate balances ripe, floral fruit with focused acidity, and a touch of textural breadth lengthens the finish. It combines the verve of Chablis with the ripeness of California. It deserves 2-3 years in bottle to unwind.

The 2021 Pinot Noir 459 is expressive and detailed. It's scented of blackberries and cranberries with nuances of tea leaves, bitters and tobacco. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with a deep core of spicy fruit, and there's a flourish of spice and floral tones on the finish.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, made with an unusually high proportion of whole clusters (90%), has broody scents of dark cherries, blackberries, woodsmoke, underbrush and rooibos tea leaves. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with concentrated, spicy flavors and a long, nuanced finish.

The 2021 Pinot Noir 3D features cranberry, pomegranate and tangerine scents with accents of underbrush and bitters. The light-bodied palate is silky and energetic with generous, crunchy fruit, tangy acidity and a long, spicy finish.

The 2021 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills opens with lots of flinty, matchstick tones over a core of spicy white peach and citrus blossoms. The light-bodied palate balances juicy acidity with a touch of textural grip. It has youthfully toasty, beeswax-laced fruit and a long, flinty finish. It will benefit from some time in a decanter.

The 2021 Chardonnay Machado is expressive and inviting. It opens with gregarious toast and allspice scents complemented by ripe quince and honey. The medium-bodied palate features generous, spicy flavors balanced by juicy acidity, and a touch of textural grip lengthens the finish. It doesn't need any bottle time to drink deliciously on its own or with richer dishes at the table.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Perilune comes from vines planted in 2007. It has a pale ruby color and layered aromas of pomegranate, underbrush, orange peel, earth and bitters. The medium-bodied palate has a deep core of tangerine-tinged fruit, chalky tannins, shimmery acidity and a delicate, spicy finish.

Impenetrably dark, blackish crimson. Very ripe Cabernet nose initially with a herbal overlay and no heat on the end – overall the wine is appetisingly fresh in fact – but there's a very slight suggestion of something charred on the very end. The finish is neither alcoholic nor drying but it's not that persistent – at this stage anyway. There's lots of pleasure to be had here, so long as you are not prejudiced against ripe Napa Cabs. I would guess it will gain complexity with time.

Deep crimson. Intensely aromatic with notes of coffee and chocolate but an admirably fresh finish. Really rather subtle and gorgeous. Perfumed and well balanced. Leaves the palate refreshed. The best Cardinale I can remember tasting. Gentler tannins than I can remember in any red bordeaux 2019. Sweet but not sickly fruit. Rather beautiful. I feel sorry for the reds I'm about to taste.

Transparent shaded garnet. Sweet, decongestant nose – unmistakably Australian! Quite marked acidity. Refined tannins and marked freshness but no great persistence.

Yangarra has championed Grenache for some time, and this wine shows real class. This has sensitivity throughout, seamless with bright freshness balanced with spices and savoury notes. Cranberry and cherries, with some herbaceous notes together – as the wine opens up on the palate there is a wonderful, perfect mouthfeel – this really does show just how good Grenache can be and will evolve perfectly. From a vineyard planted in 1946. Check out the Yangarra Roux Beaute Roussanne 2015.

A massive, powerful, full-bodied beast of a wine that reminds me of a great vintage of Ch teau Latour with its structure and regal character, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder offers a beautiful bouquet of blackberries, wild cherries, iron, spring flowers, and wild scrub brush. It’s concentrated, has massive extract and richness, no shortage of tannins, and a huge finish. It’s not for the instant gratification crowd and needs 7-8 years of bottle age, but it will see its 30th birthday in fine form.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District is another incredible effort, revealing a dense purple hue and a kaleidoscope-like array of cassis, violets, spring flowers, and tobacco leaf, as well as full-bodied richness and ripe, velvety tannins. It has perfectly integrated oak, tannins, and acidity, flawless balance, and the class to benefit from 4-5 years in the cellar and evolve for 25-30 years.