Very deep, bright red/purple colour, the bouquet a beautifully balanced mixture of red and darker berries, spices and pepper, plus some earthy, mineral notes. It's medium to full-bodied and smoothly-textured, not tannic or alcohol-hot, but harmonious. Intensity with elegance is the key. A delicious drink, the tannins fulfilling their structural role with traces of ironstone and graphite.

Slightly lighter in the glass than other Syrahs, this bottling is immensely savory, showing cracked pepper, crushed rocks, dried blackberry and black plum on a well-focused nose. It’s very fresh on the palate, with snappy black raspberry and a dusting of white pepper, with warming hints of baking spice into the finish.

This appellation blend offers a more affordable way to experience the delicious and dynamic style of winemaker Greg Brewer. Intense aromas of black cherry, flower petals and cola are unabashedly fruit-forward, yet there’s spicy tension as well. Rich cherry and pomegranate flavors lead the palate, yet the underlying eucalyptus, black tea, root beer and wild thyme elements set it apart.

Uplifting aromas of honeysuckle and grapefruit peel meet with chiseled wood and seashore aromas on the nose of this smallbatch, single-vineyard offering from Greg Brewer, who only made two barrels. Dried lemon peel and apple-flesh flavors meet a hint of briny seaweed on the palate, which is enveloped in a fascinatingly leathery grip, quite unique for a white wine. Drink now through 2038.

Limpid yellow. Powerful, mineral-tinged Meyer lemon and pear scents show fine definition and complementary, building notes of anise and smoky lees. Vibrant and focused in the mouth, offering sappy citrus and orchard fruit flavors and deeper buttered toast and honeydew qualities that emerge on the back half. Shows impressive energy and finishes silky and very long, featuring lingering vanilla and floral nuances.

Shimmering magenta. A highly fragrant bouquet evokes fresh cherry and red berries, potpourri and savory herbs, and a smoky nuance emerges as the wine opens up. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering appealingly sweet raspberry, boysenberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors accented by allspice and vanilla flourishes. Concentrated yet lively as well, showing impressive finishing power, repeating florality and smooth, well-judged tannins.

Saturated garnet. Vibrant, mineral- and spice-driven raspberry and boysenberry scents are complemented by a suave floral nuance and an exotic touch of blood orange. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering energetic red and blue fruit and spicecake flavors that show excellent clarity and reveal deeper cola and mocha flourishes on the back half. The floral note builds steadily on the penetrating, berry-dominated finish, which is given gentle grip by polished, sneaky tannins.

Vivid ruby-red. A suave, assertively perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red and blue fruits, candied rose, vanilla and exotic spices, plus a hint of cola in the background. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering appealingly sweet black raspberry, cherry and boysenberry flavors sharpened by building spiciness. Finishes impressively long and lively, with slowly mounting tannins and resonating florality.

Brilliant magenta. Intensely perfumed cherry, black raspberry, boysenberry and incense aromas take on vibrant mineral and spice notes with air. Stains the palate with concentrated yet vibrant red and blue fruit, floral pastille and cola flavors that turn spicier through the back half. Suave, polished tannins build smoothly through the impressively long, energetic finish, which emphatically repeats the floral and cherry notes.

Shimmering magenta. Mineral- and spice-accented red berries, cherry cola, incense and a hint of vanilla on the highly perfumed nose. Juicy, appealingly sweet raspberry and cherry flavors show very good depth as well as energy and pick up a floral pastille nuance on the back half. Finishes very long and smooth, displaying subtle tannins, strong persistence and resonating mineral character. 38% new oak.

Bright ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, incense, cola and potpourri, and a lively mineral overtone builds in the glass. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering juicy cherry and black raspberry and spicecake flavors and a suave vanilla accent. Shows solid thrust and spicy lift on the strikingly long, gently tannic finish, which leaves sappy berry preserve and floral pastille notes behind.

Limpid ruby-red. Suave, spice-and smoke-accented aromas of black raspberry, cherry cola, pungent flowers and incense reveal a subtle mocha nuance. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry, cherry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that show impressive depth and an undercurrent of energizing minerality. Delivers power as well as vivacity on a long, penetrating finish framed by velvety, slow-building tannins. 59% new oak.

Limpid ruby-red. Expressive red and blue fruit preserve, cola, candied rose and baking spice scents are complemented by a smoky mineral overtone. Concentrated and sappy on the palate, offering appealingly sweet, oak-spiced black raspberry, boysenberry, cherry liqueur and floral pastille flavors that spread out slowly through the midpalate. Conveys a deft marriage of concentration and energy and finishes with sneaky tannins and strong, spice-driven persistence.

Top 20 Shiraz of August 2020A more conventional expression of McLaren Vale Shiraz in context – a wine that lovers of traditional McLaren Vale Shiraz are going to adore. Includes 3% Malbec, intriguingly. Dark dense and chunky – it’s a wine of fudgey ripe flavour and shows it’s alcohol and ripeness more than any other wine in the range, the overall effect a wine of unquestioned impact but a bit simple and warm compared to the others. I’m comparing everything to a high mark, a higher expectation for McLaren Vale reds – when this is ultimately a superb, impactful, highly polished full bodied wine. Best drinking: now to twenty years. Would I buy it? I’d share a bottle.

Dark garnet color in the glass. The nose opens slowly to reveal enticing aromas of blackberry, blueberry-pomegranate, earthy flora and a hint of oak. A flood of blue and black fruits envelope the palate in a mid-weight plus style. The layers of fruit saturate the taste buds, creating a magnetic attraction, yet the wine is not cloying or sweet. There is admirable harmony with a favorable compliment of oak. The fruit really hangs on through the long, long finish that is symbolic of a special wine.

Good luck finding a better Bordeaux at this price! Les Cadrans de Lassegue delivers the goods from a Grand Cru site at half the price or less of any worthy competition, with rich, earthy character complementing classic Merlot aromas and flavors seamlessly. Additionally, the inclusion of 10% Cabernet Franc isn’t lost in the mix, showing cherry and mild herb hints, particularly in the finish. Nicely done!

This was purchased by me on release back when it was merely expensive. Today, this is one of the top guns of the Kendal Jackson empire and the pricing has gotten prohibitive for the newer releases. If trying this blind, a good guess might have been a 1999 Bordeaux, maybe Graves or maybe even 1998. it was quite good and certainly just about at peak. A 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Purple/ruby in color with just a hint of browning at the rim. The nose has some brett but plenty of cassis, cherries and an earthy funk too. On the palate, this is complex. Layers of fruit (cherries and black cherries), with earth and tobacco. Just the slightest remnants of tannins. Nice finish. Very tasty yet also contemplative. It drinks fine on its own but is better with some food. Stews or casseroles but a steak would be fine. This should be drunk sooner than later but well stored bottles should have five to seven more years before slowly moving downhill.

Hearty and robust, this wine tastes of tropical honey, brioche and caramel. Thickly concentrated, it retains enough acidity to balance and complement the richness, deftly represented by a lasting character of lemon meringue.

Opulent and spicy, this medium-bodied wine shows tempting dark spices of clove and toasted oak along with ripe black-cherry flavors and a velvety texture. A good structure of fine-grained tannins adds an appetizing grip. Bestthrough 2027.

An enticing aroma of violets and dark chocolate leads to concentrated, deep flavors that are beefy, berry-like and a bit peppery, giving the wine lots of complexity and interest. Fine-grained tannins add nicely to the mouthfeel. Best from 2024.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay Radian Vineyard offers a beguiling mix of exuberance and energy. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, mint and butter notes are nicely pushed forward, and yet there is enough underlying minerality and acidity to balance some of the wine's natural overtness. The Hartford Radian is a bit more generous in feel than most wines from the far western coast of the appellation. That is not a bad thing, just a specific interpretation of site.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard is a pretty, elegant wine. Crushed flowers, sweet red berry, white pepper and chalky notes give the 2018 its distinct, lifted personality. Readers will find an ethereal, intensely aromatic style in the 2018. Bracing mineral and saline notes add a good deal of energy to round things out. Best of all, winemaker Jeff Stewart has succeeded in eliminating the gamy qualities that can make Fiddlestix Pinots feel a bit rustic.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is another superb wine in this range. Rose petal, sweet red berry fruit, mint and blood orange bring out a bright, citrus driven set of aromas and flavors. On the palate, the John Sebastiano is gracious and translucent, but don't let that fool you, there is plenty of substance here.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Nielson Vineyard is gorgeous. Deep and classically built, the Nielson is marked by a backbone of acids and tannin that gives it shape and feeling of drive. The Nielson is not as approachable today as many wines in the range are, but it offers superb focus in an understated style that needs time to fully emerge. Lavender, licorice, dried herbs, graphite and blueberry linger. This is such a pretty and expressive wine.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Q Block Bien Nacido Vineyard is bright, effusive and full of character. A burst of sweet floral notes leads into a core of red/purplish berry fruit in a Pinot endowed with terrific energy and verve. Medium in body and super-expressive, the 2018 is incredibly vivid today. A closing flourish of floral and savory notes leave a lasting impression.