Rating: 96 points

There are three separate bottling from the Adrianna vineyard, one of them the 2013 Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae, sourced from the part of the vineyard with slightly deeper soils (we're talking only about 70 centimeters here!) that has limestone underneath, is flatter and provides very aromatic, slightly lighter wines, more feminine if you like. It's very floral, gentle, with fine tannins with a good structure based on a combination with superb acidity. This is also lighter colored, the more Pinot of the three. Some 3,000 bottles were filled in December 2015.

Rating: 96 points

The 2014 Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae is from slightly deeper soils of the Adrianna vineyard in Gualtallary at 1,340 meters in altitude, and it is the "less" expensive of the three Adrianna bottlings. All of these wines ferment in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels and are aged in French barrels for 24 months. This is the one with more exuberant and floral aromas, open and showy within the austere style of the vineyard and the year. This is also the more open of the three. The palate reveals a silky texture with very fine tannins and great freshness. 6,000 bottles produced. it was bottled in July 2016.

Rating: 98 points

There are three separate bottlings from the Adrianna vineyard, one of them the 2013 Adrianna Vineyard River Stones, sourced from the stonier part, close to the dry river, the equivalent to the White Stones white, with a north-facing exposure, the warmer exposure, which in cooler years like 2013 works nicely. This has the combination of power and elegance, of flowers and fruit, minerality and spice, precise, focused, harmonious, all about finesse. This seems to be the one that worked better with the cool year. 2,000 bottles produced. I was shown some 20+ wines blind while visiting the Catena Institute and I could immediately find this wine even if I had only tasted it a couple of times before. Such is the strong personality of this wine...

Rating: 98 points

The 2014 Adrianna Vineyard River Stones is the second vintage of the Malbec from the stonier part of the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary that is next to a dry river bed (the vineyard has 110 hectares that were planted in 1994). It fermented in open-top 500-liter oak barrels with full clusters. It was pressed before the end of fermentation, and it then finished fermenting without skins (like a white) and matured in 1,800-liter oak foudre for 18 months. It's a compact, super serious Malbec with concentration and power, great balance, abundant tannins, strong minerality, firm texture, great austerity and no concessions for sweetness whatsoever. It has all that it takes to develop for a long time in bottle. 5,400 bottles were filled in July 2016.

Rating: 96 points

I had two vintages to taste from the two whites from Adrianna Vineyard, which provided a fascinating comparison. Like all the rest, the 2015 White Bones Chardonnay had a long fermentation with wild yeasts and aged in French barriques for some 12 to 16 months, depending on the lot. It's fascinating to compare this with the 2016 and with both years from the White Stones. This is the more exuberant, open, aromatic and balsamic of the four wines, while it is still very young and fresh. The palate is also very expressive and combines power with elegance and freshness. It's long, tasty and mineral, with a salty finish. 4,500 bottles were filled in July 2016.

Rating: 99 points

Usually my favorite in many vintages, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is the most backward of the 2014s and actually seems to require 4-5 years of bottle age. The wine has the telltale signs of Mt. Veeder – blackberry and blueberry fruit infused with considerable floral nuances. This wine has all that, then hits the palate with a cascade of glycerin, fruit extraction, and layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is full-bodied and opulent, but finishes with some structure and ripe tannin. This is a magnificent wine – full-throttle, extremely pure, and incredibly well-balanced. Give it 5-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades.

Rating: 96 points

The iconic 2012 Proprietary Red Opus One is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot and 2% Malbec aged 18 months in French oak. A classy, complex, suave and savory 2012 Opus One, with notes of toasty oak and crème de cassis. This Pauillac lookalike, made by the staff at Mouton Rothschild, is a beauty. They have continued to strengthen the quality of wine and seem to have produced a brilliant, world-class wine. I imagine the 2013 may even eclipse this, but this 2012 is one of their great ones, with a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood all present in this beautiful, full-bodied wine that should drink well for 25-30 years.

Rating: 97+ points

The 2013 Opus One, a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, is a beauty. Velvety textured, without a had edge to be found, notes of crème de cassis, blueberry, subtle wood and floral notes gently rise from the wine’s dense purple color. Beautifully full-bodied and extraordinarily elegant and pure, this is certainly one of their great achievements over the last 37 years. The wine has an exquisite finish and can be drunk now or cellared for 25-30 years.

Rating: 98 points

The 1995 Clos d'Ambonnay has only recently become expressive. It emerges from the glass with endless layers of fruit, vibrant minerality and a big, building finish. The 1995 is a riper, more generous Ambonnay than the 1996. It will be fascinating to follow both vintages over the coming years and decades.

Rating: 97+ points

Aromas of clear honey, crisp green orchard fruit, white peach, pastry cream and dried white flowers introduce the 2012 Cristal, a full-bodied, concentrated and powerful wine that's built for the cellar. Broader, more textural and more muscular than the 2008 Cristal, with seemingly even greater reserves of structuring dry extract, the 2012 is incisive and searingly chalky. This is the first Cristal produced exclusively from organically farmed fruit, and it marks the opening of a new chapter for Louis Roderer. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, vinified without malolactic fermentation and disgorged with 7.5 grams per liter dosage. Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon has once again excelled himself.

Rating: 100 points

The fitting capstone to what was a terrific vintage for Clarendon Hills, the 2015 Astralis Syrah is destined to become a McLaren Vale legend. Remarkably precise, complex and pristine aromas of anise, pepper, mint and blueberries lead the way. Theyre followed by a full-bodied yet impeccably ripe palate thats dense and concentrated yet supple, leading into a velvety, nearly endless finish. Wow.

Rating: 97+ points

Not to be made every year, the debut vintage of the 2012 Vanya is a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Petit Verdot. Only 4,500 bottles of this wine were made. It spent 19 months in 50% new oak and possesses a deep garnet-purple color with a savory, yeasty and meaty nose redolent of red and black plums, cassis and cigar box, and a spicy undercurrent of lavender, bay leaf and rust. This multi-layered, taut, intensely flavored wine is beautifully elegant in the mouth, with incredibly ripe flavors and with silky tannins. It should cellar for 20-30 years or more. Vanya Cullen has so many new and exciting projects going on at her winery, I could have happily spent a week or more in her sagely company instead of my requisite three hours. 100% Biodynamic since 2004, Vanya makes no secret of her passion for purity and sustainability. Readers will note that I refrained from using the term "natural" here as this has sadly become something of a dirty word of late and it would be wrong for anyone to unassumingly tar this conscientious winery at the pinnacle of quality with the same brush. This said, Vanya has created a brand new orange wine (as in a white wine produced from extended skin maceration to such an extent that the phenolics oxidize, producing an orange color). I don't say this about many orange wines but "Amber" is very good indeed and well worth checking out. Vanya has also produced Fruit and Flower day harvested barrels of the 2014 "Legacy Series" Kevin John Chardonnay, which yield some evocative and, dare I say, pretty convincing differences for all the biodynamic unbelievers (see my tasting notes). Interestingly, Cullen Wines even uses biodynamic barrels, which means the wood is harvested only on fruit and flower days. When I raised my eyebrows about this, Vanya insisted that Tonnelierie Bordelais produce a certificate of authenticity for these barrels. Hmmm. Anyway, back to what's in the glass, the other major vinous treat for me was a preview of the new "Vanya" Cabernet Sauvignon label, which pushes the already high Margaret River Cabernet bar up just that much higher.

Rating: 97 points

Elderton

Rating: 97 points

Medium brick in color, the 1990 Hill of Grace has a very pretty core of cherry cordial, violets, dried roses, cinnamon stick, anise and a whiff of pepper. Medium-bodied, it has great generosity in the mouth balanced by a nice acid line and a medium level of velvety tannins through the long finish. This one still has loads of life and should easily drink through 2025+.

Rating: 97 points

Deep brown-brick in color, the 1991 Hill of Grace offers intensely scented notes of warm black fruits, Chinese dried plums, dark chocolate-covered cherries and licorice. It is very pure, full-bodied and rich in the mouth, with profound and seductive flavors, a great backbone of crisp acid and firm, finely-grained tannins through the long finish. It is mature now but no rush to drink.

Rating: 97 points

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2006 Hill of Grace has some oak poking through the red and blue fruit aromas, with underlying toast, marmite and sage hints. Medium to full-bodied, it is a very tight knit and youthful wine with crisp acid, medium to firm, finely grained tannins and a long finish. Drink it 2014 to 2030+.

Rating: 96 points

According to Stephen Henschke, the 2008 Hill of Grace Shiraz was among the earlier picks that vintage, avoiding the worst of the heatwave that followed. It was never the most elegant or perfumed vintage, but its rich and creamy, loaded with mocha and blackberry flavors. Full-bodied and intense, it remains rather big and muscular, with a slightly coarse but tremendously long finish. It could go another 20 years in a cool cellar.

Rating: 99 points

Medium garnet in color, the 2010 Shiraz Hill of Grace reveals a slightly reticent yet beguiling nose of kirsch, dried mulberries and plum preserves with nuances of star anise, potpourri, cloves, dusty earth and menthol. Medium to full-bodied with youthfully taut, mouth-filling perfumed berry preserves and exotic spice flavors, the fruit is well framed by rounded, polished tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredible length. It could still benefit from 2-4 years in bottle before entering its drinking window but is already stunning.

Rating: 96 points

The Clos Otto fruit is sourced from a small, eastern-facing block within the Hentley Farm estate. Matured for 22 months in a combination of new (90%) and old French barrels, 2009 “Clos Otto” Shiraz has a very deep purple-black color and aromas of macerated blackberries, mulberries and creme de cassis over allspice, vanilla, milk chocolate, toast and hung meat. Concentrated and richly fruited in the mouth, it has a solid structure of firm, finely grained tannins and crisp acid with a long finish of spice and dark fruit layers. Approachable now, it should drink best 2013-2025+.

Rating: 96 points

One of Margaret Rivers (and Australias) iconic Chardonnays, Leeuwins 2014 Art Series Chardonnay continues that proud tradition. Never shy on toasty, nutty oak or bold fruit, the 2014 features both seamlessly woven together in perhaps greater harmony than in past vintages. Hints of white peach, Bosc pear and citrus appear on the medium-bodied palate and linger on the elegant, finely textured finish.

Rating: 99 points

This was a particularly great bottle of 1962 Penfolds Bin 60A, a wine I've had the privilege to taste twice before. The nose is ethereal, perfumed with exotic spices, potpourri, frankincense, rose hip tea, tobacco, leather and smoked game with a remaining whiff of kirsch. Delicate in style and yet richly fruited in the mouth, it offers layer upon layer of spice, tea and dried fruit flavors with a very long finish textured by the faintest suggestion of lingering silky tannins.

Rating: 99+ points

The release of the 2004 Bin 60A following the epic 1962 Bin 60A is old news now, but the wine was looking very fine indeed when I tasted it so I thought Id add a note. Blended of 56% Coonawarra Cabernet from Block 20 and 44% Barossa Shiraz from Koonunga Hill Block 56G and Kalimna Blocks 4 and 14, the wine was matured in 100% new American oak hogsheads for 13 months. Very deep purple-black in color, it offers restrained notes of game, smoked meat, earth, blackberry and black currant liqueurs, yeast, marmite-toast plus whiffs of dried lavender, cedar and bark. Very crisp, very tight and very firm, this taut medium-bodied wine is still all structure at this stage, going very long and earthy in the finish. Give it time and consider broaching it from 2014. It should drink well into the 2030s if not beyond.

Rating: 97 points

Its not known exactly when the Kalimna Block 42 was planted but there are suggestions that the vines existed during the latter part of the 19th Century. They could be the oldest Cabernet vines in the world, although the famous Metala Cabernet vineyard in Langhorne Creek was known to have been planted in 1891 so could very well pre-date Kalimna. Regardless, Ive been there and the vines are truly old. Only very rarely does Penfolds release this as a single vineyard wine, when the Cabernet is so fabulous it cant possibly be blended. The 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon was such a vintage. Matured in 100% new American hogsheads for 13 months, it displays a very deep garnet-purple color and profoundly earthy / gamey aromas over black cherry preserves, creme de cassis plus scents of leather, pencil shavings, Mediterranean herbs, black truffles, underbrush and black olives. The elegant, medium-bodied palate is tightly-knit and led by structure with a high level of grainy tannins, very high acid and a long earthy finish. Approachable now, it should continue to evolve and drink to 2025+.

Rating: 98+ points

A wine that flirts with perfection, and should rival the 1986 as one of the legendary Granges produced, the 1998 has one of the highest alcohol contents (nearly 15%) as well as one of the highest percentages of Shiraz in the blend (97%). Its stunning purple color is accompanied by exceptionally sweet aromas of blackberry liqueur intermixed with barbecue spices, an endearing, smoky earthiness, pepper, roasted meats, and coffee. Huge, massive, unctuously textured, and extraordinarily youthful, this impressive wine is a candidate for perfection. It should continue to evolve over the next three decades.

Rating: 98+ points

It is always a treat to taste Australias most famous wine, Penfolds Grange cuvee (the word Hermitage has been dropped because of legal issues). The 2001 Grange is one of the few vintages of this cuvee to be composed of 100% Shiraz (the others being 1951, 1952, 1963, 1999, and 2000). Aged 17 months in 100% American oak, and tipping the scales at 14.5% alcohol, the 2001 is undeniably one of the top examples of this wine. At this stage, it appears to eclipse the 1998 and 1996. Inky/blue/purple to the rim, with a stunning perfume of blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, graphite, and earth, it boasts good acidity, huge tannins, magnificent concentration, and a multilayered, textured mouthfeel. It is a big, but impeccably well-balanced Shiraz that should shed some of its structure and tannin over the next 4-5 years, and be at its best between 2010-2030+.

Rating: 98 points

Last but not least is Australias most famous wine, the 2002 Shiraz “Grange”. The 2002 version was sourced from 77.5% Barossa Valley and 22.5% from McLaren Vale. Included in the blend is 1.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It spent 17 months in 100% new American oak. Opaque purple, it gives off an ethereal bouquet of violets, saddle leather, blueberry, blackberry, pencil lead, and chocolate. This is followed by a full-bodied wine with tremendous concentration, multiple layers of flavor, ripe tannins, and great balance. Thick and rich, with a 60-second finish, it will slowly blossom over the next 15-20 years and provide pleasure through 2050. It is a legend in the making!

Rating: 99 points

The 2004 vintage was outstanding in Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Magill, the regions where the grapes were sourced for the marvelous 2004 Grange. It contains 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 16 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it displays a superb nose of wood smoke, Asian spices, incense, game, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied, satin textured, with deeply layered, succulent blackberry, plum, and chocolate flavors, it has the structure and complexity to merit extended cellaring of a decade and more. The winery estimates a drinking curve of 2016 to 2050; Id be a bit more conservative on the long end of the range. It will ultimately be seen as one of the great vintages of Grange.

Rating: 97 points

Containing just a dollop of 4.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Grange is about 85%+ Barossa fruit with the remaining proportions coming from McLaren vale and Coonawarra. It was aged for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. The nose begins a bit animal with some smoked game, mincemeat and bacon notes emerging over the freshly crushed, sun-warmed blackberries, black currant cordial, earth, black truffles, anise and allspice. Rich and full with very firm very fine tannins and very crisp acid, it gives a long finish layered with coffee, mincemeat and toast. Drink it 2013 to 2025+.

Rating: 98+ points

Made from fruit coming predominantly from the Barossa Valley this year (97%) and containing 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Grange has been added to my list of favorite recent vintages. Deep garnet-purple colored, its still a little youthfully mute, offering notes of warm cherries, black currants, anise, coffee and toast with underlying hints of soy, yeast extract, black olives and Indian spices. Tight-knit and solidly structured on the medium to full bodied palate, the concentrated fruit is densely coiled around the firm grainy tannins and very crisp acidity at this stage, but promises something very special in the years to come. It finishes very long, complex and layered with the cedar poking though the fruit purity. Patience is required for this vintage; it should begin opening out around 2016 and drink to 2030+.

Rating: 100 points

Very deep garnet-purple in color the 2008 Grange reveals a truly decadent nose with tons of spices, fruit cake and black & blue fruit compote notes along with nuances of chocolate and potpourri. The full and rich, multi-layered palate has a little oak still showing, it is going through a little bit of a structural stand-out stage, but it doesnt detract on the long and complex finish. It still needs a good few years to develop, though this very opulent, expressive Grange shows the very best of this vintage and the vineyards it hails from.

Rating: 97 points

The 2009 Grange Shiraz is a comprised of 84% Barossa, 8% McLaren, and a little Clare Valley and a little Magill fruit with a small 2% of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. At this youthful stage, this deep garnet-purple colored wine puts forward a vivid expression of blackberry preserve aromas amid underlying cassis, black cherry, spice box, char-grilled meat and chocolate box notes. Surprisingly medium to full-bodied (it smells much fuller!) with taut flavors that are very closed in the mouth, it has firm, chewy tannins to structure through the long and earthy finish. 406 cases imported to the US. Drink it 2018 to 2035+.

Rating: 99 points

The 2010 Grange is a 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 96% Shiraz blend made from Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate fruit that was aged 17 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Very deep purple-black in color, this is classic Grange - amongst the finest produced - replete with fresh, vibrant and youthful black fruit notes showing some blueberry aromas and accents of camphor, anise and the slightest floral hint plus a whiff of oak in the background to lend a cedar-laced lift to this textbook Shiraz nose. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, it is very taut and finely constructed showing typically firm, grainy, uniform tannins, great concentration and wonderful persistence on the finish. If I have any very slight complaint of this near perfect wine it is that it seems a little too clinical and appears to speak less of the land and the heart of South Australia and more of the very skilled winemaking than did the Grange from the magical 2008 vintage.

Rating: 98 points

Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States.

Rating: 98+ points

The nose of the 2015 Grange features the wine's characteristic lifted aromas, joined by pronounced American oak influence and bold blackberry fruit, plus hints of red meat, raspberries, asphalt and vanilla. It's dense and concentrated on the palate, full-bodied yet balanced and firm, with a rich, velvety texture and long, plush finish. Dont expect great complexity at this stage-it's much too young to show much more than the primary fruit and oak elements-but this is a Grange that should easily go three or four decades.

It's always a treat to sit with Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and taste through the latest releases from Penfolds. Despite losing one of his suitcases (thankfully, not the one with the newly bottled 2019 Bin 51 Riesling), he was in good humor, having just gone on a Manhattan clothes-shopping spree. The bulk of this year's wines come from the challenging 2017 vintage, but with the wide net Penfolds casts to source fruit, the winery seems capable of maintaining a remarkable degree of consistency. There are always a few wines from years on either side as well. Standouts this year include the dense, age-worthy 2016 St Henri Shiraz. This is a wine that never sees new, small-format oak, as it is aged in large oak vats. The 2017 RWT Shiraz (all Barossa Valley, all French oak) is a perennial favorite of mine, and it is reassuringly excellent. These wines differ stylistically from one another and from the flagship Grange, which is aged in new American oak hogsheads. This year's Grange release is the 2015, another strong effort. The biggest splash among this year's lineup is the debut of a new $1,700 Shiraz. The 2016 Bin 111A Shiraz is a blend of Clare Valley and Barossa Valley fruit previously ticketed for Grange, aged 18 months in new French hogsheads. It would be easy to dismiss it as another cynical marketing ploy, but it's yet another unique expression of Shiraz and the quality lives up to the lofty price tag. For the one-percenters lucky enough to snare a bottle or two, it'll provide immense pleasure for decades to come.

Rating: 96 points

Medium brick colored, the 1971 Grange opens with touches of aldehyde / bottle-stink to begin over a core of fruit cake, leather, potpourri, game and sandalwood. With an elegant light to medium-body, the palate blossoms into incredible spice box, anise and mincemeat notes - wonderful multi-layered flavors – supported by a good backbone of remaining fine-grained tannins and lively acid. Its a classic Grange in terms of construction, though a little atypical considering its pretty rather than powerful nature.

Rating: 97 points

The 1981 stood out as slightly superior. Winemaker John Duval always felt this was a tannic style of Grange, but the wine has shed its tannins, and this is one of the few vintages where the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was above 10%. Sweet notes of creme de cassis, cedarwood, charcoal, and barbecue spices are followed by a full-bodied, opulent wine displaying heady amounts of alcohol, glycerin, and density in its full-bodied, skyscraper-like texture. I was drinking this wine with great pleasure in the mid-nineties, yet here it is nearly 15 years later, and the wine does not appear to have budged much from its evolutionary state. This is a testament to how remarkably well these wines hold up, and age at such a glacial pace.

Rating: 97 points

The 1982 is another superb example of that. One of the jammiest, most precocious Granges when it was released, it has never gone through a closed stage and continues to drink beautifully. A full-bodied, opulent Grange, it reveals an inky/purple color to the rim as well as a beautiful nose of crushed blueberries, blackberries, smoke, toast, roasted herbs, and road tar. This dense, plush, expansive, seamless, seductive 1982 has not changed much since I had it nearly a decade ago.

Rating: 98+ points

One of my favorite wines from Penfolds, the 1986 (a blend of 87% Shiraz and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon) is one of the most powerful Granges produced (14+% alcohol). At age 23, it reminds me of the way it tasted around 9 years of age. Inky/purple to the rim with an extraordinary perfume of sweet licorice, crushed pepper, blackberry liqueur, camphor, and barbecue spices, this sensationally full-bodied, concentrated, layered 1986 is still an infant in terms of its ultimate potential. It is remarkable how this wine has aged, and its hard to believe how certain wine geeks will subscribe to the aging ability of the Grange, but dont believe the same is true for other old vine Shiraz wines from the Barossa and McLaren Vale. It just doesnt make any sense. The 1986 is one of the greatest Granges for my palate, and it appears to still have 25-30 years of upside.

Rating: 96 points

Coming from the small, single vineyard surrounding the original Magill winery, the deep garnet-purple colored 2013 Shiraz Magill Estate reveals gorgeous black plums and blackberry tart aromas with spice box, vanilla, lavender and cola suggestions plus some cigar box hints. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, rich and expressive, it has a rock solid backbone of fine-grained tannins and refreshing acidity, finishing with great length and harmony. Best Magill Estate ever? It is certainly the finest I've tasted. Only 1200 cases produced.

Rating: 97+ points

Very deep purple-black in color and showing an attractive nose of warm blackcurrants, blueberries and licorice with a complex undercurrent of mocha, cedar, menthol and grilled meat, the full-bodied 2010 St Henri Shiraz is relatively rich in the mouth, offering tons of fruit structured by firm, fine tannins and refreshing acid. It finishes with great persistence. Drink it 2015 to 2030+.

Rating: 97 points

This 2013 Shiraz St Henri follows in the blockbuster footsteps of the 2010 and 2012. The blend is 96% Shiraz with 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and the fruit sources are far and wide, including a real mix of terroirs: McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Padthaway and Port Lincoln. It spent 12 months in 50+-year-old casks. Deep garnet-purple colored, the youthfully reticent nose is complex, offering loam, aged meat, licorice, tar, scorched earth, fenugreek and cloves over a cherry cordial, blueberry pie and dried mulberries core. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals lovely, understated elegance and depth with a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins and many fruit and spice layers emerging on the finish. This is one for the long-long haul and, at a fraction of the price of Grange, should be where the smart money goes for stocking the cellar.

Rating: 96 points

Consistently one of my favorites in the Torbreck lineup, this year's version, the 2017 Descendant, was co-fermented with 8% Viognier and spent 18 months in barrel. It's full-bodied, rich and decadent, delivering what Torbreck lovers expect in its dark-fruited layers of opulence. Suffused with hints of Mexican chocolate, it finishes long and softly dusty.

Rating: 98 points

Pale to medium garnet-purple, the 2015 Les Amis has a disarmingly gorgeous nose of red cherry tart, dried rose petals, cinnamon stick and white pepper with hints of hoisin and forest floor. Full-bodied, soft, curvaceous and generously endowed in the mouth, this buxom beauty is a hedonist’s dream, finishing with a spicy kick that keeps you coming back for more.

Rating: 97+ points

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Run Rig opens with a bang, delivering intense fruits of the forest and blackberry preserve notes with hints of sandalwood, cardamom, dried Provence herbs, Indian spices and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and oh, so satisfying, the beauty ticks all the great Barossa Shiraz boxes and then some. It is still relatively primary, so Id recommend giving it another 2-3 years at least in bottle and drink it over the next 20+.

Rating: 98 points

Who wouldve thought that in the context of Barossa Shiraz, the 2015 RunRig would seem like a relative bargain? Its certainly much less expensive than Grange or Hill of Grace will be when theyre released. Its also more approachable in its youth, with enormously appealing aromas of grilled fruit, savory complexities and rich, velvety tannins. Of course, its full-bodied and concentrated, with the stuffing to age for up to a couple of decades, and it has a long, licorice-tinged finish. Winemaker Ian Hongell, who joined Torbreck from Peter Lehmann, may not have made this wine, but he deserves a lot of credit for the blending and finishing of this tour de force.

Rating: 97 points

Torbreck's 2015 The Laird boasts explosive aromas of Christmas spices, ripe plums, vanilla, hickory smoke and maple syrup. It's a big wine, loaded with fruit and oak, full-bodied, rich and velvety, adding hints of toasted coconut and cinnamon streusel on the long, almost dessert-like finish. For a more savory experience, age it a decade or so before pulling a cork.

Rating: 97 points

The 1998 Shiraz Octavius is undoubtedly controversial given its volatile acidity. Nevertheless, it is a loaded, intense, rich, classic example of full-throttle and full-bodied old vine Barossa Shiraz. All the Octavius fruit is sourced from vineyards ranging from 70 to 100 years of age.

Rating: 97 points

The 2015 Fontalloro is a landmark achievement. The bouquet strikes out with immediate complexity. It dangles aromas of black cherry, spice, tar, forest floor, wild rose and campfire ash in front of your nose with seductive allure. The unified presentation and delivery of all those aromas is profound and impressive. This edition of Fontalloro is exceptionally smooth and silky in texture and this is surely linked to the ripe, soft and finely textured fruit produced in this vintage. This is a pure expression of Sangiovese that is aged in barrique for up to 22 months. Some 30,000 bottles were produced.

Rating: 96 points

The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia knocks it out of the park. Like the other new releases from Fèlsina, this pure expression of Sangiovese needs more time to evolve and improve with bottle age. But even at this young stage, you are made fully aware of the beautiful intensity and complexity of the quality fruit at its core. There is so much energy and tension here, further reinforced by the fresh acidity of the vintage. There are vibrant tones of wild cherry, raspberry and spice, followed up by white truffle and tilled earth.

Rating: 96 points

I absolutely love this profound and beautiful Syrah from Tuscany. The 2016 Syrah Collezione Privata offers a unique interpretation of the grape that delivers much of the heft, power, smokiness and textural richness of the French grape, however it also shows purely Italian flares of grilled herb, blue flower, moist earth and Toscano cigar. Bold cherry fruit fills the core of this wine, and there is plenty of padding and extra richness at the edges. The wine is rich, velvety and long in terms of mouthfeel. It ages in oak for 18 months. Some 5,000 bottles were made.

Rating: 98 points

Wow. This is a beautiful year for Tua Rita's legendary Merlot. The grapes were harvested early, between September 4th and the 6th, and spent 21 months in barrique. This wine is a perennial overachiever, and the 2016 Redigaffi is no exception. It has a remarkable persistence to the bouquet, along with tonic crispness and a velvety mouthfeel. It's a complete and beautifully structured expression, most notable for its freshness and softness. This Redigaffi is still a bit closed, which leads me to think it is going to be a stunner when you finally retrieve it from your cellar in 5-10 years from now.

Rating: 99 points

The wine of the vintage is the Perrin’s 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin, and it will most likely merit a perfect rating in another couple of years. Full-bodied, massive and layered on the palate, with awesome purity and freshness, it delivers incredible aromatics of beef blood, truffle, graphite, iron and black and blue fruits. Given all of the fruit and texture, you almost have to hunt for the structure here, but trust me, it’s there. The tasting at Beaucastel took place a 9 a.m., and even then, this is one wine I found impossible to spit. It’s a tour de force that will have 3-4 decades of life.

Rating: (94 - 96) points

Probably the wine of the vintage (I feel like I say that every year for this cuvee), the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is a substantial, full-bodied, shockingly concentrated 2014 that gives up classic notes of blackberries, blueberries, forest floor, beef blood and licorice. Mouth-coating and rich with building tannin, it will be approachable at an earlier age than most vintages, yet will still need 5-6 years of cellaring.

Rating: 98 points

As this was bottled only a week before I tasted it, I suspect this rating will prove to be conservative once a few months have passed. The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin is another prodigious version of this wine. How many wines in this world can be so huge yet so lacking the feeling of weight? There's plenty of layered spice but also a core of raspberries; rich tannins, yet no real astringency; and a long finish without any apparent heat. Wow!

Rating: 96 points

Spicy, cedary and firm, the 2015 Ermitage Ex Voto is built tough, like the granite it comes from. Hints of pencil shavings and crushed stone accent mixed red and black fruit, picking up hints of licorice and pepper on the long, tannic finish. Give this another 5-6 years in the cellar, then drink it over the following decade and a half or so.

Rating: 100 points

The utterly perfect 2010 Hermitage Ex Voto Blanc is as good as it gets in Hermitage Blanc. Offering a crazy array of liquid rock-like minerality, graphite, flint, white currants, white peach and quince, it's layered, full-bodied, impeccably balanced and pure. It's a straight up tour de force that’s going to have decades of longevity. As always, the blend is 90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne, aged 30 months in new French oak. Hat's off to the Guigal family for this incredible wine.

Rating: 98 points

Starting out the single vineyards and bottled in February (after over four years in new oak barrels), the 2011 Cote Rotie la Mouline is as slutty, sexy and seamless as they come. Full-bodied, thrillingly concentrated and unctuous, it offers classic Mouline notes of cured meats, violets, black raspberries, espresso and hints of vanilla bean. Philippe Guigal commented that the worst thing about 2011 was the it came after 2010, and while the previous two vintages will get all of the attention, this 2011 will deliver almost as much pleasure, and do it right from the start as well. It needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will drink sensationally through 2041.

Rating: 97 points

Floral aromas accent sturdy notes of grilled meat and almost delicate notes of red berries in the open, approachable 2014 Cote Rotie La Mouline. Medium to full-bodied, it shows great purity and a supple, silky, classic feel. It's built more on elegance and complexity than power, with those floral, herbal notes leaving a long, silky impression on the finish.

Rating: 97 points

The 2011 Cote Rotie la Turque is about as seamless and sexy as wine gets, and this cuvee continues to put on weight and richness with every passing year. Offering a monstrous nose of Asian spices, kirsch liqueur, blackcurrants, pepper and smoked meats, this full-bodied Cote Rotie has layers of sweet tannin, no hard edges and a killer finish. It's already hard to resist today, but has three decades of prime drinking to go.

Rating: 98 points

Similar to the La Mouline with its forward, incredibly sexy style, the 2012 Côte Rôtie La Turque (there’s 7% Viognier in the blend) offers a saturated purple color to go with meaty, smoky notes of cassis, cured meats, chocolate and roasted herbs. It’s a big mouthful of a wine, with full-bodied richness and a stacked mid-palate, but it has a seamless, weightless texture, perfectly ripe tannin and a blockbuster finish. I’d happily drink a glass today, but it should be at its finest from 2020-2046.

Rating: 98 points

Now that it's in bottle, the 2014 Cote Rotie La Turque has exceeded all of my earlier expectations. It's got those classic Côte Rôtie elements on the nose of smoked bacon, olives and violets, seamlessly entwined with supple tannins and raspberry fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it's silky and fine, showing tremendous length and complexity on the finish. On this occasion, La Turque came to the head of the class as the most approachable, exciting and elegant of the three La Las.

Rating: 96 points

The most impressive vintage of this wine I can recall tasting, the 2015 Saint-Joseph Vignes de l'Hospice is an awesome Saint-Joseph. Visitors to the region can easily spot the steep vineyard just above the town of Tournon when looking across the Rhône from Tain l'Hermitage. Aged in 100% new oak, the wine still shows hints of cedar and vanilla on the nose but also notes of crushed stone and black cherries. It's full-bodied but kept in check by a touch of granite-like austerity that gives the palate shape and length, while the firm tannins glide away in a silky wash on the finish. Almost approachable now, I suspect it will drink well through at least 2035.

Rating: 98 points

The 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle comes from the firm's vineyards on the western half of the Hermitage slope, primarily Le Meal, but with substantial contributions from Les Rocoules and Les Bessards. Classic notes of cassis, black olives, mocha and roasted meat are joined by hints of baking spices in a wine that's full-bodied, deep, dense and rich, with a velvety texture and a lingering finish. It's lower in alcohol than the 2018, less voluptuous and maybe just a step behind that monumental wine, but it's still a serious collectible with three decades of evolution ahead of it.

Rating: 96 points

Tasted at Bordeaux Indexs annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Haut-Brion has a more ostentatious bouquet than the comparatively reserved La Mission: quite feisty blackberry, briary, kirsch and red plum scents, hints of leather and sage tucked just underneath. This is a bouquet determined to make an impression! The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well-judged acidity, a gentle build to a concentrated, earthy, truffle-tinged finish that lingers long in the mouth. This seems to have the upper-hand over the La Mission and probably has a longer future. A thoroughbred from Jean-Philippe Delmas and his team. Tasted January 2016.

Rating: 96 points

A killer wine (Im so sorry I didnt buy any), the 2003 La Mondotte is clearly one of the superstars of the vintage. An intriguing perfume of licorice, Asian soy, black currant jam, ripe cherries and subtle toast emerges from this extravagantly rich, voluptuously textured, opulent, full-bodied St.-Emilion. Just coming in to full maturity, it is pure, rich and full. Drink it over the next decade or more.

Rating: 96 points

Tasted at Bordeaux Indexs annual 10-Year On tasting in London and then blind at Farr Vintners horizontal, the 2006 Château Léoville Las-Cases has a very complex bouquet with heady scents of blackcurrant, kirsch, crushed violets, rock salt and just a hint of cassis. It is backward and can barely contain its energy. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very symmetrical and poised, a fine line of acidity interwoven through the black fruit, touches of citrus fruit developing towards the poised and tensile finish. This is a beautiful wine from Jean-Hubert Delon, but it needs several years in bottle. Tasted April 2016.