Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir The Sum opens with underbrush, bay leaves and damp earth notes with a core cranberries, kirsch and raspberry leaves. The medium-bodied palate is seriously earthy, with the understated layers framed by chewy tannins and seamless acidity, finishing long with a mineral component coming through.

Oregon: Pinot Still King Even In Hot 2015 and 2014 Vintages This shows blueberry compote, lemon zest, Indian spices, eucalyptus, violets and some vanilla. This is certainly full-bodied with lots of blue fruit, round tannins, a fine line of acidity and a succulent finish. Drink now.

Supple and expressive, with vibrantly layered raspberry, rose petal and spiced cinnamon flavors that glide toward a polished finish.

Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2014 Pinot Noir Conifer offers up pretty red flower and wild herb notions with a core of red cherries and red currants, plus suggestions of garrigue and Ceylon tea. Medium-bodied, it gives a good concentration of red fruit and earthy flavor layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

“Slope” ($100) is a rich, lushly fruity wine with soft, caressing tannins. Aromas and flavors suggest dark berries, leather and dried porcini mushrooms. The texture is velvety and the finish shows grip. I find it impressive that a wine with such ripeness of fruit expression could have such a restrained, controlled structure as this wine does. C learly it is a wine to age. Its grapes come from two vineyard blocks that stretch from the highest point of the vineyard down to the lowest point, together forming a southward facing slope; the wine represents a single Pinot Noir clone (667).

On the label of this wine you will not find those two words, but instead a simple sigma (S), the mathematical sign for a sum. As its name suggests, this Pinot Noir comes from a wider range of vineyard blocks than the other two wines, and from three clones (667, 777 & Pommard). It has a perfumed aroma of cherry, dark plum, spice and herbal notes; forest-like hints here suggest dry leaves rather than pine. The palate is fuller than Conifer’s, as well as softer and more flavorful, but at the core of the wine is pure, precise and concentrated fruit character. Despite its richness and forwardness, this wine has a racy edge, some of which derives from the wine’s energetic tannins. Whole clusters accounted for 40 percent of the fermentation.

The 2013 Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot noir ∑ from Eola-Amity Hills in Willamette Valley, Oregon is huge and lithe at the same time; quite the conundrum for this taster’s palate. Winemakers Tony Rynders and Shane Moore both have a deft hand with creating wines with unique, but subtle character, and this wine exemplifies those skills. Clocking in at only 12.9% alcohol, the depth of flavor is impressive. Over ripe dark red fruit and floral aromas lead the parade as you first start to swirl the wine. Flavors of raspberry and a hint of super sweet strawberry lift the first nuances of flavor like a symphony movement reaching a crescendo. The non-tannic finish is memorably spicy expressing considerable length a sheer delight to taste.

13.0% alc., pH 3.65, TA 0.52, 240 cases, $75. A blend of Zena East Block 12 and Zena West 1A and 14. These blocks include 114 and “828,” and Pommard, all seven years old. Harvest Brix 20.5º-22.5º. Aged 17 months in French oak barrels, 75% new, medium to medium plus toast. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Seductive perfume of cherry, strawberry, forest floor and spice lingering in the glass over time. Satiny on the palate, with a mid weight core of delicious dark red and black fruit flavors supported by elegant tannins. As the name implies, there is a conifer thread in the background. Very fresh, and everything is in its place, with a highly enjoyable but not exceptionally intense finish.

Bright, light crimson-fuschia; a blend of carignan, grenache and mourvedre that works very well indeed, with a mix of spicy, savoury and red berry aromas and flavours. Light, crisp and fresh, with a pleasingly dry finish.

Deep ruby color. Such pretty aromatics of raspberries, red cherries, candied apple peel, along with a host of spicy, earthy, floral tones (rose petals, rhubarb, spiced chai, clay soil and dusty earth). Full-bodied on the palate with smooth tannins and medium acidity; there’s this effortless, balanced mouthfeel that is great. Flavors of raspberries, cherries and red apple, the fruit is juicy, rich but tart. Complex notes of earth, clay, spiced tea, rose hips, menthol and white pepper – such complexity in here. There’s a lovely briskness despite the richness. Deep, intriguing, lovely Grenache, fermented and aged exclusively in ceramic eggs.

South Australia: Part Two — Mostly McLaren Vale Fermented and kept on skins for 190 days in a ceramic egg, the 2016 Ovitelli Grenache is a special breed of Grenache. "It turns it a bit Nebbiolo-like," says winemaker Peter Fraser. Hints of apple skin, herbs and strawberries appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is spicy and savory, supple and almost creamy in texture, turning silky on the long finish.

Take Note: Real Australian Wine Is Here Fascinating aromas of tea, rose hip, rose petal and dried strawberry. Some peach undertones. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a juicy finish. Very intense and flavorful. Needs time to come together in the bottle. Better in 2019. Screw cap.

From biodynamically farmed, old vines, this is a brilliant example of why this region and variety are gaining such renown. Aromas of bright red berries, florals, tar, white pepper and herbal tonic lead into a silky yet structured palate that is light to medium-bodied. The aromas carry through to the palate, knitting them together with spicy, earthy tannins and crunchy acidity. It's refreshing, austere and joyful all at once.

The world's best Grenache buys Dark, dense and rich. This is the powerhouse face of Grenache, with grippy tannins and stewy fruit skins. But this example keeps its balance and also manages to sneak in a whisper of perfumed lift on the finish. Drinking Window 2018 – 2026

Velvety and succulent with minerality, depth, and spice; pure and tangy with racy energy from an Aussie producer specializing in Mediterranean varieties.

There's both varietal and regional integrity dripping from this wine's pores. It has a jubey-fruit-filled centre but it's otherwise dry and minerally and blessedly pure. It's like munching on the dense-flavoured grenache grapes themselves. It also tastes of brine, liquorice and earth and rumbles with tannin through the finish. Terrific wine growing and making, and therefore drinking.

Strict grenache. Fruit peers out from behind bars of tannin and spice. Not a wine for just going with the flow; it forces you to contemplate it. Very little fruit sweetness or indeed flesh, and yet strangely compelling. Could be anything with some years under its belt.

66 year-old dry farmed, free standing bush vines can tell a story of the vintage when handled with care, and this Grenache from Yangarra spins a beautiful tale of one of the coolest, wettest years ever in McLaren Vale. Low yields and careful bunch selection to sort out rot and mold have produced a brilliant ruby red wine with aromas of cherry, raspberry, white pepper and fennel. Vibrant acidity helps translate the aromas directly into flavors on the palate, and keeps things lively through the long, zesty finish. It’s really begging for food -- I’d go for lamb. Nicely done!

The 2005 Shiraz is purple-colored with an expressive perfume of cedar, smoke, game, blueberry, and blackberry. Full-bodied with a broad palate and mouth-coating fruit, it has outstanding depth, tons of black fruit flavor, and a long pure finish. Drink it over the next 6-8 years.

Good as ever, this vintage of the Yangarra Shiraz doles out plenty of juicy blackberry and blue berry fruit accented with fresh but subtle vanilla bean notes. Full and bouncy on the palate, and long on the finish. Winemaker Peter Fraser just doesn't know how to make bad wine.

An abyss of black pepper on the nose, with some whiffs of white cotton. Imagine strapping an eight cylinder engine to a basket full of berries and black peppercorns and watching it go: That's what this wine tastes like. It's full-throttle and fruit-ripe, with lifted fruit, spice and black pepper on the finish.

An abyss of black pepper on the nose, with some whiffs of white cotton. Imagine strapping an eight-cylinder engine to a basket full of berries and black peppercorns and watching it go: That’s what this wine tastes like. It’s full-throttle and fruit-ripe, with lifted fruit, spice and black pepper on the finish. Imported by Yangarra Estate Vineyard.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings There’s a commanding thread of rich dark plum and berries here with dried, woody spice and earthy notes. The palate is very composed and delivers good length with a compact, contained feel. Plenty of tannin. Certified organic. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The Yangarra vineyards are just next door to Hickinbotham's, yet the Shiraz here, grown in sandy, ironstone soils, is an entirely different beast. High-toned red currant, raspberry and plum fruit is wound with peppery spice and warm pavement nuances. Tannins are firm and powerful but tightly focused, supporting rather than overpowering the tangy red fruit. One for the cellar.

South Australia: Part Two — Mostly McLaren Vale From a 1.8-hectare block particularly rich in ironstone, Yangarra's 2015 Ironheart Shiraz features aromas of crushed stones, pencil shavings, sandalwood and blueberries. It's medium to full-bodied, with deep, concentrated flavors, ample fine-grained tannins and a tremendously long finish. Like the other Yangarra wines, there's a potent line of acidity that gives shape and focus, acting like a spine from which the other elements are suspended.