The 2025 Chardonnay Dakél was aged for 10 months in oak barrels (around 25% new) and tasted shortly after bottling. It opens with a tropical profile of banana and a light lactic note over a backdrop of fine oak, caramel, flan, vanilla and a faint floral touch. The palate is creamy, with good freshness and breadth, combining richness with a bright, energetic finish.

The 2024 Chardonnay Dakél from Portecillo, Quirihue, Itata was aged for 11 months in French oak barrels, 28% new. It shows an expressive nose of cedar, soft vanilla, fresh pear, a hint of pineapple, a light floral note and a touch of flint. Oak leads aromatically, but the fruit defines the profile. The palate is broad and fresh, with a creamy, slightly oily texture and good overall expression. This is a Chardonnay with a Californian profile, yet with a fresher, more Burgundian core. Here, the vineyard's proximity to the Pacific, just 20 km away, plays a key role.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Dakél, from coastal Coelemu in Itata, was fermented and aged in barrel. This is elegant and fruit-driven, with precise aromas of cherry, sour cherry, rose and a hint of sandalwood. Energetic and refined, it balances freshness with finesse. This is a modern expression of Pinot Noir from Itata.

This wine smells like a combination of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Supple aromas of yellow and red apple, pear, plum, blood orange, coriander, allspice, toasty oak, and sedimentary rock waft on the nose. The flavors on the palate are strawberry, yellow plum, orange zest, citrus, mineral, and acidity on the finish. Drink now or cellar until 2030.

Chewy and ripe as Lassegue does so well but this is restrained and full of juicy red and black fruits that give lift and energy. Feels well made, certainly full of structure and concentration, this is not a weak wine, but feels precise and finessed despite clear power. Excellent winemaking, full, fun, still layered with lots of potential for ageing. I like it because it’s not trying so hard and seems to have taken the foot off the pedal in this vintage and is all the better for it! Excellent.

Intense and expressive, with wonderful purity to the crunchy star fruit, pomelo, kumquat, tangerine and lemon sorbet flavors. Details of fresh ginger, lemon zest and lemon verbena, plus a hint of sea salt minerality, linger on the sleek, mouthwatering frame, with extra torque on the finish. Drink now through 2039.—M.W.

Perfumed and spicy, showing aromas of wild blackberries, licorice, olive brine, boysenberries, bresaola and dark chocolate. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with finely tuned tannins and generous texture, leading into a saline-edged finish full of purity and freshness. Lovely lift beneath the dark fruit. Drink or hold. Screw ca

Yangarra's celebrated winemaker, the late Pete Fraser, believed the best Grenache was made in the coolest years. This reviewer heartily agrees. 2023 was one of those years, and this ceramic egg-aged wine is shining. A pale cherry hue, juicy freshness abounds with succulent red fruit, peppery spice and a mineral core, gliding along on a silky mid-weight palate and structured with fine, cat's tongue tannins. True to its nickname as the “Pinot of the South”, this has all the brightness and elegance you could ask for in South Aussie Grenache, with the complexity to age gracefully for another decade.

Raspberry cordial and damson plum are flecked in a peppery spice. There's a hoisin note behind that; a whisper of something more stony and mineral. As it opens, layers of earthy, peppery herbs and spice unfurl from the glass. It's silky and harmonious on the palate, the core of red fruit ensconced in fine, powdery tannins, with lovely freshness. It's a classy drop now, but could age gracefully for another decade at least.

A creamy, elegant expression, offering maraschino cherry, marionberry and fresh raspberry puree flavors highlighted by Saigon cinnamon, star anise and red licorice accents, with a hint of white chocolate, plus whiffs of fresh, loamy earth and white pepper. Shows plenty of intensity on the long, driven finish. Drink now through 2040.—M.W.

Hints of celery seed, Himalayan salt and grilled lemon are at the core, expanding into elements of sencha, apricot, peach and white raspberry that are generous, expansive and focused. Its sleek body and complexity leave an impression on the finish, where further notes of lemongrass and vetiver linger. Drink now through 2039.—M.W.

A new label that combines fruit from all single vineyard sites. It’s tightly wound—even a tad austere—but there’s depth and expression of all sites, while also walking to its own distinctive beat. Waxy lemon and seashells accompany a creamier, more textural palate. A through line of bright, oh-so-Yarra Valley acidity shines. This should age beautifully—likely for several decades—but it’s a classy, food friendly drop now with aeration in glass or decanter first.

Medium ruby with a crystalline purple rim. Fragrant and lifted nose showing mixed red fruit with dried rose petal and sage notes. The palate is bright and lively, acidity lifting the red fruit early then fading, allowing anise, cinnamon and clove spice to build complexity. Tannins have enough grip to provide tension into the back palate and it all finishes with style and grace at the long end.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Côte Bannie is a more transparent pale red color with a bit of stem inclusion, revealing fresh redcurrants, cranberries, cinnamon, wildflowers, and spiced strawberries. Medium-bodied, it has refined tannins, floating length, and savory, saline freshness on the finish. It’s highly appealing already but capable of another 15 years in bottle.

Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard Inky black/purple, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota is more brooding in personality with graphite, forest earth, black tea, black plum, blackcurrants, fresh blueberries, and resonant energy throughout. Full-bodied and fleshy, it has the most complete feel in the range, with refreshing acidity and sneaky grip on the finish despite the challenges of the vintage. A clear winner in the lineup for me, drink it over the coming 10-15 years. Drink 2026- 2038.

Medium ruby with a crystalline purple rim. Fragrant and lifted nose showing mixed red fruit with dried rose petal and sage notes. The palate is bright and lively, acidity lifting the red fruit early then fading, allowing anise, cinnamon and clove spice to build complexity. Tannins have enough grip to provide tension into the back palate and it all finishes with style and grace at the long end. 09 Jun 2026

The 2022 Maggy Hawk Edmeades Vineyard Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley spent 10 months in 100% neutral French oak 500L puncheons and captures a precise, crystalline expression of its cool-climate site. Crafted from heritage clones, including Calera, and incorporating 50% whole-cluster fermentation, this wine radiates purity and depth. The nose unfolds with aromas of red currant, wild strawberry, and rose petal interlaced with hints of white pepper, damp earth, and pine resin. On the palate, it glides with effortless grace, delivering flavors of tart cherryvand blood orange, underscored by fine, chalky tannins that lend quiet tension. Subtle herbal tones and mineral undertones emerge as the wine opens, revealing a delicate interplay between fruit and savory nuance. A little over 200 cases were made.

The 2022 Maggy Hawk Jolie Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley spent 16 months in 19% new French oak and beautifully captures the vineyard’s graceful, high-toned personality. Sourced from the 58-acre estate planted to five Pinot Noir clones, this cuvée shines with finesse and clarity. Aromas of crushed raspberry, Bing cherry, and wild rose petals mingle with notes of citrus zest, tea leaf, and a hint of mossy earth. The palate is bright and finely detailed, balancing tension and delicacy through its vibrant acidity and supple texture. Flavors of blood orange and cranberry unfold across a silky frame, giving way to lingering impressions of dried herbs and wet stone. Elegant and lifted, it speaks of cool coastal breezes and forest edges rather than overt power. The finish hums with freshness, tapering slowly. 336 cases were made.

The 2023 Gran Moraine ‘Telluric’ Pinot Noir utilizes clones 4, 667 and 777 Pinot Noir. Aged in mainly new French oak (66%) for 10 months, this delivers citrus blossom and bright guava fruits on the nose alongside rocky soils. The palate is lush and refined with terrific weight, mouthfeel and salty minerality. Drink 2026-2042

Spice, pepper and charred meat
aromas lead to lavender, blackberry
and graphite flavors on the palate.
Full-bodied, moderately tannic and
appetizingly bitter, with great acidity
and a lingering finish. Drink now or
hold

A pretty, charming, perfumed wine
that feels light and bright yet with a
full body. Red cherry, cranberry,
cinnamon, red pepper and floral
flavors with brilliant acidity. Turns
mellow and smooth in the finish. So
good and fresh. Drink now.

A fresh wine with aromas of black
tea and red cherries, offering vivid
acidity, light tannins and a vibrant
mouthfeel. Subtle cinnamon, red
pepper, cranberry and cedar
notes. Drink now.

Lively, full and fruity, offering
subtle butter and oak spice flavors
that build on the palate. Poached
pears, crisp apples, cinnamon and
vanilla bean. Great balance and a
lingering finish. Drink now.

The Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend drawn from three vineyards, including Sycamore and Bosché, and is aged for 19 months in 49% new French oak. It is an excellent steakhouse wine for those who do not want to stretch to the single-vineyard bottlings. The wine builds beautifully in the glass with blue-, black-, and red-fruited notes, alongside wonderfully fragrant, unsweetened cocoa powder, scorched loamy earth, deep forest spice, and hints of olive tapenade. Full-bodied and super-expressive on the palate, it delivers inky dark fruit and deep concentration while remaining light on its feet, impressively suave, and long. Very complex and flavourful in this vintage, with classic Rutherford ‘dust’ hallmarks clearly expressed through ultra-refined tannins.