This is from a 2 hectare block of dry-farmed bush vine Grenache planted in 1946 on Maslin Sands. The grapes are destemmed and fermented on skins over the whole autumn (158 days post-ferment maceraton) in ceramic eggs. The juice is then drained and matured in the eggs for another 5 months – no pressings are used. This has an intriguing nose that initially reminds me of Barolo. It’s fresh, dry, dusty and a bit spicy, with some rose petal, orange peel and cherry notes, as well as a slight acid lift. The palate is dry, grippy and grainy, but with nice fresh red cherry and plum fruit, as well as a twist of raspberry and tar. It’s very textural: a touch of silkiness, but also some pepper spice and then some grainy, drying tannins with a hessian-like texture. Good acidity, allied to firm but well managed tannins give this real grip: the Barolo analogy stands. It’s youthful and quite profound, and I think it will age in very interesting ways. I’ve not had an Australian wine like this, but I still think it communicates its place very well, albeit in quite a stern way as yet.

Dark cherry, plum, a fair amount of spice, and also perfume of thyme, rosemary, mint and dried roses. It’s silky, with fine-grained tannin grip, cool almost mentholated feel here, fresh too, blood plum, rhubarb, and dried herb aromatics, and a graphite character on a long finish with some orange rind and baked plum. Really like this. A whole lot of character.

From one of two old blocks of Merlot on the property (the other goes into Cardinale), the 2019 W.S. Keyes Merlot is bright and lively, with scents of raspberries and cherries on the nose. On the palate, it's full-bodied, rich and structured, with a creamy-velvety mouthfeel and a long, mocha-tinged finish. Blessed with layers of softly dusty tannins, this is a fine and elegant Napa Merlot (there is 19% Cabernet Sauvignon) worthy of considerable consumer interest.

Bottled separately as a single-vineyard wine since 1971, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché Vineyard features a hint of mint upbfront, followed by mixed currants (red and black). There's a gentle herbal undercurrent to this blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, which lends it an extra note of complexity. Full-bodied, suave and streamlined, this is rich and velvety without being overly broad or expansive, finishing long and elegant.

Caladan's 2019 Red Blend is 67% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Cabernet Franc, with the last 1% a combination of Malbec and Petit Verdot. More approachable and more hedonistic than the varietal Cab Franc, it's loaded with mouthwatering notes of ripe cherries and redcurrants on the nose, then delivers waves of full-bodied pleasure in the mouth, a richly textured mid-palate and a long and softly dusty finish.

A sumptuous wine that manages to hold its cards of spice and flamboyant fruits close to a chest of riches. Unirrigated blocks contribute. 50% of the cuve was crushed to open-tops, resplendent with 20% whole bunches; 20 days on skins, extended time on lees and élévage in both new and used puncheons, before a blending of the best to a foundre and concrete egg. This sits on a diplomatic cushion between the Rhône-inflected contemporary styles that splay pepper, clove and blue fruits about the mouth, and a richer, more lustrous regional note. The tannins etch the cheeks and wind down the side of the tongue, keeping to the path of righteousness. Fine indeed.

I like this. A wine that embraces a more medium-bodied, compact and restrained archetype, defined by spicy lithe grape tannins as much as McLaren Vale fruit. A southeast-facing site of ironstone. Green olive tapenade, clove, pepper grind and salumi mingle with succulent red cherry, mescal and blue fruit allusions. The tannins, a spindle of spicy, pithy chewiness, attenuated and polymerised by gentle agitation in the right oak (French foudres for 16 months). A strong regional statement. A benchmark, too, for those seeking savouriness over mere amplitude and ripeness. An exercise in fine tannin management.

An 85/11/4% varietal split and made into an early-drinking style that’s taking the Valley by storm. Giant Steps make an LDR – light dry red – but this has an altogether different take with its flavour profile. Super-bright and juicy fruit, a mix of dark plums and red berries, sarsaparilla with a light dusting of spice. The palate is actually quite refined, with svelte tannins and refreshing acidity. Given the style brief, this is pitch perfect. It’s hard to put it down. So I didn’t.

The warmest site of the 4 Giant Steps single-vineyard chardonnays, but planted on a south-facing slope in Tarrawarra. As with all of them, this was whole-bunch pressed and barrel fermented 15% new French puncheons). A fuller, bright, green gold. Quite restrained with aromas of stone fruits, oatmeal and a little wet rock. I like both the intensity and restraint on the palate and this may, paradoxically, need the longest of the 4 single-vineyard 2021 chardonnays to open up.

The 2011 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon is positively brilliant. Deep, dense and voluptuous, with no hard edges, the 2011 possesses terrific balance and tons of class. Black cherry, gravel, plum, spice, licorice, menthol and chocolate build in a Cabernet endowed with remarkable depth. There are no hard edges or awkward contours in this beauty from Mt. Brave and Chris Carpenter.

Lively, energetic expression with cranberry and pomegranate juice the main features, light, fine tannins lending shape and drawing the wine long, a touch of alpine herb and botanical savouriness in the mix. Elegant, refined and on cruise control. A wine of pedigree here.

Spicy, floral, raspberry, red cherry, a sweet clay-like earthiness, almond and flowering basil? Well, hello McLaren Vale Burgundy. Fresh raspberry, a little earthy and nutty, but succulent, and yet, all this firm brick dusty tannin pushing through, almost peppery in a way, a smattering of dried herb, some cranberry acidity on a long slightly warm finish, but gee energy is pulsating through this wine. It’s terrific.

Vivid red. Highly perfumed, spice-accented red/blue fruit preserve, incense and floral scents show excellent clarity and a smoky mineral topnote. Juicy, sharply focused and appealingly sweet, offering sappy raspberry, boysenberry, spicecake and candied rose flavors and a hint of cola. Closes impressively long and smooth, with well-knit tannins and resonating florality.

Tangy layers of tangerine and wet stone fill the glass in this fresh, focused and ultimately bright coastal white. Salty sea air lingers around strong, lush layers of richness and complex concentration, finishing in persistent acidity.

Mango, banana and pear meet a rich core of crème brûlée and oak spice in this deliciously complex and concentrated wine. It has lush, plush undertones of pillowy texture and a finishing touch of orange zest that help brighten and lengthen the finish.

12.5% alcohol. Clones: gingin, Mendoza, 777, 76, I10V1, P58, 96, 548. Vines planted 1988, 1997, 2001. Wild fermented with full solids in French oak puncheons, 15% new. 10% malolactic. Taut, linear and compressed with crisp citrus fruit and faint hints of pear and melon. There’s a very fine bready toastiness, and a bit of oak structure as well as keen acidity that helps everything stay fresh. Such precision here, with a sense of delicacy allied to good concentration of flavour. Another early-picked style that has good ageing potential.

Keeping the juice on skins in a large ceramic egg for 170 days provides extraordinary texture that defines a sinewy mid-palate and a sexy tang on the finish. The polished but vigorous tannins shape a strict palate framework defined by sharp graphite seams and high-toned cherry perfume, but sinewy muscle adds edgy tension.

A bright, deep ruby-red in the glass. Blueberry, dried herbs and violet aromatics. Just shy of full-bodied, with bright blueberry fruit, nori and saline-mineral notes, layered with great complexity across the tongue. The tannins are fine and firm and there’s a lick of brightening acidity that drives and lifts it to a very long and bright finish. A wine that will offer great rewards for years to come.

I can unequivocally say that Greg Brewer's wines deliver more value per dollar than any other winery I know. A Chardonnay that stuns on the nose and on the palate with notes of ripe yellow apple, fresh peach, Meyer lemon oil, matchstick, toasted salted hazelnuts, and yellow wildflowers. Round and dewy on the palate, with perfect acidity that doesn’t overpower the lovely fruit flavors and saline finish. Editors Choice and Best Buy.

Bright floral and black-cherry aromas with some ripe strawberry. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a fine, linear finish. Tensioned and real. Lovely ripeness of fruit with a polished texture. Gorgeous now, but will age beautifully, too.

A layered Champagne that shows length and focus, with a creamy texture and very fine bubbles. Juicy, lightly chalky and long. Just a hint of phenolics that keeps it framed and attentive. 7.5 years on the less. Seriously dry at the finish. Best sparkling wine from Oregon? Drink or hold.

This golden yellow colored Chardonnay from Copain is impressive. It opens with a fragrant and inviting butterscotch, vanilla, oak, and Barlett pear bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, and very rich. The flavors profile is a delicious pear, pineapple, and butterscotch blend with notes of oak. I also detected some hints of minerality, almond, and lemon zest. The finish is dry and its flavors and pleasant acidity are very nicely extended. This terrific Chard would be perfectly fine on its own for California Chard lovers. With food I would pair it with Chicken St. Timothy.

Ink black at the core to a deeply-tinted ruby-red rim. A rich and complex nose, mixed berries and oak spices lift from the glass. Voluminous and weighty, the fruit concentration is impressive yet doesn't fall into the jammy spectrum. Equally, the oak complexities are unmistakeable, but everything is in remarkable harmony and balance for such a young wine. A prodigious length and it finishes with a clean vibrancy and a hint of mint freshness that belies its previous intensity.

The gorgeous lift of eucalyptus swings alongside the most tender red fruit. Think redcurrant and tart but exquisitely intense tart, red cherry. The palate is pristine, bright, vivid with that bright red fruit that seems to radiate from a profound core. Everything remains light and bright, nothing is heavy, yet there is such beautiful depth. This pull of Pinot with ease.

Sinewy structure meets harmony and polish in this red, which offers vibrant raspberry and blueberry flavors that take on accents of violet, crushed stone and dusky spice. Finishes with refined tannins. Drink now through 2031. From Oregon.