Hints of smoke and gunpowder tea give way to fresh, vibrant pomegranate and cranberry flavors on a sleek frame, with notes of baking spices and caramel coming in on the finish. Harmonious and complex, featuring polished, fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2035.

Showing more peachy, tropical notes than the other bottlings, the 2018 Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay is a ripe, generous effort. It's medium-bodied, round, silky and easy to drink, yet it remains fresh and clean on the finish, with citrus notes more like tangerine than lime or lemon. Like the other single-vineyard wines, it was fermented and aged in 20% new French oak.

Coming from vines 200 meters higher and nine years younger than this producer's other single-vineyard Chard, Tarraford, this wine is clearly made in the same vein, but shows distinctive differences. Less fruity, this vintage is initially a touch reductive and oaked, but as it warms in the glass, notes of salted nuts and honey, along with delicate citrus, float to the fore. The palate is richly textured and laced with minerals. The wood is present but not overwhelming. It's very approachable now, and while it may not age quite as long as its counterpart, there's enough length, depth and harmony for another six to eight years of happy cellaring.

Subtle notes of toast and cinnamon appear on the nose of the 2018 Applejack Vineyard Chardonnay, sourced from the Upper Yarra Valley. It's a medium-bodied but plump and generous offering, with melon and pineapple fruit filling out the silky-textured mid-palate, then easing into a long, citrusy finish.

Plenty of purple in the medium to deep colour, the bouquet sweet and blackberry, black-cherry-like. It’s bold and very ripe, with chewy tannins and some alcohol warmth, the finish is firm and upright. Solid, boldly fruit-driven and straightforward, this should take some age to advantage. I suspect it will build complexity if given time.

Savoury, fusty bouquet of earth and dried flower heads. The palate is intense and focused, refined and quite complex, especially considering its youth and station. Lovely mouth-feel and balance. Soft, fine tannins. A touch of aniseed and berry jam to close. Drinking superbly already.

My conspiracy theory is that some closed room conversation happened at a high profile wine show and senior winemaking judges all decided to revitalise the pinot noir syrah blend. Specifically, the correlation between Hunter Valley senior judges and a migration pattern to the Yarra Valley. It’s spreading too. Not a bad thing, I really like the combo and style, but when I do a mental roll call of winemakers new to the field with the style, particularly ex-Hunter, it’s an intriguing list that plays into the hand of my jocularly posited theory. You do the maths. I think they all wear Black/White Nike Cortez sneakers too…

Ripe, concentrated and rich with tannic structural intensity. Cocoa, rosemary and thyme lead to a savoury finish.Drinking Window 2020 - 2040

Initial sweetness of ripe fruit is succeeded by more savoury, dried herb notes. Concentrated and rich with fine balance and fresh acidity.Drinking Window 2020 - 2040

Outstanding, postured, supple.The 2015 is an outstanding Super Tuscan with components of Merlot (59%), Cabernet Franc (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%) and Petit Verdot. It rolls out sweet wild cherries and wild blackberries, leather and brown spices, dark chocolate and tobacco aromas. A supple entry rolls into a postured wine that is fresh and deftly woven. Spiced plum cake and bitter cocoa, lead to a finish of tealeaf and cedar flavours.

Bright loganberry and açaí berry fruit bursts forth in this exuberant red, with notes of melted red licorice, sweet toast and mocha striding through the finish. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now through 2024.

A bright and extroverted style, with cherry, cassis and damson plum notes streaking through, lined with fresh savory and violet details along the way. The pure finish shows a lively iron streak. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2026.

Rounded and easy in feel, with a mocha frame caressing steeped plum and black cherry fruit flavors. Tobacco and loam elements check in on the plush finish. Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now through 2025.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2018 VintagePale to medium ruby, the 2018 Pinot Noir 3D has a nose of dried lilac, blood orange, cranberries and rhubarb with spicy accents and an earthy undercurrent. The palate is light to medium-bodied and silky with bright, crunchy fruits and lifted acidity, finishing spicy.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2018 VintageThe 2018 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills has very pretty aromas of perfumed quince, pears and peaches with notes of honey and hazelnuts and a bright lemon peel lift. The light to medium-bodied palate is slow to unfold to delicate, seamlessly fresh fruits with savory bass tones and a long, lifted finish.

The nose is pineapple, white blossom and pink grapefruit. The palate entry is silky papaya, mango and pineapple with notes of marshmallow and orange peel. Shows nice fruit and acid interplay on the finish. Drink 2020 - 2024.

The nose is crushed blackberries, blueberry and blossoms. The palate entry is a cool blue fruit with a core of white pepper and thick-skinned dry plum finishing with bright and fresh acidity. A lighter touch on Syrah. Drink 2020 - 2024.

The nose is forward hard Christmas candy with notes of spruce needle and pie spice. The palate entry is a sappy juiciness of cherry leading to sleek mouth-coating herb in the core. A tightly-knit and expressive Pinot Noir. Drink 2020 - 2027.

Impressive combination of plush California fruit and savory, tension-filled Oregon structure. Supple and rich raspberry, thyme and stony mineral accents build toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2028.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s The 2018 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is a powerful, reticent wine. I would give it a few years in bottle to come into its own, as it is quite a bit less showy than most of the other wines in this range. Sweet red cherry, chalk, white pepper and flowers add an attractive upper register, but the 2018 is not ready to show all its cards just yet.

This Pinot-centric Jackson Family brand expands into Oregon with this smooth, dark and toasty wine. It’s layered with whiffs of smoke, espresso and black licorice, matched with dark fruit flavors of black cherry and cassis. It’s a big, balanced, sexy wine with polished tannins that leave a trail of tobacco highlights.

I rate it McD 92, ready now, but a year in cellar would improve it. GM is a Jackson Family Wines project. Look for black cherry nose with cocoa and floral notes. Very smooth on the palate with more black cherry and hints of tanned leather; it rides a nicely balanced tannin/acidity frame though a long mineral finish.

A Bordeaux blend of all five varieties extracted from more than 20 Napa Valley Vineyards, this is classically shaped Napa fashioned by winemaker Ted Edwards. Plush and lush, luxe et volupté, swelling with all the red and purple berries one can imagine packed into one red wine. Handles its French and American oak with elegance and distinction.

This very dark ruby colored “Grand Reserve” level Cabernet Sauvignon from Kendall Jackson was very well received by the Panel. It opens with a black currant bouquet with hints of black raspberry, Oreo cookie, nutmeg, and cigar box. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with medium plus acidity. We found it to have a smooth mouthfeel. The flavor profile is a black currant and blackberry blend with notes of oak, gentle minerality and black licorice. We also picked up a hint of toffee mixed in as well. The finish is dry and its medium-plus chunky tannins build-up and drift away nicely. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Cab with smoked brisket or Korean barbeque.

A pretty and refined wine, with vibrant cherry and strawberry blossom accents, showing elegant structure and polish on the long finish. Drink now through 2026.