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 Tenuta di Arceno 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Strada al Sasso (made with 100% Sangiovese) is a balanced wine, and it also possesses great intensity with dark cherry, plum, light spice and sweet tobacco. The wine is supple and richly textured but not in a heavy or over-extracted manner. In fact, it feels silky throughout. This special wine reflects the warmth and sunshine of Castelnuovo Berardenga in Tuscany. 12,500 bottles were released.

A warm-vintage blend of 60% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Valadorna is exceptionally soft and velvety, in a most pleasurable way. Merlot is the star of the wine, and although there are doubts concerning its performance in a changing climate, this wine delivers the goods. You get it all: volume, depth and complexity. You also get a noticeable 15% alcohol content. Production is 12,350 bottles.

This is a terrific value. The 2019 Il Fauno di Arcanum shows an inky dark color with thick concentration and lots of luscious dark fruit. This blend of 43% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot is modern and very well crafted. It would pair nicely across from steak or tender lamb chops. An ample 113,100 bottles were released.

The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva shows velvety richness and good textural support. This comes thanks to the warmer microclimate and thicker soils, sometimes with a lot of clay, that distinguish the Castelnuovo Berardenga region of Chianti Classico. The finish is dry and long, but there is plenty of sweet earth, dark fruit, plum and balanced cherry in the mix. This is a 54,500-bottle release.

The entry-level Tenuta di Arceno 2020 Chianti Classico reveals ripe cherry, rosemary, potting soil and blue iris. This is a lively expression with medium fruit weight and easy-drinking appeal. It plays its cards well in terms of freshness and accessibility. Within the greater Arceno portfolio, this wine hits that sweet spot between being approachable and pleasurable. This is an ambitious production of 147,500 bottles.

In case you’re wondering, Siduri in literature is the bartender of the underworld. But winemaker Adam Lee’s Pinot Noirs are always otherworldly. The Oregon soils and climate give the wine aromas of cranberry and plum rather than strawberry. The acidity is bright, with a medium mouthfeel and very soft tannins. WW 91

A wine that’s been made since 1967, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a beautifully textured, medium-bodied, sweetly fruited charmer that has lots of cassis and redcurrant fruit, some spicy oak, ripe tannins, and the balance to evolve and drink nicely for a decade. I think it’s outstanding.

Deep, dark red-purple colour, with a sweet blackberry jam aroma, the fruit sweetness and jammy flavours re-appearing on the palate where it has medium intensity and medium length. Lots of up-front charm here and an impression of sweetness.

This straw-colored Chardonnay from La Crema opens with a pineapple and pear bouquet with hints of oak. On the palate, this wine is light plus bodied with medium plus acidity. The flavor profile is an oak influenced butterscotch and pineapple blend with notes of stony minerality, pear and nutmeg. The finish is dry, and its flavors and acidity linger and last for a while. I would pair this Chardonnay with a crab cake.

The 2019 Shiraz Ironheart shows immense color, power and density as it ripples with licorice, chocolate and blackberry fruits with a distinctive peaty edge. Robust and flavorsome, it perfectly walks a tightrope between power and subtlety, taking on a more tarry and chocolatey personality through the extremely long finish. Punctuated by a firm core of muscular tannins, this wine is built to deliver for the long haul.

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.

Modern winemaking is at play here in the single vineyard 2020 Roux Beauté, which is all fermented and aged in ceramic eggs, partially on skins. This has created an exotic and textural wonder with honeysuckle, creamed cashews, apricot and gentle floral aromas. The 2020 builds in the mouth with a more savory profile and significant grip to drive a lengthy finish. Expressive now and promises plenty over the coming years.

A deep color in the glass. The 2020 Shiraz Brooks Road is a decadent and bold expression of McLaren Vale, delivering charcoal and sweet blackberry aromas, plus an attractive eucalypt lift with a rich seam of vanilla oak. A firm and punchy palate follows, with intense sweet fruits and peaty complexity. A rich core of tannins offers support and provides significant aging potential.

A fascinating Cabernet/Shiraz blend, the 2020 The Peake comes from some of the highest vineyards in McLaren Vale. This wine offers excellent purity with blackberry, cassis and clove-scented fruits backed by a generous serving of high-quality oak. A beautifully vibrant palate follows, radiating with dark berry fruits that are kept in check by manicured tannins and deliver a long, flowing finish.

Made from a single vineyard planted in 1999, this 2020 King's Wood presents a rich fruit core with subtle touches. Dark cherry and blueberry aromas are lifted by clove and fennel seed with ample volume and weight, with oak hardly in play. Mouth-filling levels of flavor follow, but with delicious delicacy illustrated by violet and old spice complexity. A solid base of tannins will see this wine drink well over the medium term.

The 2019 High Sands delivers a powerful expression as it oozes with ethereal red licorice, baked earth and tobacco leaf aromas, with strong and attractive earthy undertones. Dry with a velveteen texture, it delivers waves of flavor punctuated by bright acidity before finishing with supple tannins.

Thanks to its classic style, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Trueman, with a touch of Malbec, will appeal to Cabernet tragics. It opens with bright, expressive aromas of well ripened blackcurrants, graphite and crushed leaves. These flavors are closely aligned with a liberal serving of mocha oak. The palate is defined by its mix of acidity and sinewy tannins, which underpin stylish blackberry and cedary flavors through a long, seamless finish. Beautiful now but also has the integrity to enjoy over the medium term.

The 2020 Ovitelli Blanc (a white Rhône blend made from Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette, Picquepoul and Bourbelenc) presents a complex, although reserved, experience. It opens with an engaging array of waxy, pithy and nutty aromas with a subtle chamomile lift. Dry and quite textural, tangy acidity drives upfront impact before slowly taking a more savory turn to a textural finish. This is a good effort and a wine to watch.

The 2020 Merlot The Revivalist with splashes of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon is a sumptuous, fragrant wine. Already approachable, it delivers plush open-knit aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry with tinges of leaf and dried herbs. A good volume of flavor follows but is slightly edged out by toasty oak and drying tannins through a reasonable finish. This has crowd pleaser written all over it.

This 2020 Cabernet Franc, blended with small volumes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, offers beautifully pristine blackcurrant and graphite aromas with a well weighted vein of spicy French oak. There is impressive elegance and balance, too. Firm but fine tannins underline well-defined flavors through a lengthy finish. Beautifully approachable now but also with the potential to improve over the medium term.

A more embryonic Grenache from 2020, the Ovitelli is fermented and aged in ceramic eggs for 170 days without any oak maturation and offers a wild ride. It initially bursts with primary red fruits, particularly raspberry and strawberry, topped by stony minerality and a distinctive herbal edge. A drying, chalky, savory palate follows, with flavors bound up in slightly hard-edged tannins. Excellent mineral length is also displayed, but the wine needs a little more time to flesh out.

From the main course to dessert, you need this handy. Choosing this bright, crisp Chardonnay is ideal for light meat turkey and lighter fare sides and perfectly pairs with your second, third, or fourth (no judgments here) slice of pumpkin pie. A glass of this wine could be dessert all on its own with aromas of baked apple, graham cracker, and meyer lemon, followed by flavors of Asian pear, and notes of minerality.

A total crowd pleaser as is, this Pinot Noir will complement any dish on the menu. With aromas of blackberry, cherry, leather, and tobacco with flavors of red cherry, raspberry, and boysenberry. Subtle hints of espresso and cocoa nib underpin notes of exotic spice and toast. The inherent earthiness and spice are a natural pairing with horderves as much as the mains. Perfect for celebrating another year with your lover, we recommend pairing this Pinot Noir with bacon-wrapped stuffed dates or a light and airy chocolate mousse.

Seductive and smooth, La Crema’s Sonoma Coast Pinot shows ripe raspberry, plum, sweet spices and a hint of cedar on the nose. The palate highlights La Crema’s softly textured style with layers of refreshing raspberry, dark cherry , and vanilla persisting on the finish. Enjoy this versatile Pinot with bacon-wrapped California Medjool dates, BBQ’d pork tenderloin with a cherry compote, beet salad with goat cheese, or lamb chops. All great pairings with this smooth and inviting Sonoma Coast Pinot. Tasted February 2023