Pouring a ripe yellow hue, the ripe and juicy 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is forward with aromas of honeysuckle, ripe pear, and lemon custard. Full-bodied and generous, with a creamy texture and notes of vanilla oak spices lasting on the finish, it’s a seductive style to drink over the next few years.

Pouring a deep but bright ruby hue, the 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is forward with fruit and spice in its notes of ripe red cherry, cinnamon, and toasted cedar. Ripe and medium-bodied, the palate expands with sunbaked red plum fruit, ripe tannins, and modest acidity. It’s prime for youthful drinking to retain the ripe fruit while it’s still on the fresh side.

There are hay and cedarwood characters here, which help give the flavour profile some spread, but essentially the fruit here has soaked up its oak in the best of ways. This is an impressive 10-year-old wine. It tastes of fresh boysenberry, blackcurrant, decayed leaves, blonde tobacco and an array of secondary characters, leather and tangerine, earth and game. What’s really noticeable about this wine is the way it opens up in the glass; it starts off well, but it really blossoms as it breathes in the most wondrous of ways. It’s a gem of a wine, without question.

Every cherry is singing at the top of its lungs in this super delicious, full-of-energy Pinot from Zena Crown. And the waves of very pure, rich fruit flavors keep coming: cool raspberries, pomegranates, blackberries, and plums—all laced with grenadine. Languorously supple texture. Vivid and long.

Opens with captivating sandalwood and incense aromas, then moves into a wine with fresh, lively flavors of cherries, blueberries, lavender, and earth ending with a whoosh of minerals and a salty/peppery “bite.” Very structured. Very nice balance.

The 2020 High Sands Grenache speaks of raspberry
leaf tea, matcha dust, cut fennel, star anise, cherry
seed and blood plum skin. This is the more classically
styled Grenache of the Ovitelli and the High Sands, and
it is classy to its very core. As the two wines hail from
the same vineyard, albeit different blocks (and within
that, there are differences), the density and gravitas
that is afforded this wine has to, at some point, be
attributed to the foudre component. It balances the
febrile, delicate Grenache fruit and weights it. Now,
whether that is your "thing" or not is up for discussion,
but it is clear that there is a style difference between
the Ovitelli and the High Sands. This is unerringly
elegant and svelte, polished, expressive and effortless.
It sails through the mouth. It is sensational. The
tannins are absolutely the highlight, finely milled and
poudre-like in texture. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under
screw cap. The High Sands vineyard is a beautiful,
"open-to-the-sky" bush vine vineyard that was planted
in 1946. The Block 31 section, which is where the fruit
for this wine is sourced from, is 1.7 hectares and sits
on the cap of the gentle hill upon which the vines are
planted. This is where the deepest deposit of sandy
soil is. Handpicked and sorted on the fancy table in
the winery, 50% whole berries were fermented in open
fermenters, and it was on the skins for a minimum of
21 days. It had a wild ferment and no pressings in the
final wine. It matured on the lees in a combination of
large, old French foudres and ceramic eggs.

The 2021 Ovitelli Grenache is sourced from Block 30—
a two-hectare adjacent to the High Sands block,
planted in 1946. Sorted on the fancy sorting table at
Yangarra and fully destemmed, it fermented in
ceramic egg and spent 133 days on the skins. It
matured exclusively in ceramic egg (13 months'
elevage, no pressings in the final wine), so we know
the texture and structure inherent in this glass is
vineyard- and berry-derived rather than from the
vessel. Already, we are in cool territory. On the nose,
there is fresh tobacco leaf, graphite, raspberry leaf,
lavender, turmeric/saffron, matcha, licorice and a hint
of dehydrated orange peel (moving onto the
negroni/Camari end of the spectrum here). In the
mouth, the tannins are super fine, milled into
compressed powder that plumes through the fruit, like
blood in the water. This is mineral, detailed, exciting,
febrile, ethereal and lacy, even. Wowee. Strong
statement about McLaren Vale Grenache here. 14.5%
alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The 2021 Hickinbotham Grenache has that lovely,
skinsy, ashy quality that comes from extended time on
skins in amphora (69% of the blend remained on skins
in amphora for 198 days). There are notes of
dehydrated orange rind, dried thyme,
lavender/potpourri, crushed shells and sand, fresh
tobacco leaf and layers of very fine, pluming tannins in
the mouth. The aftertaste is where the tannins assert
themselves; after a mouthful of chalky, fine, gritty
texture that prompts a little chew and squish, they
leave a trace of flavor that brings us back to the
aromatics. It's a gorgeous thing, this wine. It's shape is
circular, and it's graceful, like watching a lava lamp.
14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. This was
made with 100% destemmed fruit, crushed and tipped
into cocciopesto stone egg-shaped amphoras. No
pressings were used in this wine. It matured
exclusively in this format for 13 months.

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.