Hickinbotham first planted dry-farmed vineyards near the hamlet of Clarendon in 1971 at the upper limit of McLaren Vale. The site’s climate is influenced by the coast, the Onkaparinka River gorge and the rolling hills offering different exposures and funnelling refreshing breezes. Almost opaque purple-black in colour, the wine has cassis, brambles and Christmas cake with tobacco and a hint of hedgerow and leather.

Dry, but sweetfruited, the wine’s flavours are balanced by crisp acidity and linen-textured tannins. Beautifully-defined with intriguing spices adding complexity, the wine will match rabbit simmered in white wine and chicken stock with onions and a bit of garlic.

I may be biased, but I truly believe Santa Barbara County produces some of the world's best chardonnays: racy, minerally, textural, and showcasing character. If that sounds like your jam, you’ll likely enjoy this bottling from winemaker Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton. Highlighting fruit from three vineyards within the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, it's a powerful yet ethereal expression of the region. Aromas of lemon, mango, and orange blossom lead to a bright palate loaded with citrus, white peach. and ginger, while a stream of salty minerality anchors the precise finish. It's a great value bottling from Sta. Rita Hills, and a perfect introduction to the region’s chardonnays.

Impenetrably dark, blackish crimson. Very ripe Cabernet nose initially with a herbal overlay and no heat on the end – overall the wine is appetisingly fresh in fact – but there's a very slight suggestion of something charred on the very end. The finish is neither alcoholic nor drying but it's not that persistent – at this stage anyway. There's lots of pleasure to be had here, so long as you are not prejudiced against ripe Napa Cabs. I would guess it will gain complexity with time.

Deep crimson. Intensely aromatic with notes of coffee and chocolate but an admirably fresh finish. Really rather subtle and gorgeous. Perfumed and well balanced. Leaves the palate refreshed. The best Cardinale I can remember tasting. Gentler tannins than I can remember in any red bordeaux 2019. Sweet but not sickly fruit. Rather beautiful. I feel sorry for the reds I'm about to taste.

Made solely from Cabernet Franc grapes, it possesses herbaceous aromas with hints of licorice and coffee powder. Textured and powerful on the palate, it concludes with a long and persistent finish, featuring both fruity and balsamic returns. Located near Castelnuovo Berardenga, the "capital" of the southernmost Additional Geographic Unit of the Chianti Classico denomination, Tenuta di Arceno is increasingly convincing. Owned by the American Kendall-Jackson Group, this estate produces well-focused labels of impeccable craftsmanship, from Chianti sangiovese, presented with a subtly modern style, to Bordeaux-style blends and purities, all executed with equal measure and sophistication.

Kendall-Jackson may be most commonly associated with chardonnay, though its red blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and a hint of petit verdot has not only caught the attention of everyday shoppers, but also sommeliers and winemakers from all over the world. And at an average price of under $15 per bottle, it’s also a win for the pocketbook. Pair this one with practically every pork-based meal you can think of, which will highlight its red fruit-forward notes

Smooth? Check. Delicious year-round? Check. Priced affordably at under $25? Check. There’s nothing to dislike about La Crema’s pinot noir from Sonoma, which has emerged as a supermarket must-try in recent years. It’s elegant but approachable, distinct yet versatile and, most importantly, readily available to the masses. Enjoy the plushness of cherry, plum and pomegranate with a subtle hint of herbaceous tea leaf for a libation that tastes just as good on a neighbor’s porch as it does in a fancy restaurant.

A 100% wine of origin and blended from multi vineyards, this is a Chard that has been lightly touched by the winemaker, e.g. the fruits shine, the intervention is minimal or at least, the winemaker showed a discreet sleight (slight) of hand. Pretty toasted brioche flavors along with a saline tinge hint at Chablis, but the tropical fruits place this in the New World. A pretty Chard that will convince Chard deserters to come back.

Transparent shaded garnet. Sweet, decongestant nose – unmistakably Australian! Quite marked acidity. Refined tannins and marked freshness but no great persistence.

But from many a possibility from Yangarra’s range, the wine I’ve chosen as this week’s wine of the week is Yangarra, King’s Wood Shiraz 2020 McLaren Vale, which I reckon is the best-value of the Yangarra wines I’ve tasted recently… Transparent crimson. Mmm! [This is my favourite tasting note, by the way.] Very appealing nose that suggests northern Rhône Syrah with a really superior spine and line, great purity and a little saline touch at the end. Still with a little dry tannin on the end. This wine should run and run. Very fresh without being at all lean. So clean and healthy-tasting. Long. 17.5+/20 Drink 2024–2034

Tre Bicchieri 2023: the best wines of Tuscany

Yangarra has championed Grenache for some time, and this wine shows real class. This has sensitivity throughout, seamless with bright freshness balanced with spices and savoury notes. Cranberry and cherries, with some herbaceous notes together – as the wine opens up on the palate there is a wonderful, perfect mouthfeel – this really does show just how good Grenache can be and will evolve perfectly. From a vineyard planted in 1946. Check out the Yangarra Roux Beaute Roussanne 2015.

Pale ruby in colour. Blackberry and blueberry fruit with a loamy, sappy quality to the nose. Fine-grained but elevated tannin compared with the Seascape and Jennifer's, and a bit brawnier. Savoury, with a juniper bite. Ripeness and juiciness to the cherry fruit.(SCJ)

From the Tuscan winery of the hugely impressive stable of Jackson Family wines, this is a single varietal Merlot. Winemaker Lawrence Cronin, American-born but an Italian resident for the best part of three decades, has crafted a voluptuous wine. A blend of different micro-crus helps give real complexity. Blessed with silky tannins, it has structure from two-thirds new French oak, as well as glorious, intense plummy red fruit. Very long.

Medium lemon. Honeysuckle blossom, Meyer lemon curd and vanilla bean on the nose. On the palate, there's a parchment-like oak profile, a touch green. High acid. Fresh, citrusy finish, still with that papery oak note.

Pale ruby with a purple hue. Floral aromas and dark fruits – black cherry and black plum. On the palate, it's very tightly wound; would benefit from a year or two more in bottle. Lengthy.

Pale lemon. Vanilla blossom, Meyer lemon, yellow apple, honeydew melon, sweet white corn. Fresh, mouth-watering acidity, with quite a lot of oak impact – vanilla, spice, yellow apple, baked pear. Ripe fruit and a buttery, oaky style. Classic California Chardonnay. GV

Medium lemon. Yellow plum, honeydew melon and honeysuckle. Very spice- and yellow-plum-heavy on the palate, with notes of crème brûlée and orange peel. Refreshing acidity but the oak is quite heavy and sticks out.

Pale ruby with a purple hue. Toast, vanilla bean and blackberry/blueberry fruit. Large, with plenty of oak spice. Bright, juicy acidity. The Saralee's is more my speed – delicate and floral – but if you like more richness, this is well built. Clean acid line through the finish on all the 2021s.

Pale lemon colour. Lemon zest, white peach and blossom with a distinct flintiness and a Play-Doh salinity. Mouth-watering acidity but gentle and creamy mid palate. Peach pithiness and creamy lees quality to the finish. Very elegant, no rough edges, fine and cooling despite the relatively high alcohol. Graham cracker toastiness. Lighter than any of the other three Chardonnays I was shown and with more drive.

Pale lemon colour. Dense yellow peach, salinity, sweet marjoram and vanilla blossom – lots of concentration. Fresh acidity and textural roundness to the palate. Very long. Well-integrated, 30% new oak lends a bit of fatness to the texture and a touch of spice to the finish.

Pale ruby in colour. Ripe, floral nose with a savoury stemminess. Really bright acidity, tart red and black cherry and wet dark earth. Fine-grained tannin. Very crunchy – pomegranate, cranberry and tart red plum with lots of earth. An elegant, smoked-peat earthiness.

Pale lemon colour. Toasty, zesty, vanilla blossom, pear compote, crystallised ginger and citrus blossom. Fresh acidity, round and creamy but with plenty of acid to pull out a lengthy stone-fruit and spice-kissed finish. Still pretty tightly wound but with more concentration than the Stone Côte.

Pale lemon colour. Ripe peach, baked pear and yellow apple. A brawnier oak profile than the Stone Côte Chardonnay. Candied ginger. A touch phenolic and very ripe peach on the palate with plenty of acid. Alcohol feels a touch warm.

Medium purple. Denser than the Dina's. Deep black cherry and black plum with very ripe raspberry. Ripeness, weight and viscosity to the palate. Baked black plum on the finish.