A medium ruby hue, the 2021 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters is minty and fresh with ripe
raspberry, menthol, cinnamon, and quinine. Medium-bodied, with a clean mineral feel,
ripe dusty tannins, and notes of tangerine, grenadine, and fresh earth, it’s a refreshing
wine in the range. Drink 2024-2034.

The ruby-hued 2021 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard is expressive in its floral and spicy
perfume of candied roses, wild cherry, and cinnamon spice. Medium-bodied, with fine
tannins and bright acidity, it’s ripe with fresh cranberry, orange zest, and smoky earth. It has a good, snappy finish, with wild forest herbs and a lightly musty note. Drink 2024-2032.

Rich ruby with a purple hint, the 2021 Pinot Noir Docker Hill Vineyard is forward with
aromas of ripe cherry, sage, and fresh pine. Medium-bodied, it’s ripe with fruit on the
palate and has fine, sweet tannins and a clean finish. Fresh with wild herbs, violet, and mixed berries, elegant, and long, it’s drinking well now and will drink well over the next 10 years.

The deepest ruby of all these Pinots, the 2021 Pinot Noir Maggy Hawk takes on a deeper mineral tone, with gravelly earth, black cherry, and a touch of cooling menthol. Fullbodied without weight, it has sweet tannins, fresh acidity, and a long, balanced finish.Ripe and complete, with notes of black raspberry, wild herbs, and sweet earth, it will do well to see another year or two in bottle. Drink 2025-2035.

From a single vineyard in the Alexander Valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Vales Edge pours an inky purple, with slightly more introspective aromas of boysenberry liqueur, graphite, and violets. Full-bodied, it offers more expansive fruit though the mid-palate, with sweet tannins, black tea, blackberry, and fresh mountain herbs. Offering a lovely bit of bright acidity that cleans up on the sides of the palate to keep things fresh, it has a
more immediate appeal. Drink 2026-2046.

Under wax and cork. I received this from the great people at Jackson Family Wines (who acquired B-C shortly before this fruit was harvested) in December 2021, shortly after my annual American Pinot Noir tasting. Oops. Well, this had been sitting in my cellar until my wife randomly grabbed it tonight. Good choice. Whoa. The nose is rich, fruity, brambly, and loaded with character. The palate is all New World in style, this would never be confused with a Pommard or a Nuits-St-Georges, but nor does it try to be. Rich, even unctuous, loaded with red and dark brambly fruit, this would likely piss off every French wine drinker on the planet, but this is a big, tasty gem. Outstanding.

Exuberant, showing bittersweet dark chocolate, espresso and notes of kirsch, framboise and maraschino cherry at the core, with accents of rosemary, oregano and cigar box and a wonderfully dense, plush body. This wine really takes off on the generous finish, which packs momentum and complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Drink now through 2035. 489 cases made, 150 cases imported.

A fairly pale but luminous purple-red in the glass. It’s full-bodied and mouthfilling with lots of puppy fat, vibrant raspberry and strawberry fruit and garrigue herbs. The keen, deep-set acidity feels natural, it’s low but balanced. This has layers and movement. Really quite fluid, with no heaviness. A sandy, mineral touch on the finish. This has complexity and depth, and will improve with age. From unirrigated bush vines planted in 1962 at 225m altitude. Fermented and matured in egg-shaped amphora.

“Dry, grapey, and yet inherently savoury. This is pretty wild, pretty exotic, flowers and herbs flying. Cranberry, strawberry and red cherry with twig and herb notes. The finish here is so dry, with so much crunch and grip, that I’ve underlined the words ‘crackle and squeak’ in my notes. And yet – importantly – all this dryness is served with a juiciness running through it. If you like the lighter/more structural style of Yarra Valley pinot, then I’d reckon that you should be bullish on this.”

Muscular and taut – a slow burn – with icing sugar and dried pear-edged granny smith apple and grapefruit. Subliminal phenolic tension highlights the predominant Gingin and Mendoza clones, sourced from Leeuwin Estate in Margaret River, prone to large and small berries in the same bunch. Founder Phil Sexton planted this low-yielding vineyard in 1997 on shallow clay loam over granite and ironstone, at 130m to 201m on the north-facing slopes of the Warramate Ranges. Harvested 25 February to 2 March.

Deep, dark colour with a vanilla and pencil-shavings aroma, the wine is full-bodied, dense and powerful with loads of firm tannins and a long carry. A solid cabernet franc in which the tannin really rules. It demands time and patience. An impressive cabernet franc with massive structure. Hearty protein needed if served young. Drink: 2025–2036

Deep, dark, brooding colour with a bouquet of pencil shavings and herby notes including tomato-bush, while the palate is very powerful, massive and solid with tannins that coat the mouth and a long carry. Generous oak. Very full bodied and serious wine, although there is a certain tomato/leaf character, which dissipates with time in the glass. A wine that certainly deserves cellaring. Drink: 2025–2038

40% whole cluster, 20% new French oak. This has lovely flesh with some nice tannic structure and supple green hints from the stems that integrate beautifully. Beautiful red fruits with nice texture and a real silkiness. This has a freshness, it has plenty of lush fruit, but it’s also brilliantly balanced.

This is solely from the Banghoek property. Lovely intensity here, showing real complexity with nuts, spice, aniseed and a great acid line. There’s a remarkable focus to this wine, which is very stylish and incisive

Very expressive, fresh and taut with lovely almond and pear notes, some green apple and lovely intensity. Pineapple, peach and lime in the mix. There’s keen acidity and also quite a bit of complexity. Taut and focused with great precision.

Lively, intense and complex with bright pear and white peach fruit, as well as some subtle toasty richness. Finely spiced with hints of marzipan and toast. This has richness but also precision. Very fine and expressive.

A Zinfandel with detail and dimension, this red offers brambly yet refined raspberry and cherry flavors highlighted by roasted sage and cracked pepper. Ends with polished tannins. Drink now through 2033. From California.

Always the delicately fine wine and long awaited between vintages. Here they have selected berry sorting and 100% destemmed fruit that goes into ceramic eggs for 13 months. No pressings, no oak. Basically no Bull. This is NOT a red lollied water Grenache for slurping sake. This is style and substance and this, my friends, is Grenache in the hands of those that adore it. Fresh pomegranate seeds picked from their hulls. Goji berry, salted red plum, mace and dried porcini mushroom powder. It’s the slinkyness across the palate that curves with the finesse of skin tannins. Rosemary stem, thistle and pine needle with a savoury licorice root astringency. Such an elegant expression of site backed by pinpoint accuracy. Drink with roast figs, chalky goats cheese and pomegranate molasses.

Exuberant, showing bittersweet dark chocolate, espresso and notes of kirsch, framboise and maraschino cherry at the core, with accents of rosemary, oregano and cigar box and a wonderfully dense, plush body. This wine really takes off on the generous finish, which packs momentum and complexity. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Drink now through 2035.

This sports some gorgeous fruit, with damson plum, griotte and blood orange pâte de fruit driving along a silky, refined structure, while rooibos tea, sandalwood, singed anise and savory details underscore the long, lilting finish. Drink now through 2031.

This bursts forth with abundant notes of succulent raspberry, griotte and blood orange, pulling in additional red tea, singed sandalwood and savory details along the way. Seems to pick up speed through the racy finish, showing more detail as time goes on. Reveals a late sanguine note that provides a lovely counterpoint. Drink now through 2032. From California.—

“Aromas of clove, bing cherries, lilac and mulch. A darker composition. A carnal whiff of autumnal leaves and Lapsang souchong. Detailed tannins compress a mid-weighted palate of impressive density and freshness. This will unravel nicely across the mid-term, based on poise and succulent length. A reductive clench at the finish confers further tension. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.”

Attractive blackberries and dark cherries with ground cloves, cocoa and dried blue flowers. Full body. Firm and linear tannins with sleek texture and hints of bitter spices and dried herbs alongside the dark fruit. Solid and compact with notes of walnut at the end. Try after 2026.

Concentration and depth are the strong points of this seriously structured Pinot Noir and set it up for a potentially long life. Very dense and compact black cherries, black currants, rhubarb and mint crowd onto the palate and won’t quit on the finish. Best from 2026-2035.

This has aromas of white peaches, apple crumble, custard, cloves and salted caramel. Delicious salty undertones throughout, with a medium body and very fine, creamy bubbles. Long pastry and biscuit notes. Caressing yet structured. Disgorged February 2022. 3g/L dosage. Drink or hold.