70yo vines, hand-picked, 100% destemmed, 50% crushed, fermented in two 675l ceramic eggs, remaining on skins post fermentation for 140 days, no oak maturation. Peter Fraser says he can't explain why eggs perform as they do, and (of course) nor can I. But I am sure you could not bypass oak in favour of stainless steel tanks. The eggs give the wine texture akin to tight-grain oak, and no reduced characters whatsoever.

Bush vine grenache, planted 1946. Hand picked, wild fermented, 50% whole berries, cold soaked, open fermenters, matured in French oak but none of it was new. Certified organic/biodynamic. A remarkable wine. Sheer fruit power, lakes of tannin, character in spades. Game, black cherry, saltbush, gum leaves and pure fresh plum. Tight through the finish, almost too much so, but as it ages it will unfurl and expand. Serious grenache. Imposing.

Australia has some of the most extraordinary old grenache vines in the world and they lead to wines like this—gorgeously rich and tasting of cherry confiture and exotic spices. “High Sands” (which has a cult following) is grown at the top of the Yangarra Estate on ancient sandy dunes. The gnarly old bush vines were planted in 1946.

From Yangarra's highest blocks of 1946 bush vines, planted on soils so sandy they resemble a beach, this biodynamic Grenache is remarkably complex and ageworthy. Driven by minerals, the hot stone and iodine aromas weave seamlessly into softer ones like drying violets, crunchy red fruits, ground pepper and a basket of freshly picked herbs from the garden. The palate has focus, structure and finesse, the signature of a sensitive and highly experienced winemaker (Pete Fraser). Tannins are chalky and fine, pinning in the crunchy high-toned fruit, corset-like, and allowing more terroirs-driven elements to shine through. A berry and wild herb finish lingers on the close.

Think Blewitt Springs Grenache and expect pretty, bright red fruit. Oh, this rattles the cage on that theory. I'll unashamedly admit this is the best Grenache I have ever seen come across my bench. It's pristine but a bit rustic all at the same time. It's tight yet doesn't come across tense. Dark berries and fruit are pinned together by measured minerality and dusty feels in the mouth. Grown in sand which runs two metres deep, these bush vines produce only five to six bunches each. I felt an air of calmness as I walked this vineyard with winemaker Peter Fraser only a month ago - a sacred site in Australia's wine history planted back in 1946. No irrigation, grown organically and biodynamically, there's so much to savour with this wine. Brilliant! This well cellar well beyond a decade.

This was my top wine from our recent regional McLaren Vale tasting. Tasted nearly 100 wines over one and a half days, blind. This one leapt out. Peppery, bunchy, spicy, raspberry, perfumed. Light to medium bodied, spicy and frisky, cool acidity, dry chalky mineral tannin, savoury and long. Great wine

The fruit comes into play early, and continues its dominance through the length of the palate, its juicy red berry/compote fruits not letting the ever-present tannins gain control. Whether its the eggs or the fruit, it has more overall power.

Plush and juicy with a floral nose; pure and rich; balanced and mellow with depth and concentrated fruit; a spectacular rendition of an underappreciated variety.

Highest of the High-Priced The Top Ten Wines over $100 in 2018 (So Far) Floral nose; luscious, pure, and balanced; rich with depth and concentrated fruit. A dramatic demonstration of the potential of this underrated variety.

271 cases. 210 meters above sea level. 1946 planting. Only old oak. 50% whole bunch. The 2012 was very easy to judge in the glass, while this 2013 took a while to get my head around. As an aside, a Nebbiolo/Burgundy glass ended up being the best vessel for delivery of this wine. Needs a decant or plenty of air, if you open one now. Very earthy, peppery and spicy, boot polish, Old Jamaica chocolate, dried roses, raspberry, cherries, dried mint - so much going on! Medium bodied, deeply fruited, tannic, but in a very silky way (likely that will make sense should you taste it). Plush raspberry flavour, meat and spices, fresh acidity, distinct 'mineral' feel. Long and almost blackcurranty in the aftertaste, with a trail of fine silty tannin. A vin de garde; feels unevolved and painfully young at present. Challenging. I thought about it. And thought some more. Drank some. Then drank some more. And in the end? A conclusion and a score.

160 dozen made from the highest section of 1946 bush vine Grenache. No new oak. I like that they are making a statement about Grenache with the pricing. This is a seriously good wine from sniff to swallow. Great depth of fruit here (raspberry and sour cherry mainly), sweet spices and earth, dried roses, all manner of layered aromatic complexity. Medium bodied, again the flood of deep ripe fruit that's pure and fresh, rather than sweet or over-ripe. Acidity is firm, kind of like biting into fresh raspberry, and the tannin is pretty strict and dry, but gives the wine a forceful slaty texture and drives it along beautifully. Great wines have great length, and this is no exception. It's a remarkable wine.

A very profoundly intense nose with immense fragrance and spice, darker brambly berry fruits and an almost chalky mineral edge. The palate has a very strong core of sturdy tannin, deep-set dark berry fruit flavors heads into dark cherry and plum territory. Tight, long and powerful.

The bottle, the cork, (indifferent) and the price all have the Us written on them, but this is in fact a seriously good grenache, with great colour and mouthfeel to its perfectly ripened, deep and luscious fruit.

A rare mix of power and restraint. Perfectly ripe, bright, concentrated fruit in the red cherry, raspberry and red plum sphere. The palate is captivating with its plush, supple, velvety nature. All of the elements are perfectly integrated. Certified organic and biodynamic. Highly recommended.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings This is an impressive take on the powerful shiraz that Yangarra is so respected for. The poise and polish emanate from quality grapes and some Rolls-Royce, large-format oak maturation. Sultry, spicy complexity warms the long finish in classy style. Certified organic. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

A sublime example of McLaren Vale Shiraz. Superbly handled, this has nothing but a beating heart that oozes class and precision. Sourced from a 1.8 hectare site which lies on a gravelly ironstone outcrop. Handpicked with 25% whole bunches used, wild yeast fermented before seeing 15 months in French oak (35% new). The fruit is elegant and glides through the mouth. Beautifully weighted, the balance of fruit and oak is insatiable. Delicate savoury influences are highlighted by fennel, clove and licorice which mesh with ease culminating in a finish which rides long leaving a sexy spicy hum in its wake. Just wow.

Deep, but bright, crimson-purple; this is full bodied McLaren Vale Shiraz at its very best, not the least extractive or clumsy, simply complex, the result of top-quality fruit and highly intelligent winemaking.

A very dark, intense and brooding shiraz that also as a sense of real refinement and purity, it oozes black plum and blackberry fruits, black stones, plenty of spice, hints of tar and dark leather. The palate's rich, fresh and beautifully poised around a core of blackberry fruit flavor, sweet spice, liquorice and very supple, noble and long tannins. Age this one.

65/27/8%, cold soak, 50% whole berries open-fermented, wild yeast, matured in used French oak for 9 months. Excellent depth to the colour; this is a mighty mouthful, somewhere between Guigal and Chateau Rayas in style, a veritable volcano of red and purple fruits that do, however, want to be enjoyed sooner rather than later. First class wine.

Polished, pretty, powerful and pure. High class McLaren Vale Shiraz. Blueberries, blackberries, crushed dry spice, clove and brighter red-berried notes. Fresh and energetic but with a motor of tannin purring in the background. Great finish.

I was thrilled by the awesome quality of the 2001 La Joie, a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. Aromas and flavors of roasted espresso, grilled herbs, scorched earth, blackberries and cassis liqueur are accompanied by and unctuously-textured, full-bodied, expansive, dense, phenomenally concentrated, pure blockbuster. It should be at its finest between 2005-2020+.

The terrific, opaque blue/purple-colored 1999 La Muse (a 695-case blend of 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers up gorgeous aromas of espresso, melted caramel, black cherry jam, tobacco, and flowers. It reveals an unctuous texture (amazing for a 1999) as well as a huge palate impact, yet great balance, purity, and overall harmony. This prodigious effort will be drinkable young, yet last for 20-25 years. I believe this is the same wine, with just a slight adjustment in the blend, that I referred to as the 1999 Merlot in issue #132

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Aromas of dust, currants and black olives. Full body and round, chewy tannins. This is soft and round textured. Juicy and flavorful at the end.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines This is a fabulous, merlot-based red with blackberries, blueberries and rust. Ink, too. Medium to full body, round tannins and a juicy finish. 93 per cent merlot with the rest in cabernet franc and malbec.

The most exotic and aromatically seductive of the Verité wines, wild red and black fruits marry with nuances of cigar tobacco and incipient floral details. While similarly large-scalled, La Desir's tannic structure is more supple than its siblings and its palate presence appealingly energetic. 62% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Malbec.