Prior to 2018, the Chardonnay never underwent malolactic fermentation, but winemaker Kristy Melton introduced the technique to add roundness. The result in 2020 is a lovely wine with a bright nose of citrus kissed by oak. Melton has also upped the percentage of new oak, from between 15%-25% to 40%-45%, and it is evident (though not overpowering) in splashes of coconut and crème brûlée. Fresh lime and rich tropical fruit underscore a saline mid-palate and sweet oak spices round out the finish.

This pale gold colored Chardonnay opens with a mild lemon verbena and vanilla bouquet with hints of florals pineapple, and dill. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, soft, oily, and gentle. The flavor profile is a white peach, saline, and chalky minerality blend with notes of subtle oak. We also detected hints of honeydew melon, kiwi, and almond. The finish is dry and its flavors fade away nicely. The Tasting Panel would pair Chard with poached sea bass or with an asparagus risotto.

A bit of clarity in labelling. You don’t have to declare grape ingredients below 15% on a label under Australian wine rules but here it’s noted there’s 8.5% Central Otago Pinot Noir as well as the majority Yarra Valley. Kudos for rigour. Sort of apposite to the last Fairbank post as the winemaker has made the move from there to here. Doubly so as both wines that seem to be honest, no fiddling expressions of grapes, season and place. Perhaps this hasn’t the weight and charm of that lovely 2015 vintage. Here there’s mint, a lick of Oz forest, sappy stems and wild strawberries. Some lifted perfume, almost incense or joss stick like. Darker fruit emerges. Just enough flavour to buffer the slightly green stem and acid structure which dries things up enough to warrant another sip or bite of food. Must say I do enjoy Yarra Pinot when it’s young and fresh. Maybe with a bit of Otago richness too? Again a good drink not trying too hard to impress.

This deep gold colored Chardonnay opens with a new oak and Bosc pear bouquet with hints of toasted coconut, butter cream, brioche, and gentle florals. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with integrated acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, delicate, and creamy. The flavor profile is a gentle pineapple and chalky minerality blend with notes of oak and Anjou pear. We also detected some hints of lemon and peach pit. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. The Tasting Panel would pair this versatile Chard with coquille St. Jacques.

A steal for the price, this is zin in a rich and round mode, with a scent of warm, bursting berries in the sun and briar in the background. The flavors are generous and plenty grippy, just as you'd want them for barbecued ribs.

With a subtle nose of camomile, white peach and wet stones, this is smooth and creamy with bright acidity. Delicate, nuanced, with just a hint of saline minerality on the long finish. Smart stuff.

This strikes a balance between ripe, generous flavors and a thread of savory elements, with lanolin, toasted sesame and sea salt details to the core of lemon curd, mango and peach flavors. A note of nutmeg lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2032.

Soft approachable style. Raspberry and ripe strawberry, some mint and spice, a light sappiness, all sweet spiced strawberry, balanced acidity, gentle powdery tannins on a cool mint/red fruited finish of solid length. Affable, easy going, and good drinking. Kind of Pinot 101, but in a nice sort of way.

Aromas of ripe strawberry, raspberry and a hint of sage. Medium-bodied with earthy and mineral undertones. Red-fruited and lightly savory. Drink now.

A savory pinot, showing dark raspberries and earthy berries, orange peel and hints of mushrooms and walnuts. A juicy, medium-bodied pinot with juicy fruit and a smooth, supple mouth-feel. Drink now.

Peach pits, apricots, butter, milk and broad beans on the nose. Full-bodied with a round, creamy and leesy palate, with lingering yoghurt and milk character. Drink now.

The 2019 Malbec Mt. Veeder features almost candied blackberries and black cherries on the nose, yet there's also a loam-like earthiness to steer the wine toward savory. Medium to full-bodied, with a silky texture, this bottling isn't that long or complex, but it offers something a bit different and fun.

La Jota's 2019 Merlot Howell Mountain includes 11% Petit Verdot and 7% Tannat. It boasts plummy black cherries and hints of herbs on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied and silky but not that deep or rich. Supple and charming yet not unstructured, this mouthwatering Merlot may be enjoyed on the young side, but it should drink well through at least 2030.

There are an impressive 20,000 cases of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Merlot, 2% each Malbec and Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 40% new oak. About half of the fruit is sourced from estate (organically grown) vineyards, while the balance is purchased. Lovely herb-inflected cassis and hints of ripe cherries appear on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, but with some substance and concentration, finishing with soft, dusty tannins. Good concentration, balance, length.

This is an ethereal, earthy and cool-climate red, burly in tannin and power, with lasting notes of rose petal, black tea and forest.

A spicy, warm layer of oaky vanilla and cinnamon wraps the ripe blackcherry and blackberry flavors in this expansive, full-bodied wine. It is big in mouthfeel, coating the palate with a chocolaty richness.

This generous, nicely oaky wine offers abundant, ripe fruit flavors and classy spice notes of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Delicious red and black cherries mingle with the oak on a full body bolstered by moderate tannins.

Clean, crisp and restrained on the nose, this bottling offers apple-flesh and lemon-peel aromas on the nose. The palate is all about the grippy texture, with that citrus-sprayed pome-fruit flavor arising in the mid-palate.

Elegant aromas of dried lemon peel, nectarine and wet stone make for a complex nose on this bottling from a rocky appellation. Crushed stone comes through on the palate, lifted by splashes of
lemon juice.

Brioche aromas lead the way on the nose of this bottling, which also offers ripe pear and drizzles of honey. The single-vineyard expression is more subtle on the sip, with lemon-glaze, baked peach and warm oak flavors achieving a restrained balance.

Savoury nose with bramble, clove and a tick of cigar box. Classy on the palate, with refined tannins and a lengthy finish.

Floral nose of violets, smoky notes and ripe blackberry with hints of leather. It combines ripeness with elegance on the palate.

Rich and ripe aromas of blackcurrant and baking spices. Good drive and energy, with tight tannins and long savoury finish.

An elegant and restrained style with blackcurrant, even redcurrant, fresh acid and supple tannins. The finish is long with vanilla and savoury notes.

Lovely aromas of savoury fruit, ripe blueberries, vanilla and green bell pepper notes. Great energy and poise in the mouth.