Medium-depth red/purple hue. Lovely ripe red to dark cherry aromas, fresh and bright, already very accessible. Ample fine tannins , in balance. Beautifully made. A juicy pinot to enjoy relatively young. This gives a stack of pleasure. (One of their warmest sites, the earliest pinot harvested; 100m altitude, east facing. All MV6 clone.)

Slightly reductive at first—smoky, then talcy and restrained, fresh and crisply tart, refined and lingering, with a hunger-inducing saltiness and grip at the finish. A beautifully refined, subtle and harmonious wine. (300m altitude. Unfiltered. Tiny crop due to poor fruit-set)

This coastal wine comes from a site north of Fort Ross and at high elevation. Rich and rounded in style, it has texture and complexity that complements and tames the opulent flavors of peach and vanilla. The finish is spicy and lifted, with a lasting tang. Enjoy from 2028–2032.

It can be hard to find coastal Syrah, so this hearty version from the producer’s Far Coast Vineyard stands out in several ways. It is lifted in tones of dried herb, lavender and garrigue, with a meaty midpalate that is notable in blueberry and game flavors. Supple, integrated tannins and oak accents surround it all.

A full-bodied, generously flavorful and robust wine, this is spicy and earthy in tree bark, cedar and dried herb. Fresh acidity confronts a wall of riotous intensity of crushed rock and deep, dark cherry.

This is a gorgeously crafted, complex and structured wine, made from a cool-climate site at 1,150-feet-elevation near the town of Occidental. Meyer lemon citrus bursts from the opening, leading the way to a silky texture of great tension and acidity. Green apple, Asian spice and a taste of tea round out the finish.

This deeply colored Cabernet sees small additions of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. It is soft and supple, with red fruit at its core. A mix of cherry and currant play well against the savory components and graceful structure.

With a small amount of Merlot blended in, this ageworthy red is thick and concentrated in blueberry, black currant and a hint of black olive. With grip and power, it shows earthy, savory characteristics of cedar, tobacco and dried herb, with a length of firm tannin and integrated oak. Enjoy from 2027–2032.

Complex and powerfully structured, with vibrant acidity and tannins backing chiseled dried red fruit and berry flavors. Finely textured, with a rich savoriness and sanguine accents filling the minerally finish. Drink now through 2027.

Attractive spice aromas are deeply woven into blueberry and dark cherries. This has enticingly complex style. The palate has such impressive intensity and concentrated flavors of blueberry and dark cherry sweep long and fluid. A beautiful, bold pinot. Drink or hold.

This is a young wine that is knitted down in flavour but it is not tight or difficult to navigate. You feel the breadth and complexity to the fruit, along with juicy powerful freshness, and the gourmet packing of liquorice and chocolate. These are big wines that are big but expertly balanced by slate and crushed stone minerality, giving balance and succulence. 60% new oak. 3.75pH. Harvested 24 September to 13 October. A yield of 49hl/ha.

A McLaren Vale Shiraz always destined to impress. This 2018 is no different. Another excellent Ironheart Shiraz. Handpicked off certified organic and biodynamic vineyards, 25% whole bunches were used before sitting on skins for 16 days and 32% new French oak used. It's deep and brooding, dark chocolate and coconut husk reach out early. Packed with interest, cedar, cloves and raspberries seemingly skim across the surface but it's the darker red fruits that get in deep. Hold your breath before blackberries cut loose - it's the depth that screams out and captivates here. The oak protrudes a little for now but this will settle with time. This is most definitely a keeper. Dried herbs and a lashing of chocolate rush late as do fine spices. A finish that runs long and seemingly never-ending. Brilliant! Drink to ten years+.

Very spicy and intense, this complex pinot shows blueberry and dark-cherry aromas, as well as some sappy notes, roses and forest wood. The palate is weighty with plenty of ripe fruit flesh. Quite supple and velvety with flavors that run from red to dark cherries. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

Spice, fresh raspberry, sage and dried mint and flowers. Crisp with a fresh crunch of pomegranate, slightly peppery, cool and perfumed, stony almost concrete dust tannin, flesh and succulence, with high cheekbones and fine tailoring. Love the cranberry dryness and fine grip of dusty tannin on a long raspberry sorbet finish. Beautiful expression of Grenache.

A measured yet powerful grip holds interest from beginning to end of the palate. This is just dripping with salinity from crushed stones, graphite and slate - a physical presence that balances beautifully with the fleshy black cherry and damson fruits, and the chocolate shavings. An excellent quality Lassegue, hard hitting and muscular but with pace and persistency. 52% new oak barrels (from 15 different forests - always a key signature of this estate's ageing policy). 3.6pH, average vine age between 50 and 60 years old.

Zinfandel of the Month – 2019 Hartford Family Winery Zinfandel Russian River Valley Old VinePurple in color. 15.1% ABV. Awesome nose of red fruits, peach and baking spices. Medium body with perfect acidity. Absolutely bursting with bright, sweet fruits. The purity of the fruit is notable. Cherry, strawberry, raspberry liqueur and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Stunning Zinfandel that is on par with the glorious 2015. Just a baby. This will drink well for 4-6 years.

The 2018 Syrah Brosseau is dense, powerful and meaty. Inky dark fruit, gravel, cured meat and dried flowers. A wine of real density and power, the Brosseau Syrah is endowed with massive power and concentration. There is so much to the 2018. This site on decomposed granite with limestone yields wines of tremendous complexity and character. The 2018 is fabulous.

The 2018 Syrah Sea Lift is fabulous. Inky dark fruit, black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice, sage and menthol build in a powerful, deep Syrah endowed with tremendous character.

The 2018 Syrah Hawkes Butte is once again one of the most distinctive wines in the range. Inky dark fruit, black pepper, sage, lavender and spice all run through this super-expressive Syrah. The 2018 is rich and unctuous but also not at all heavy. It is incredibly singular and full of character.

The 2018 Chardonnay Brosseau, from the famed vineyard in the Chalone AVA, is fabulous. Dried flowers, sage, mint, chamomile and graphite give the Brosseau its distinctly savory, mineral personality. Structure, acid and soil tones dominate this rich, full-bodied Chardonnay, while the fruit is very much in the background.

Polished, vibrant and generous, with black cherry, red licorice and maraschino cherry flavors that mingle with details of white tea, brown sugar and fresh loamy accents, lingering on the long, expressive finish, with supple tannins.

This distinctive red offers a powerful, robust mix of blood orange, dried cherry and pomegranate flavors on a firm, muscular frame. Notes of baking spices, cigar box and salty black licorice linger on the finish, with a touch of sarsaparilla. Drink now through 2035.

Merlot led blend.Deep ruby red in colour. Blackberries, dry leather, pipe tobacco,Eastern spice. Dense and sumptuous. Seamless and unwavering linearity.

Purple colour from core to rim and up the sides of the glass as well. Plums, rosemary and sea-spray aromatics. The palate flows majestically from front to back, light of foot but carrying serious intensity and drive. Structured to accentuate the long and lingering glide of fruit into the finish. So much pleasure now and will provide for many years to come.

Incredibly vibrant deep purple colour in the glass. Subdued nose, dark loam and black fruits lurk with intent. Remarkable poise for such a young wine, dark fruits, blood and ironstone all meld seamlessly. Full of palate yet has a feeling of compression from acid and tannin so it pushes very deep and long. Time will provide even further layers and complexity.