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

A stunning, velvety red, with hints of dried spearmint, resin, toasted tobacco and bay leaf, plus fresh earth accents to complement the spiced plum, kirsch and huckleberry notes. Long, expressive finish, where the tannins firm up pleasantly. Drink now.

Tenuta di Arceno is located at the fork of the Ambra River, which flows towards Florence, and the Ombrone River, which flows towards Grosseto. The word Arceno has Etruscan origins and roughly translates to “point of origin.” Wine has been made in this area since the 16th century and there’s a long history of estate owners and winemaking families associated with Tenuta di Arceno including the Del Taja family followed by the Piccolomini family. This eleven-year-old red blend from Tuscany is made primarily with Cabernet Franc. It has aromas of freshly ground black pepper, cassis, and black raspberry and flavors of ripe red cherry, dark chocolate, espresso, and tobacco leaf. It is full bodied in the mouth with silky soft tannins and a beautiful long finish.

Hand-picked and basket pressed, partially to French puncheons (30% new), where it underwent spontaneous fermentation following controlled oxidative handling. Just starting to compete with the top cuvees, however it is a bit more understated in terms of its make-up, if not a little more effusive of its pithy, gingery stone fruit and rooibos exclamations. As reliant on its chewy phenolics as it is on its obvious freshness, this is very good and strongly suggestive of great southern Rhone expressions. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

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.

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.

Smoky, lively nose with a hint of smoke and lime with more obvious freshness than the Colluvial California Central Coast Chardonnays I have just been tasting. Not austere, not mean. There is quite enough fruit here and some persistence. Though it's not that long …

Offers alluring raspberry and mulberry coulis flavors that stretch out in a lengthy fashion, with a zip of blood orange running underneath and ample spice, rooibos tea and incense notes in the background. The long, silky finish lets the fruit play out, while maintaining an elegant feel. Drink now through 2030.

From the 1.7ha Block 31, the highest section of the 1946 bush vines. 50% whole
berries, wild yeast open-fermented; matured in a foudre and ceramic eggs for 11
months. Truly great wines add something new on each taste; here, there’s an
ethereal, otherworldly purity to the lingering finish and aftertaste.

From a 2ha block; berry-sorted, crushed into 675L ceramic eggs; on skins for 133
days, in the eggs for 13 months. A scented rose petal and spice bouquet lays the
scene for an intense yet diaphanous palate that oozes layer upon layer of richness.

From 17ha of 1946 bush vines on a deep sandy dune. So scented/perfumed, and I’m
gone for all money without even tasting it. Its red-fruit sundae glistens with dew
drops on a spider’s web, yet also has a savoury echo on the finish

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.—

This has a long, steady, caressing wave of mulled pomegranate, blood orange and raspberry coulis notes rolling through, showing nice detail and focus as savory, singed wood spice and rooibos tea accents all thread up the mouthwatering finish, where a piercing sanguine echo lingers. Drink now through 2030

Alluring, with singed red tea and mulled pomegranate notes leading the way, before a second wave of raspberry and cherry coulis chimes in. The finish stays focused, thanks to a long, refined savory edge. Drink now through 2028.

Leads with rooibos tea and raspberry coulis notes, with hints of blood orange and chalky minerality. Shows a subtle savory influence that guides the finish, which has nice tension, thanks to the lingering minerality. Drink now through 2028.

This is an exceptional, mid-weighted chardonnay. A mesh of unresolved CO2 and juicy acidity provide trajectory. Vanilla pod oak provides direction. Taut and seamless. Lemon curd and roasted quince, nestled amidst creamed cashew, nougatine and truffle at the core. The finish is endless, joining a matrix of textural rivets and seams, underlain by the flavorful Gingin clone. With wines such as these it is little wonder that Australia boasts the finest expressions of chardonnay with Burgundy. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.

“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.”

“Discreet and a little more subdued than its siblings. The highest vineyard in the Yarra. Despite being gently mid-weighted with lower alcohol, this feels softer and looser at the seams, while still typically intense. Bitter almond, lemon zest, nectarine and pistachio accents roll across a skein of tangerine freshness and cinnamon oak. Oatmeal lees at the core. The finish is exceptionally long and effusive of energy. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.”

“Given the cooler conditions, much of the whole-bunch quotient has shifted to whole berries. Still, 20%. The semi-carbonic approach exudes floral perfumes, red to blue pastille, red apple skin and rosewater. Mid-weighted, sappy, nicely crunchy and joyous. An earlier drinking wine in the context of the site. Really delicious. Drink or hold.”

“Softer and more forward than other chardonnay in the suite. A warmer sub-zone, albeit, eastern facing vines. Aromas of baked apples, quince, lemon drops and orange pastilles. The oak is classy and impeccably integrated, directing a bumptious, mid-weighted palate. A subtly creamy finish. I'd be drinking this while waiting for the rest. Drink or hold.”

“Soft, beautifully perfumed and silty of texture. The structural latticework is looser and more reliant on a skein of juicy freshness over any significant tannin. Silky and svelte. Barely mid-weighted of feel, such is the ethereal aura. Lovely tangy length. Red mountain berries, bergamot and cranberries. A wine to pique the curiosity of the versed drinker as much as one new to the variety. Drink or hold, but really this is such an enticing proposition that it is hard to resist immediately.”

“MV6 and 115 clones, planted in a cool spot at 230 meters. The cool, wet year is obviated to an extent by a good portion of whole berries servicing sumptuous florals and oodles of red forest fruits. Very pretty, reminiscent of a high quality cru Beaujolais. Silky tannins. The acidity, gentle and peppery. The finish, svelte and joyous. Drink now. Preferably in large drafts, so delicious this is.”

“A foray into Tasmania, in pursuit of great expressions of pinot noir. A very cool year, mitigated to an extent by long sunlight hours. Pepper, fecund strawberry and orange zest. The tannins, lithe and savory-astringent. The freshness, apposite. This mid-weighted wine should age well across the mid-term. Delicious, if not a bit prosaic. Drink or hold.”