This pinot shows fragrant aromas of lavender, crushed hazelnuts, strawberries and hints of caramel. Polished with a medium body, mellow tannins and tangy acidity kicking in. Drink now.

Aromas of lemon pith, pear skin, white almond and yogurt. Medium- to full-bodied with vivid acidity and a polished texture. Some chalkiness to it. Pleasant and satisfying, with a flavorful finish. Drink now.

Soft and creamy with medium depth and great acidity

There is a lighter touch to this than in past vintages, although it's still a dense, compact and richly flavoured wine. A stellar vintage and a gentle extraction (20 days) on skins in oak foudre helped. Pointed northern Rhône-like aromas of blueberry, violet, white pepper, dried nori, black olive and clove. An undercarriage of briar and hedgerow imparts a welcome savouriness. The sinewy tannic mettle suggests this will age well and grow with stature in time.

The wine showed a pale straw color. Grapefruit, lemon candy, ripe peach and apple each arrived on the nose. Grapefruit, lemon candy, lime zest and ripe peach drove the crisp palate followed by notes of graphite. The wine exhibited electric acidity and great minerality. It was light-bodied and demonstrated good length. This wine would be an excellent aperitif on a warm afternoon and would pair well with Kumamoto oysters as the winery suggests.

Gorgeous vivid purple colour in the glass, so vibrant. Smells heady and perfumed with cool and ripe black and blue fruits. Aromatically expressive and alive. Smooth and so supple, clear and pure, the texture is like silk, smooth with amazingly finessed tannins and a real density of flavour. Concentrated, almost thick in terms of texture, this is a rich, full bodied wine with complexity. Well built, fairly broad and muscular, you don't get so much mouthwatering acidity due to the concentration but this is sleek and suave. A great balance between power and seduction with enjoyable mineral, liquorice and dark chocolate aspects. Potent, poised and compelling. Winemaker Nicolas Seilhan Nicolas Seillan winemaker. A yield of 38hl/ha. Harvest 15 September - 1 October. 3.67pH. 100% oak barrels.

Offers grilled pineapple, white peach and lemon blossom notes that are robust and effortless on a sleek, juicy frame, with fresh-cut green apple, tarragon and sea spray emerging on the mouthwatering finish. Drink now. 17,000 cases made.

Yeeeee-haw! Saddle up
for some old school, bold, bruising Zin fun.

If sparkling wine is more your style, “this premium sparkling Brut Rosé from La Crema is the perfect glass of bubbles to quench your thirst in the summertime heat,” Cohen says. Family-owned and operated La Crema might be better known for their chardonnay and pinot noir, but its high time their bubbly blend had its moment in the sun. “Made from pinot noir and chardonnay in the traditional method of Champagne [that’s made in that region of France], this serves up luxury all the way. This wine has bright red fruit notes of summer strawberries and raspberries,” Cohen explains.

A great spring dinner is lemony chicken piccata with an equally citrusy Sauvignon Blanc. The zest in Matanzas Creek's Sonoma County SB is balanced by some lovely white floral notes. Perfect for Earth Day, as Matanzas Creek is certified sustainable and has fields of lavender that attract all kinds of pollinators and insects.

The 2021 Chardonnay Viñedo Maricerro was produced trying to keep the minerality of the quartz-rich soils from Itata, where the grapes grow. It fermented and matured in barrel for 10 months. It has lots of apples and flowers, with a round palate, and it's nicely textured, with 14.5% alcohol and very good freshness and acidity. 1,600 bottles.

The surprisingly dark 2021 Pinot Noir Viñedo Maricerro has a ripe nose. It was produced with grapes grown at only six kilometers from the sea on granite soils with lots of quartz. It's ripe at 14.5% alcohol, round and lush, with chalky tannins and a soft mouthfeel, where the spicy oak makes a shy appearance. 1,600 bottled were filled in February 2022 after 10 months in barrel.

I like the earthy sous-bois character here, with notes of dried flowers, mulberries, spiced cherries, mushrooms and truffles. Medium-bodied, sleek and savory, with fine-grained tannins and a spicy, long finish. Drink or hold.

A unique chardonnay with crushed stones, rice paper, cherry blossom, and lemon. Medium body. Bright and fresh. Lots of energy and purity to it. Raw beauty. Bottled a few months after the harvest. Drink or hold.

Brightness and energy with hibiscus water, lemon and dried strawberry. Full and linear with a solid column of fruit that runs the length of the wine and spirals endlessly. Integrated and melted tannins. Purity. Drink or hold.

Very floral and bright with strawberries and flowers on the nose. Intense. Medium-bodied, very transparent, and brilliant with a ruby stone sort of beauty. Very citrusy. Interesting ripe watermelon undertone to it. Drink or hold.

The purity of fruit here is impressive with a density and layered texture, with lots of integrated phenolics, citrus rind, lemon oil and white peach. White nougat and pistachio. Sesame seed, too. It’s full and very long with an intensity and beauty. Flinty and reductive at the end. Mostly Wente clone and it shows. Drink or hold.

Among the finest wines in Australia. Destemmed fruit, crushed and extracted across a whopping 133-day window in eggs. Blood plum, sappy raspberry, licorice root, bergamot and pepper grind. Clove, tamarind and mint. Gorgeous. Pinosité aplenty, yet beautifully extracted with skittish, long-limbed and gritty tannins corralling the fray. Tear-inducing stuff. Levity, transparency and intensity, all in one.

Honeysuckle, jasmine, and other white flowers as well as citrus and green apple aromas that follow through to a medium to full body. Crunchy. Hints of phenolics. Drink or hold.

Hibiscus, orange peel, and sliced strawberry aromas. Medium-bodied with a firm and juicy finish. Structured and solid. Impressive length. Layered and serious. Needs time to soften and come together.

A refined and layered red with dried strawberry, cherry and orange peel aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied. Medium velvety tannins, fresh and bright. Fruity yet energetic. Vivid. Drink or hold.

Aromas of dried strawberry, cedar, black chocolate and dust. Medium-bodied with creamy and refined tannins. Spicy and citrusy at the end. Drink or hold.

So much energy and brightness to this with sliced lemon and lightly ripe apple. Lime and fresh ginger. Salty. Rich and ripe yet taut on the finish. Drink or hold.

This is joyous. A round, floral, deeply weighted and resinous malbec. The classy French oak (60% new) harnesses lilac, blueberry confiture and a slick of licorice, mulberry and bramble. The oak is present, yet embedded beautifully. While far from profound, there is a great deal to enjoy here, with the signature of class that one expects from this address. Will age effortlessly across the mid-term.

Wild fermented with 16 days on skins; 15 months in French barriques (60% new) before a couple of months in old foudre, post blending. Mocha, coffee bean, damson plum and a slither of herb-crusted tannins, beautifully managed. A full-weighted wine, with a lilt of herbal freshness. As good as merlot gets on these shores.