This Gran Selezione comes from the fairly high-altitude (420-450m asl) La Porta vineyard, named after late owner Jess Stonestreet Jackson (hence Strada al Sasso), whose dream was always to produce a varietal Sangiovese here. Still very young, the 2021 shows some reductive meatiness over fruit that remains dark and compact, though ferrous notes and sweet violets gradually waft out. The entry is full of dark plum fruit, while the mid-palate has tender flesh clinging to a central pillar of tannins, which are already showing a pleasing elasticity. Drinking window 2023 - 2033

This was a preview of the new Campolupi Gran Selezione, a high-altitude site that’s more than 600m asl) at the northwestern end of the estate. It will be released in July 2024. Winemaker Lawrence Cronin was struck by the fact that the acidity was softer at these heights than from the lower vineyards. The overall impression is one of suavity and affability, even at this early stage. The colour is strikingly purple and opaque, likely a product of the Colorino in the blend as well as youth. The purple tonality continues on the nose, which offers violets and a little plumminess, along with some black olive brine and salted liquorice. The texture is fluid, losing (?) a winsome floral perfume on the front-palate. Chalky tannins appear midway back to form a rounded central presence, while acidity is present but diffuse. Drinking window 2025 – 2035

The Hickinbotham wines are
routinely classy expressions
from the eponymous
vineyard in Clarendon, in
McLaren Vale, planted 1971.
This 2021 Mr Grant Malbec
leads with peppercorns,
purple flowers (lavender,
violet, etc.), cinnamon sticks,
star anise and blackberry pip.
In the mouth, the tannins
wrap around the fruit, the oak
is sweet and dusty (good,
like cocoa power), and the
draw of flavor across the
palate is long and deep. This
is an excellent wine. It is
poised, rocky and mineral,
with some graphite and brick
dust. Very impressive. 14%
alcohol, sealed under screw
cap.

Though clearly a product of a hot, dry year, the Riserva Strada al Sasso – the predecessor of the Gran Selezione – has a marked finesse. It’s made from the best 35 barrels of the 11ha La Porta block and has reached a glorious point of maturity. There’s lovely fresh strawberry interplaying with animalic leather notes, blood orange, rosebuds and a hedonistic whiff of torrone. The entry is flush with soft glycerol that begins to feel excessively oily before the fat falls away to reveal a lovely translucency. Initially assertive acidity dissipates into the body on the mid-palate, but emerges on the back for a refreshing close that’s grazed by sueded silk tannins.

Ripe and enticing, with a beam of raspberry and boysenberry coulis streaming through, flecked with light anise and sweet spice notes. Shows a light gloss of toast on the finish. Drink now through 2025. 315 cases made. From California.—J.M.

Ripe cherries, mulberries, creme de cassis and a hint of asphalt and tar on the nose. Medium to full body on the palate with fine, velvety tannins and a long and juicy finish that goes on and on. Drink or hold.

From 800 million year old soapstone, sandstone, clay soils in Australia's premier Grenache region, McLaren Vale, Hickinbotham is set for the long haul while still being approachable now. It's reticent when first poured, so give it some aeration. Once open, there's oodles of ripe, fresh strawberry fruit, and something a touch medicinal. Behind that lurk cherry cordial, orange rind, floral and spice notes. The palate is bright and fruity, with an almost surprising tug of raw, textural tannins. A distinctive cherry tang lingers on the long finish. Graceful and silky but with power and age-worthiness.

At $39, a steal of a wine. Greg Brewer, a former French Literature teacher, has been influenced by Japanese art and Buddhism. He says he is motivated by “negative space” and a “dread of the explicit.” This is a silk-meets-satin Pinot with notes of violets, blood oranges, and spices, plus a lovely saline whoosh at the end.

Deep, dark and chocolaty, this silky yet concentrated wine feels light on the palate while delivering delicious, intense black fruits, baking spices, cedar and cloves. Made from mostly Petite Sirah and Merlot grapes, the wine offers complexity and a polished, fine-grained texture that’s a treat to experience. Best from 2026–2032.

Hints of lime and shortbread, aromas of blanc de blancs Champagne on the nose.
Dried mango, fresh fig and lemon peel on the palate. Concentrated, creamy yennot heavy. Drink 2023-2029 Alc 12.7%

For lovers of ripe, rich Chardonnay—this pour is for you. Yellow apple, Bosc pear, yellow peach, mango skins and banana peel fruit notes intertwine with candied almonds, vanilla, nutmeg and buttery popcorn.

The 2019 La Joie is striking on the nose with its pure, alluring scents of violet and iron. As it spends time in the glass, it gains intensity, blossoming to aromas ofcrème de cassis, mint chocolate, licorice, truffle and softening new French oak spices. The palate is bursting with concentrated fl avors characterized by energetic acidity rather than weight or extraction. It features tremendously velvety tannins and a very long finish with ringing graphite and violet tones.

The 2016 La Muse, a composition of 93% Merlot, 5%Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec, is still very youthful at this stage. It has alluring scents of minerally Morellocherry, sage, desiccated rose petals and the first hints of maturity coming through as wafts of mushroom and cigars. The powerful, full-bodied palate is harmoniously balanced, with bright acidity, powdery tannins and a long, perfumed finish. It deserves several more years to develop in bottle.

The 2019 La Muse offers the purity and layering of the best 2019s from Sonoma County. The nose opens with generous aromas of mushroom, underbrush,licorice and garrigue complementing a core of Morello cherry. The medium to full-bodied palate is silky and plush with pixelated tannins. Its fruit is still somewhatcoiled, driven by graphite tones at this stage, although it offers plenty of refreshing acidity that gives a weightless, ethereal feel to the fragrant finish. It deserves several more years in bottle to unwind.

The 2020 Le Désir is a composition of 80% CabernetFranc, 15% Merlot and 5% Malbec, matured for 15months new French oak. Its aromas gain intensity withair, blossoming from bright blackberry, blueberry andviolet to tones of dried thyme, pencil shavings and wildfennel. The palate is harmonious, with an etherealstructure of refreshing acidity and powdery tannins. Itoffers concentrated yet nuanced fruit streaked withgraphite and fl oral tones, and it has a long, fragrantfi nish. I love how much personality this Le Désir has tooffer, despite the challenges of the vintage. 1,200cases were made.

The 2021 La Joie is a blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 6%Petit Verdot and was matured for 16 months in new French oak. Currently resting in the tank, it's surprisingly open-knit at this early stage, offering pure aromas of cassis, crushed blueberries, licorice, garrigue, earth and violet with streaks of pencil shavings. The full-bodied palate is earthy to begin, its fruit laced with truffle-like accents. Structurally harmonious, it features abundant, powdery tannins and plenty of refreshing acidity to highlight a flourish of spicy accents across the long finish.

The 1998 La Joie, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, is a pleasure to drink. Medium garnet in color, it maintains a core of dried red cherries complemented by tones of mushroom powder, wet tobacco, dust and iodine. The palate is velvety and surprisingly fresh, with high tertiary complexity and a very long finish featuring haunting touches of dried fowers and tobacco.

The 2013 La Muse is maturing gracefully and offers noticeable detail at this stage. Deep garnet in color, its dried wild black and blueberry fruit is complemented by umami-like wafts of shiitake, steak sauce and aniseed. The full-bodied palate is softening and fresh,with a generous core of juicy fruit, heightened complexity from savory notes of maturity and a singular, umami-and-berry finish. It's drinking wonderfully, although it's not quite at its peak.

The 2020 La Joie is a blend of 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3%Malbec, matured for 15 months new French oak. Its aromas of cassis, coffee and licorice are accented with alluring violet perfume, and it gains intensity as it spends time in the glass. The full-bodied palate is loaded with velvety tannins and graphite-laced fruit. It has soft undulations of acidity and a long fi nish with lingering spicy tones. 1,200 cases were made.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard
was matured for 15 months in 90% new French oak.
Currently resting in tank, it's aromatically pure and
layered with scents of warm blueberries and cassis,
licorice, mushroom and earth. The full-bodied palate is
seamless and youthfully coiled, with clay-textured
tannins and a finish that hints at more nuance waiting
to emerge.

The 2021 Le Désir is a blend of 87% Cabernet Franc,11% Merlot and 2% Malbec and was matured for 16 months in new French oak. Currently resting in the tank, it explodes with gregarious aromas of blueberry, dried thyme and lavender, fennel, coffee grounds and truffle. The medium to full-bodied palate is light on its feet, with ultra-powdery tannins, fi reworks of fresh acidity and a youthfully coiled finish featuring mineral, floral fruit.

The 2012 Le Desir has a medium garnet color and woodsy, musky scents of mossy bark, fi r needles and desiccated fl owers. The palate has firm, velvety tannins, unexpectedly bright currant fruit and a long,tobacco-laced finish. I would be inclined to drink this over the next 5 to 7+ years.

Deep ruby-garnet, the 2014 La Joie is alluringly tertiary on the nose with tones of iodine and truffl e, old cigars,dried tobacco and blackcurrant. The medium-bodiedpalate is velvety and seamless, and the wine isshowing a structural harmony and ideal balance offruit and umami character. It's drinking beautifully!

Exuberant, showing bittersweet dark chocolate, espresso and notes of kirsch, framboise and maraschino cherry at the core, with accents of rosemary, oregano and cigar box and a wonderfully dense, plush body. This wine really takes off on the generous finish, which packs momentum and complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Drink now through 2035. 489 cases made, 150 cases imported.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard was matured for 14 months in 90% new French oak. Currently resting in tank, it has slowly blossoming aromas of crème de cassis, cigar box,
violet and wild fennel, plus notes of pencil shavings and truffle. The full-bodied palate is structured by very finely grained tannins and surprising freshness that highlights its floral perfume, and it has a long,
surprisingly open-knit finish streaked with lovely mineral tones.