This west-facing, volcanic-soil vineyard produces a Chardonnay that is both rich and expressive. The low-yielding 2022 vintage brought even more concentration and depth, displaying a deep yellow hue in the glass and showing off impressive aromas initially. With a slight reduction at first, the nose follows into citrus pith and lightly tart tropical notes. On the palate, there’s a delicate citrus creaminess that reminds me of lemon meringue tart and a subtle touch of honey. Fermented and aged in 15% new French oak, the wine also saw a portion fermented in a concrete egg, a choice that likely contributed to its nice texture and finish.

The Estate Cabernet is a blend of parcels across all Stonestreet’s mountain estate, ranging from 600 to 2,400 feet in elevation. Harvested at the peak of a multi-year drought, the 2015 vintage was marked by low yields but excellent fruit quality. Now, a decade in, the wine shows incredible freshness and lift, with abundant wild berries and black cherries, savoury herbs, and a cool streak of minerality and wet flowers. The palate is dense and compact, with flavours that are not heavy, layered with tart blackberries, a touch of mocha, and leather. The tannins are polished, revealing the wine's structure without being too serious. It's a 10-year release that makes this wine very approachable.

This Merlot showcases the power of mountain tannins, balanced by the generosity of the
vintage and winemaker Chris Carpenter’s meticulous attention to rootstock, clone, and
site—each influencing the tannin profile in the grape skins from every corner of the
vineyards he farms. Blended with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for 22 months in 74%
new French oak, the wine offers rich, expressive notes of mulberry and thyme, dark
chocolate dusted with black sea salt, and nuances of underbrush and deep forest redwood
that unfurl on the ever-lingering finish. A powerful, structured Merlot that remains
remarkably approachable—and more than capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with
the best in the world.

The W.S. Keyes Vineyard is one of the last remaining Chardonnay blocks on Howell
Mountain. Approximately 30% of the fruit is sent directly to press, then to barrels, where it
undergoes native fermentation. The remainder is fermented with sweet lees and divided
between barrels and 130-gallon new French oak puncheons, with the rest aged in used
barrels. The wine undergoes 22 months of lees stirring but does not undergo malolactic
fermentation, and in the end, only 12% of the oak is new. Winemaker Chris Carpenter notes
that he picks around 21.5° Brix to preserve the character of orchard and underripe orchard
fruit, rather than veering into tropical tones. The resulting wine is light, bright, and pure,
with delicate aromas of orchard fruit and white flowers. On the palate, it expands with mid-
palate richness and deeper, baked orchard fruit notes, a subtle honeyed depth, and
impressive saline-acid tension that builds into a finish with length that lasts for days

Winemaker Chris Carpenter believes the energy of mountain sunlight and the right balance
of soils around Napa create ideal conditions for Merlot with depth and structure. He layers
in a small amount of Petit Verdot for its savouriness and backbone of tannin to
complement the luscious character of Merlot fruit. Grapes are sourced from the Keyes and
La Jota estate vineyards. Fermentation occurs in open-top stainless steel tanks, utilising
native yeasts, with pump-overs and basket pressing. Carpenter personally tastes every
basket press cut to make precise decisions. The wine is then aged for 22 months in 60%
new French oak. The result is a medium- to full-bodied wine with impressive density and
lift. Aromatics are striking—red berry and mulberry fruit layered with graphite minerality,
rose petal, and wild herb notes that carry through to the palate. The tannins are finely
woven, plush yet firm, giving the wine forward momentum. It’s brimming with energy and
finishes with a mineral tension reminiscent of spring water—quite a showing in 2022.

Planted on a cool, south-facing slope in Tarrawarra. Barrel fermented and matured in puncheons and barriques (27% new). A bright green gold. Seductive with its bouquet of fuzzy peach skins, apricot, lemon oil and a hint of fresh vanilla bean. Opulent and creamily textured, with a fine vein of acidity running through the wine that gives it both structure and length. Very long and very yum to drink now and in the short to medium term.

From the Sexton vineyard in Gruyere planted in the late '90s. 100% destemmed. A deep crimson ruby. Aromas of ripe dark raspberries, blackcurrant pastilles (these were always my favourite) and even a little kirsch. A touch of rose bush. The palate is juicy and fleshy and the wine's ripe, plush tannins make this, along with the Primavera, the richest, meatiest and most immediate of the four single-vineyard pinots in '24. Having said this, you'd be happy if you found some laying around the cellar in eight or so years.

No whole bunches and only MV6 from a south-facing slope at 400m, which has worked well in this warm year. A touch closed, this didn't need too long to open up, revealing a complex array of aromas including pure red cherry, sarsaparilla and spices such as clove and cardamom. Tightly wound, this is driven as much by the wine's very bright acidity as its superfine tannins. Give this some air and drink now or watch it slowly unfurl over time.

Applejack vineyard was planted at Gladysdale by Ray Guerin in '97, and only 2ha of its 11ha are planted to chardonnay. Fermented and matured in both puncheons and ceramic eggs (30%). This is all about purity and precision with its aromas of white stone fruits, crushed rocks and a little white nougat. The palate is, as you'd expect, tightly coiled, waiting to unwind. Saline and long. Along with the Bastard Hill, this will need some time to become more open and expressive.

Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard flies out with powerful notes of Morello cherries, black raspberries, and rose oil, opening out to hints of crushed rocks and cumin seed with a waft of cedar. The medium to full-bodied palate shimmers with vibrant red berry and minerally flavors, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing with a real skip in its step.

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2023 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is a little shy to start off with gentle notes of lilacs and iron ore soon giving way to a core of kirsch and wild strawberries, plus suggestions of dusty soil and cinnamon stick. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers grainy tannins and seamless freshness to support the savory laced red berry flavors, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.

Pale lemon-gold color, the 2014 Far Coast Vineyard Blanc de Blancs rolls out with classic
toasty/yeasty notes, giving way to a core of yellow apples, allspice, kumquat, and lemon meringue
pie, with gentle wafts of wet pebbles and salted almonds. The palate delivers wonderful tension
with delicate citrus and orchard fruit flavors and super-fine bubbles, finishing with long lingering
mineral and citrus zest layers. This was disgorged in August 2024. It has 0.2 grams per liter of
dosage—almost nothing. Only 90 cases were made

The 2023 Fog Dance Vineyard Pinot Noir is medium ruby-purple colored. Notes of black cherries,
black raspberries, and pomegranate come bounding out, leading to hints of blood orange and
cardamom. The medium to full-bodied palate has a solid backbone of fine-grained tannins and a
refreshing line supporting the red and black berry layers, finishing long and fruity. 316 cases were
made.

The 2023 Fog Dance Vineyard Chardonnay waltzes in with showy notes of honeysuckle, candied ginger, and honeydew melon, leading to hints of apple pie and cashew butter. The medium to fullbodied palate delivers a decadent oiliness to the texture with concentrated orchard fruit layers and beautifully knit acidity, finishing long with a spicy kick. 212 cases were made.

The 2022 Lokoya Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, all from the Keyes Vineyard, is a massively concentrated, full-bodied effort that delivers a complex array of red, black, and blue fruits alongside iron, foresty notes, and sage nuances. This gorgeous wine boasts tremendous mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and a remarkable sense of richness while staying balanced and elegant. Aged 22 months in 89% new French oak, it's a powerful, mountain-grown Cabernet that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve gracefully for two decades or more

The exceptional 2022 Merlot Skysill Vineyard is made from one block of Merlot and is a structural, grippy wine that softens on the finish. Complex layers of full bodied red fruit and earth take on a meaty density with plenty of muscle and the potential to age 12–15 years.

A beautiful debut, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is softly layered, elegant, and structured, coming predominantly from the region’s Quintessence Vineyard. Crisp red fruit is seasoned in dried sage, the firm tannins framing the wine enough to match the powerful spice and wood notes from 20 months of French oak aging, 58% new. While showing impressive finesse, the volume of the wine is full bodied and generous, coating a long, lengthy finish. This is a good one to hold in the cellar and enjoy 2030–2035.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyard is a youthful ruby color and is spicy and bright with notes of wild raspberries, fresh wildflowers, salty earth, hints of anise, and dark stones. The palate is focused, balanced, and even, with a stony texture and fresh acidity, its more savory and smoky incense notes lasting on the finish. Drink 2026-2040.

An inky dark red color, the 2021 Helena Montana Vineyard is entirely composed of Cabernet Sauvignon from this more coastally influenced site and was aged for 15 months in 85% new French oak. The nose is lush with aromas of graphite, polished leather, fresh plums, sweet tobacco, and lavender. Full-bodied and refined, it boasts a velvety texture, with a long finish and an incredible structure that will make this wine truly shine over the long haul. Give this another year or two in the bottle, though it will drink beautifully and continue to improve over the next several years. Drink: 2027-2047. 990 cases were produced.

The Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet comes from Phinny and the Andrews Family sites, including the 16 block used in the Trothe Cabernet. Gorgeous structure that is classically from the appellation, with fine tannins and firm minerality that buoy the brilliant black fruits. Silken black fruits, whisps of dark chocolate and even dried mint leaves.

The 2022 release of Yangarra’s top Shiraz states its position and makes you listen to it. A brooding iodine and, dare I say, ‘iron-like’ minerality sits deep and restrained first off before an unfurling of charred herbs, woodsmoke, nutmeg, cassia bark and a glimmer of menthol. Black cherry, blackberry pastille and damson plum make an appearance following some aeration, alongside earth, gentle mocha, clove and dark chocolate. This has a dramatic sensibility – it’s deep and dark with excellent restraint and control. The palate runs a dichotomy of a cooling, ferrous mineral feel alongside dark, febrile power. It strides through the mouth with unabated assurance and lashings of dark cherry, mocha, earth, dark chocolate, blackberry, cassia and dried herbs. The tannins are vertical, stacked and grainy providing a funnel for the complex power to coil within. There’s seemingly endless length to this wine. It’s powerful and of course youthful, but any risk of heftiness is cut up and lifted by mineral detail and pulled into focus and precision by architectural structure. All of this paired with kaleidoscopic complexity makes for a wine of incontrovertible brilliance.

100% Grenache taken from Block 30 – 2 hectares planted in 1946 and adjacent to the Highs Sands block. Another McLaren Vale Grenache that elicits excitement for the grape and place. This is impressive in its balance of brightness and perfume while still wonderfully cerebral and complex. Lifted aromas of sweet raspberry compote, macerated strawberry and red liquorice lead before a cut of white pepper spice acts as a savoury foil. Very pretty and seductively perfumed. There’s a warm sand note beneath which is a common note of high quality modern day McLaren Vale Grenache (almost too obvious a note given the sandy soils) some dried garrigue adding further savouriness, dried cranberry, black tea. There’s a distinct river stone minerality shooting through its centre, too. This is very pretty, though not at the expense of immense depth and intrigue. The palate is racy, mineral, cool and lifted with pretty pops of raspberry, red apple flesh, cranberry, and red rose crunched within a vein of powder-coated tannins and fresh acidity with the sand and dried herb notes lingering beneath. The finish is long and crunchy with red apple skin tension and red liquorice appeal. An ethereal Ovitelli Grenache from the cool 2023 vintage.

Sourced from Block 12 (2.3 Ha) which sits on a south-east facing, ironstone sandy outcrop. There’s a compelling nutty and woody spice complexity straight out of the gate with hazelnut, cassia bark, pine needle and softly sweet clove emanating to draw you in. A good swirl of the glass reveals a subtly charry and ashy note along with tilled earth and paperbark. It’s all about savouriness over fruit to begin with, in part thanks to a sheath of reduction, but some fruit notes do appear in the form of blackberry pastille and blood plum with herb-crusted meat, freshly roasted coffee beans and gentle dark chocolate adding to the show. The palate follows suit in its savoury aesthetic highlighting mocha, dried herbs, meat and iodine over black cherry, blackberry and subtle pops of blueberry with a lifted and iodine-mineral feel. All of this before an assertion of fine-but-firm tannins frame it through a mocha-laced finish with cassia bark permeating the mouth perfume. There’s a lifted and mineral feel to the palate, it glides along without a hint of weightiness. Another class act.

Aged 15 months in neutral French Oak, this pure and polished red shows noble structure, with finely-chisled tannins and fresh-cut aciditiy filling the velvety and textural mouthfeel. Refined blackberry and blueberry fruit glide across the finish with nuances of crushed pebble, bacon, olive, dried lavender spice and dark plum, each fontrbituing to the voerall elegance and elevated stature. A standout version from the Walla Walla Valley.

Ethereal in structure, there's sensational concentration of fruit without being overly weighty in the least. Energetic red and black fruit take center stage, with beautifully rendered black cherry, blackberry and dark plum nuanced with sophisticated cedar and graphite. Along the way, there's a tinge of iron bay lead, and lively flecks of savory spice that become entrenched among grippy, powdery tannins surrounding the sleek finish, Delicious now, built for the celler.