The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Crown was aged for 32 months in 60% new French oak. Deep ruby, it has detailed scents of black currants, blue flowers, tobacco leaves, fried herbs and pencil shavings. The palate is classy and sleek, finely grained and fresh,with a balance of youthful fruit and earthy nuances and a very long finish. 265 cases were made.

From Pommard and Wadenswil clone vines planted at 600 feet ofelevation, the 2019 Pinot Noir Aliette has a medium ruby color and pure aromas of red cherries, tobacco leaves, mushroom powderand lavender. The medium-bodied palate is concentrated yet weightless, with a silky, refreshing structure, transparent flavors and a long finish defined by a fan of savory, herbal and Angostura-like nuances.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée is ethereal and perfumed.Medium ruby, it takes time in the glass to reveal red cherries,orange oil, cola, dried herbs, tobacco and tea leaves, offering fine,Angostura-like nuances over time. The medium-bodied palate ischalky and refreshing with layered fruit and generous spicy accentson the long finish.

Dense, succulent and powerful, with Dutch cocoa powder, sarsaparilla, toffee and fresh rosemary accents to the core of lush black cherry, blackberry and blueberry flavors. Presents plush and velvety tannins, which provide a supple frame for this red's complexity and power. Drink now through 2039.

Medium-depth purple-red colour with a reserved but fragrant bouquet of red fruits and floral overtones, a note of blackberry pastille, a subtle lacing of fresh herbs, and a sheen of firming tannins coating the palate from start to finish. Long and promising: a very smart grenache

Medium-depth colour with a reserved nose, a mite restrained at this stage, with aromas of plum pits and skins, background spices, the same in the mouth, where it has good depth of intense and compact flavour but seems a tad latent. This is puzzling: it almost certainly needs more time, but it's hard to see the value at this moment. An elegant style of grenache for sure, and less exuberant than some earlier vintages

This wine is now a 100% expression of Cabernet Franc. The 2017 Arcanum is the top-shelf red from Tenuta di Arceno. It is a rich, almost meaty wine, with dark fruit, savory tobacco, smoked bacon and sweet earth. What distinguishes this hot-vintage wine, however, are the rosemary and dried lavender that give this wine an authentically Tuscan personality. This is really quite nice. Production is 12,300 bottles.

The 2020 Hickinbotham Clarendon, from high-altitude vineyards, is impressive and different from the other wines in the Yangarra range. There is superb intensity and fruit drive with red currant and dried herbs, plus an alluring darker underbelly. A lovely texture follows. The fruit is vibrant and fresh before a firm, balanced and lengthy finish. Impressive now and will get better.

The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Aurora Point is a gorgeous, distinctive wine that marries varietal character with mountain structure. The 2019 shows how magical this site is. Intensely floral, savory Sauvignon aromatics lend into a layered core of fruit in a Sauvignon that screams with character. This is far from an easygoing white. I loved it.

The 2019 Chardonnay Gravel Bench Vineyard is one of the most complex wines in this range. It offers up a whole range of savory and mineral nuances that lend notable complexities throughout. Crushed rocks, graphite, sage, mint, lemon peel and dried flowers all run through this wonderfully polished, vibrant Chardonnay.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bear Point Vineyard is a wine of power, tension and energy. Bright acids run through a core of black fruit, gravel, spice, menthol, licorice, and chocolate. This brooding, potent Cabernet has a lot to offer. All it needs is time to allow the tannins to soften a bit. There's a lot of wine here.

The 2020 Chenin Blanc Jurassic Vineyard Old Vine is fabulous. Readers will find a wine that captures tremendous varietal character to match its translucent, mid-weight personality. Sandy soils yield a Chenin built on expressive savory and floral nuances, with bright saline accents that lend energy throughout. White flowers, pear, sage and mint linger on the sublime finish. Memorable

The 2019 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard captures all the magic of this site at 1,000 feet in elevation at the north of the West Sonoma Coast, near Annapolis. Elevation, exposure and Goldridge soils over a bed of Franciscan yield a nervy, saline Chardonnay endowed with terrific energy. This bright, focused Chardonnay is one of the highlights in this range from Hartford.

The 2019 Chardonnay Radian Vineyard is another fabulous wine in this range from Hartford. Lemon confit, spice, crushed rocks and exotic tropical notes all meld together. This rugged, exposed site in the Sta. Rita Hills yields small berries and wines with real textural depth and nuance. The Radian is so distinctive, but, then again, so is this Sta. Rita Hills site.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Far Coast is wonderfully elegant and precise. A Pinot of linear intensity and drive, the Far Coast is all understatement, all class. Blue/purplish fruit, cloves, leather, lavender, mocha, licorice and coffee are nicely woven together. Give the tannins a few years to soften.

The 2019 Chardonnay Brosseau is quite understated, but time in the glass brings out all the savory, mineral qualities that are such signatures. Readers should expect a powerful Chardonnay with quite a bit of structure, but less in the way of overt fruit. As always, the Brosseau is very distinctive.

From the highest-altitude vineyard in the Yarra on volcanic loam soils, Wombat Creek really walks to its own beat. The lemony vibrancy typical to Chardonnay in this region is present, but here it's more like the whole lemon (flesh, rind, juice)—round, fleshy and pithy. There are white orchard blossoms, nashi pear and minerally, saline characters. The palate is tightly structured, yet beautifully balanced, walking a tightrope of power and delicacy. It's chalky, even a bit yeasty, with a round shape, mineral acidity, and a long lemon-flower-chalk finish. A complex, fine Chardonnay for drinking now and likely through this decade.

From one of the Yarra's most renowned vineyards, on steep loam and clay slopes in the Warramate Ranges, this vintage of Sexton again proves a sublimely classy bottling. Layered and bright aromas of preserved lemon, melon and fresh cream, strewn with flower petals and softly framed by toasty oak open. The mouth-watering, citrusy acidity and silky texture work seamlessly together, supported by the fine-grained oak, with a long lemon-curd finish. Harmonious and elegant without shying away from structure and age-worthiness.

Made with fruit sourced from vineyards across the Russian River Valley, this chardonnay has an ambience of warmth, opulence, and richness, making it an apt choice for cold weather. I like the silky palate, supported by firm acids, and the enduring finish.

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 red colour with a good purple tint; the bouquet is sweetly ripe and berry-like, with some seaspray-like notes. The palate is rich and deep, opulent and flavoursome, with charm and character. It's very intense, powerful, concentrated and long on the finish. The tannins are ample and firm, and oak is beautifully handled and under-played. A superb, luxurious wine. (Biodynamic. Grown on sand. Hand-picked, destemmed, berry-sorted, 50% crushed, wild fermented, aged on lees in 1 and 2 YO French oak. Unfined. 3336 bottles)

Deep red/purple colour. The bouquet holds smoky, charry, savoury aromas with some dry spice notes, and has depth and gravity which mirrors the deep colour and is more profound than usual in pure grenache wines. Clove, pepper, mixed-spice aromas, full body and powerful flavour. The tannins are fine and soft and nicely balanced, providing impressive structure to the wine. An outstanding grenache. Drink 2020 - 2040

Deep, dark red-purple-black colour with a tremendously deep and complex bouquet of smoke, charcuterie, roasting meats and graphite. A massive wine which is just starting to show some mellowness and maturity, the palate very full-bodied, fleshy, dense and powerful. It's a terrifically concentrated, profoundly flavoured wine which has a huge future. The early oakiness has mellowed nicely and the wine has come up a few notches on my score-sheet.

Deep, youthful red/purple colour. The bouquet is shy but fresh, bright and clean, with dark plum fruit and quite strongly stated oak. It's very full-bodied, rich and deep, with youthful and slightly undeveloped, tightly-packed flavours, which promise to bring forth more in the future if it's cellared. There's a super-abundancy of tannin as well, balancing the formidable concentration. A big, solid, rugged shiraz. One for the cellar. Drink 2021 - 2043

Grown biodynamically. Fermented in two ceramic eggs: one left on skins for a whopping 160 days, one fermented as juice only. Final blend is 60% of the extended skin contact egg portion. Bottled unfined. I suspect that the ‘part extended skin contact/part fermented as juice’ approach is the secret here.
It’s a killer wine. Body, soul, aroma, flavour and length. Honeysuckle and stone fruits, more spice than your average temple, custard apples, tea, kiwi fruit, anise and more. It has power, texture and persistence but, almost regardless, its personality is captivating, and makes you want to delve ever deeper. It is a truly brilliant white wine.