Their best in recent memory will revive your faith in both Australia & Merlot.

2018 Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – a strong representation of the Willamette Valley, this wine has notes of cranberry, spice, orange peel, berries, earth, cherry and herbs.

2018 Siduri Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – such an easy drinking wine with notes of berry, red cherry, rose petal, mushroom, nutmeg and a touch of cedar.

2018 Siduri Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir – this was an elegant and savory wine with notes of cherry, violets, plum, mushroom and herbs with a touch of spice.

Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry, licorice, and earth. In the mouth, fleecy tannins wrap around a core of black cherry and cocoa powder that has a faint herbal bitterness to it. Excellent acidity and lovely sawdusty depths make for complex and delicious wine. Beautifully balanced and graceful to the last drop.

Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of black cherry and chocolate. In the mouth, rich cherry cola and cocoa powder flavors are gorgeously juicy thanks to excellent acidity. Cola nut and floral flavors mix with mouthwatering cherry fruit as gauzy tannins coat the mouth. Fantastically balanced and delicious. Impeccable in every way. Effortless to drink, impossible not to love.

Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry and tobacco leaf. In the mouth, lush, velvety flavors of cherry, green herbs and dark plums are smooth and supple as they move across the palate. Excellent acidity, powdery faint tannins and impeccable balance. This is a poised, regal wine with confidence and grace. Herbal notes linger in the finish with a touch of licorice.

Exceptional.

Exceptional.

Excellent.

Exceptional.

Exceptional.

Another take on blending a variety of the Valley’s vineyards to create a greater picture of why this is a special place for Pinot Noir. Pinot grapes from twenty different vineyards and multiple growing regions. The wine is darker in fruit character, with aromas of mocha powder, cinnamon and black plum. The palate though offers fresh minerality, turned earth, moss, and lots of blackberry flavors.

A visit to Lokoya’s winery, perched snuggly upon the hills of Spring Mountain, is one of the key reasons we fell in love with Napa. Cabernet Sauvignon is their icon, and they produce award-winning style from all corners of the region – Spring Mountain, Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder. Today, we focus on the latter. Dark cherry, blackcurrant, demerara sugar and black liquorice evolve into blackberry and stewed raspberry. The robust tannins within this beauty pave way to a long dark chocolate and tobacco finish, held together with a beautiful texture and mouthfeel.

The Jackson Family have been making wine for as long as we can remember and the beautiful thing about each and every one of their estates is that quality is never compromised for scale.This hefty Bordeaux blend (largely Cabernet Sauvignon with some Merlot) is produced in limited quantities and is well worth the money. Showcasing rich flavours of cassis, mint and raspberry with a moreish earthiness thanks to its incredible terroir, this wonder adds an extra layer of comfort to the cold winter air. This is another highlight and a testament to the stunning wine that calls Napa Valley its home.

In praise of half bottles - excellent.

In praise of half bottles - excellent.

In praise of half bottles - excellent.

Here is a magnificent wine from the Jackson family, the people behind America’s best-selling Chardonnay, Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve. Using grapes from the group’s Stonestreet Winery in the stunning Alexander Valley, an AVA within Sonoma County, it is a delicious example of a classic, richly-textured Chardonnay, with flavours from buttercream, toasted marshmallow, along with ripe peach and pear fruit. It also has a touch of fresh apple on the finish, and this appealing mix of characters linger for a long time after you’ve sipped it – a hallmark of any great wine.

My highest scorer in this year’s Global Chardonnay Masters hailed from South Africa. Capensis is a relatively new top-end white from the Western Cape, made by California’s Chardonnay experts, Jackson Family Wines. It’s outstanding, mixing creamy, toasty oak, and peach and apple fruit with the perfect Chardonnay texture: it’s soft and rich as it hits the tongue, zesty and bright as it slips down the throat, with a lovely lingering note of freshly roasted nuts. It’s not cheap, at close to £100, but when viewed relative to the price of grand cru white Burgundy, which Capensis would rival for quality, it’s doesn’t seem so expensive either.