Tangy, with lemon, ginger root, earth and apple flavors. A disappointing effort from a former leader with the variety. Drink now.

Tangy, with lemon, ginger root, earth and apple flavors. A disappointing effort from a former leader with the variety. Drink now.

Austere, with a twinge of stemminess. Mostly tea & herb notes, though some cherry peeks through. Drink now through 2003. 320 cases made.

This wine has many of the same characteristics of the 1999, another clipped, compressed, austere red offering little pleasure. However, it is beautifully packaged in a heavyweight, designer glass bottle. Form over substance.

Whole-cluster fermentation, ageing in neutral barrels. Beautifully floral cranberry and cherry aroma. Gorgeous cherry and green-herb flavours mix with raspberry and a hint of dark earth. Woody and slightly resinous hints of the whole-cluster fermentation linger in the finish. A really beautiful wine. (AY) 14.5%. Drink 2023 – 2033.

Whole-cluster-pressed to neutral barrels, with no racking or bâtonnage. Scents of white flowers and citrus pith. Bright citrus-pith and pastry-cream flavours have a wonderful filigreed acidity. Stony quality at the core, with a faint citrus-peel bitterness in the finish. (AY) 14.5%. Drink 2023 – 2030.

Pale to mid crimson. Assertive, firm and spicy – more emphatic and probably with more of a future than the Primavera. Long and fine and subtle without much sweetness. Quite muscular for a Pinot. Definitely distinctive! But made with a gentle hand. Long, vibrant and vibrating on the finish. Very good wine with real substance and ambition.

Fruit from Perilune vineyard. 100% whole-cluster fermented, with 60 days spent on the skins and stems. Casks on average at least 15 years of age. Chopped herbs and underbrush scents are layered over blue fruits. Salty flavours of brown sugar, blackberries, roasted meat and baking spices are wrapped in a fleecy blanket of tannins. Very good acidity keeps this whole package fresh. Unusual, but oddly compelling. (AY) 14.5%. Drink 2023 – 2030.

Fermented at very low temperatures in small stainless-steel tanks for eight weeks, with malolactic conversion blocked. Smells of white flowers and citrus pith. Silky flavours of white flowers, lemon pith, pomelo pith and a hint of stone fruit with faint salinity and very good acidic backbone. Despite seeing no oak, the wine has a nice breadth and texture. GV (AY) 14.5%. Drink 2023 – 2029.

Five-day cold soak then pressed at dryness into 18% new French oak barrels where it ages for 7 months before bottling. Certified sustainable. Smells of cranberries and raspberries, with hints of dried herbs. Flavours of raspberry and sour-cherry fruit are wrapped in muscular tannins. Excellent acidity. Stony black-cherry flavours linger in the finish. GV (AY) 13.9%. Drink 2023 – 2029.

Whole-cluster pressed. 65% barrel-fermented (the balance in stainless steel) with malolactic blocked. Aged on its lees for 5.5 months in 20% new oak. About 85% of the wine comes from vines planted in the 1970s. Certified sustainable. Smells of lemon curd and butterscotch. Flavours of lemon curd and white flowers have a nice mineral undertone and lemon-pith chalkiness. Excellent acidity with just a whiff of vanilla in the finish. GV (AY) 13.9%. Drink 2023 – 2029.

100% barrel-aged in 12% new French oak for 10 months. Closed with a screwcap. Light to medium garnet. Scents of brown sugar and cherries with a hint of mocha. Cherry and cranberry flavours are wrapped in a lightly grippy fist of tannins. Nutty mocha notes linger in the finish along with dried herbs. Not a massively complex or nuanced wine, but a heck of a Pinot Noir for the price. VGV (Very Good Value). (AY) 14.1%. Drink 2023 – 2028

70% stainless-steel fermented, 30% neutral-barrel fermented, with 60% of the wine aged in neutral French oak for 5 months. Pale gold. Scents of butterscotch and dried lemon peel. Lemon curd and lemon-peel flavours have decent acidity and a faint stony quality. Not amazing, but pretty damn good for the price. VGV (Very Good Value). (AY) 14.5%. Drink 2023 – 2026.

The initial flavor is warm and sweet with stone fruit and candy corn arriving midpalate, plus a little toasted almond and vanilla bean as well. The mouthfeel is more silky rather than creamy in texture and the viscosity is pretty standard. The citrus from the nose doesn’t come through on the palate, but the variety of sweet flavors is interesting enough that it isn’t missed. There is a very light hand used with the oak in this bourbon, though eventually it comes around, especially after a few drops of water. The fruit and toasted notes come through clearly on the finish and leave a lingering flavor.

Syrah Master 2019: Silver

Syrah Master 2019: Silver

Syrah Master 2019: Silver

50+ high-end wines for holiday splurging: 2019 guide $31-$40 … The 2016 La Crema Pinot Noir (Cal, $40) from Russian River Valley had a beautiful mouthfeel with fresh cherry, just a hint of red licorice and light tannins. …

A Christmas wine primer Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton have been producing high quality Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills region of California’s south central coast since the late ’90s and, although they eventually sold to Jackson Family Wines, they remain as the winemaking team — and part owners — and the quality has remained solid. The abundant bright red fruit and lively acidity make this a great option for big bird.

Perfect gift ideas for everyone in your life THE CARNIVORE: Beef and robust reds are the matches, and the go-to grapes are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Zinfandel or any combination of the above. Best bets are from Napa Valley, the Languedoc, Uco Valley, Alexander Valley, the Maipo Valley, the Barossa Valley and, well, you get the picture. We have two picks: • Stonestreet 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County

Holiday Wine Pairings Electric with tiny bubbles and bursting essence of Asian pear, the palate leans more to citrus and nectarine — just add cheese, charcuterie, fried food, oysters, or pretty much anything.

Holiday Wine Pairings This pinot is the Willamette Valley’s version of a steakhouse wine — ample structure, raspberries, and chocolate, and black pepper spice with an elegant finish.

Pinot gris needs warm days and cool nights to make wines that taste this balanced, with exotic tropical fruit aromas of guava and pineapple brightened by a backbone of citrusy acidity. Try it with salads, seafood, or almost any Asian cuisine.