Deep red-purple colour, rich plummy aroma, with some black-olive and smoky characters. A big wine, with lashings of tannin. Grippy and gutsy with masses of fruit sweetness. A very serious grenache, chunky, generous, dense and tannic. It should age superbly.

Deep, dense red/purple - very good colour. Earthy, humus, chaff aromas with quite a lot of oak. Full-bodied, rich and quite dense, with masses of tannins, smooth and supple, but quite gripping. Plummy, chaffy and borderline jammy flavours: full-bodied and chewy, dense and gripping. This needs food, and probably some more age. Impressive wine of real potential.

One of California's most historic wineries produces consistently good cabernet sauvignon from excellent vineyards in Rutherford, Mt. Veeder and Atlas Peak. This one is no less in quality. It shows off an opulent nose of dark berry, spice, oak and clove. There is an abundance of rich dark cherry fruit and long finish.

From vines planted in sandy soils in 1946. Light to mid cherry red. Savoury nose with some herbs. Definitely lighter (and tarter) than the average Australian Grenache. Still a bit chewy. There's a seductive leanness here with a dry finish and a wine that is certainly trying to be different - without a silly price tag. Still very youthful but potentially very interesting - especially to serve blind!

Dark crimson. Quite different from the much cheaper 2011 from a rain-plagued vintage. Rich and opulent on the nose. Round and rather more mainstream in a way than the 2011 though it's very savoury rather than sweet on the finish. Seems a bit expensive but it's certainly ambitious. Though to me it tastes almost more Syrah than Grenache. Where's the sweetness of the variety? A bit savage and uncompromising.

Very dark crimson. Peppery nose signals Shiraz almost Syrah loud and clear. Very refined richness with leathery character. Admirably avoids being simply sweet and tough. There is lots of potential here. Firm and well balanced. With lots of vitality. Should make rather ravishing old bones. Probably worth waiting. Attractive, and unusual in Australia, dustiness. Very impressive persistence. Very interesting!

Very dark blueish crimson. A bit of oak on the nose and then very sweet, spicy and round initially though pretty tight and tart on the finish. Initially seductive, this wine is pretty demanding by the time it exits the mouth. Though the tannins are much smoother and the whole experience much sweeter than the Australian norm.

Gosh they really are serious about the Rhône...! Four acres of this rare (in Oz) variety grown on their own estate on two east-facing, sandy ironstone ridges. Very creditable nose. A bit fatter and less nervy than some north Rhône examples but a creditable bargain alternative to Beaucastel Vieilles Vignes. Herbs on the nose and a lively level of acidity. Body + citrus. A good, useful drink. Maybe the acid is just a tad prominent.

Only light Viognier character on the nose, but a hint of dried apricot. Tight rather than opulent - perhaps making a point? This doesn't seem very charming yet. But maybe the savoury aspect will resolve into something a bit more serious?

One of the more traditional interpretations of the day, its color deep, its flavors ripe and distinctly cherry, its texture pushing the envelope of grittiness, and its oak generous without being overwhelming. In contrast to others, however, its aroma had a surprisingly floral attribute.

The 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 2A is gorgeous! Loaded with raspberry, wild strawberry, incense, mint and spice aromas and flavors, it flows onto the palate with a seamless, pure texture, no hard edges and beautifully polished tannin. Long, elegant and supple, with fantastic length, it will impress over the coming 7-8 years. Drink now-2021.

More spice and underbrush-driven, with plenty of rose petal, strawberry and forest floor, the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 4 is beautiful on the palate with a finesse-driven, elegant palate weight that builds in richness through the finish. As with the other releases, it has solid texture and grip, yet is overall classy and elegant. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years. Drink now-2021.

A bigger wine, the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 23 is also first rate. Textured, rich and focused, with creamy raspberry, black cherry, toasted spice, underbrush and hints of meatiness, it is a full, structured and layered effort that dishes out loads of fruit without seeming heavy or cumbersome. Rounded and supple, yet with solid mid-palate depth and ripe tannin, it, too, will have upwards of a decade or more of ultimate longevity. Drink now-2021.

Even richer, with gorgeously ripe apple tart, toasted hazelnut, brioche and white flower-like aromas and flavors, the 2011 Chardonnay Bench Break is full-bodied, richly texture and fresh on the palate, with a layered, multi-dimensional feel. It's a classy Chardonnay meant for drinking over the coming 2-3 years. Drink now-2016.

Also outstanding and highlighting pure Pinot fruit, the 2011 Pinot Noir Clone 115 is pretty and elegant, with classic underbrush, crushed flowers and spice giving way to a medium to full-bodied, textured and rich palate feel. Textbook stuff, with a slightly red-fruit slant, it will have another 7-8 years of prime drinking. Drink now-2021.

The 2010 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard is gorgeously elegant and finesse driven, with layers of sweet red fruits, crushed flowers, underbrush and rose petal to go with a medium-bodied, seamless and energetic palate. Already approachable, with fantastically polished tannin, it's a knockout Pinot Noir that will have upwards of a decade of ultimate longevity. It's the most integrated and complete in the lineup and I'm a fan. Drink now-2020. Relatively firm, structured efforts, these should all benefit from short-term cellaring.

More complex and layered, the 2011 Pinot Noir Bench Break has complex underbrush, saddle leather, wild flowers and spice to go with a core of red currant-styled fruit. Medium-bodied, seamless and supple, with a silky, rich texture, it's an outstanding Pinot Noir that will offer upwards of a decade of longevity. Drink 2015-2021.

Easily the ripest of the lot, with plenty of Bing cherry, licorice, leather and sassafras/mint, the 2010 Pinot Noir Barbara's Clone 667 is big and fleshy on the palate, with a beautiful texture, good overall freshness and impressive length. I prefer the overall elegance and purity found in the other top efforts, yet this is certainly outstanding. Drink it over the coming 5-6 years. Drink now-2019.

A beautiful Chardonnay, the 2011 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is pure and detailed on the nose with crisp white peach, white flowers, crushed rock-like minerality and hints of creme to go with a medium-bodied, balanced and focused texture. Crisp, pure and downright delicious, enjoy it over the coming handful of years. Drink now-2016.

With a rich, full-flavored profile and solid back-end structure, the 2010 Pinot Noir Clone 667 dishes out plenty of black raspberry, black cherry, licorice, mineral and earthy/underbrush aromas and flavors. Structured and with some tannin to integrate, give it another year in bottle and enjoy through 2018. Drink 2014-2018. Relatively firm, structured efforts, these should all benefit from short-term cellaring.

Really showing the whole cluster, with white pepper, stems, underbrush and charred earth, the 2010 Pinot Noir Whole Cluster is firm, structured and slightly unfriendly at the moment. It should come together nicely with another year or two though and have a fairly broad drink window, with a decade of longevity not being out of the question. There's lots of stem influence here though. Drink 2015-2020. Relatively firm, structured efforts, these should all benefit from short-term cellaring.

More straightforward at the moment, yet with solid concentration and depth, the 2010 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard has a blacker core of fruit with plenty of raspberry, cherry, flowers, spice, hints of crushed stone and chocolate flowing to a rich, concentrated palate that has fine tannin and good length. Juicy, fresh and lively, it will benefit from another year in bottle and drink nicely through 2018 or so. Drink 2014-2018.

Riper, with loads of black raspberry, licorice, toast and cherry pie-like aromas and flavors, the 2010 Pinot Monument is lively and layered on the palate, with juicy acidity, medium to full-body and plenty of ripe tannin that should integrate over the coming year. Drink now-2018. Relatively firm, structured efforts, these should all benefit from short-term cellaring.

A pure, classy Chardonnay that has plenty of ripe apple, brioche, hazelnut and vanilla cream, the 2011 Chardonnay is medium-bodied, rounded and supple, with juicy acidity balanced by plenty of richness. It's a delicious, classy Chardonnay that will drink nicely for 2-3 years. Drink now-2016.

Looking at the reds, and a beautifully done Pinot Noir that has solid typicity with its black cherry, underbrush, flowers and earthy nuances, the 2011 Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley is medium-bodied, juicy and pure on the palate. Already delicious (especially for a 2011), there's enough ripe tannin to allow it to evolve gracefully for 4-5 years. Drink now-2018.