The 2021 season was cool, with plenty of cloud cover and rain. This wine bears the fruits of the diligent labor in the vineyards and is one of the shining lights in the region this year. There are notes of raspberry and seaweed, moss and iron and forest floor. This is a lighter style of Cabernet—and a lovely one at that.

Beautifully integrated tannins shape the palate on the 2022 Art Series Shiraz, while the fruit flavors and indeed length of flavor show an impressive completeness, leafiness and suppleness. This is very good, elegant.

Benchmark Australian Chardonnay from Margaret River, Leeuwin Estate 2022 is typified by its nuttiness and a distinct chamomile tea/white flower character. Skillful use of oak is matched seamlessly to the fruit. There are toasted nuts, yellow fruits, exotic spices and an open fan of acidity/phenolics through the finish.

A classic, vibrant and tense Montrose of subtlety and focus. It is a true classic, the opens with violet-tinged mineral notes of oyster shell and soy. Notes of smoked cedar, sandalwood, soy and kelp emerge too, shimmering from the core of dark cherry fruit. There is a firm, sinewy frame of tannins but this is not lacking in any elegance of detail. A real classic, with the highest ever portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, all from plots on the famous Terrace 4 soils.

A Cheval Blanc that is all about aromatics and elegance. The nose opens with aromas of lavender, rhubarb, black olive and fresh earth with subtle sandalwood and cocoa spice. There is a coil of tension and energy running through the palate with fine sapidity and a burst of red berry and cassis fruit. Coolness and grace flood the finish with a gentle, sinewy grip of tannin and a little soy and liquorice. A wine that emphasises the terroir with no hint of excess.

There is an appealing spiced nose of cocoa and espresso that leads with accents of dried herbs and fresh earth. It is a bright and sapid wine with a sense of tension to the tannins and a clear mineral, saline edge. Bright cherry fruit, violets and red berries clothe the refreshing, mid-weight finish.

A classic, vibrant and tense Montrose of subtlety and focus. It is a true classic, the opens with violet-tinged mineral notes of oyster shell and soy. Notes of smoked cedar, sandalwood, soy and kelp emerge too, shimmering from the core of dark cherry fruit. There is a firm, sinewy frame of tannins but this is not lacking in any elegance of detail. A real classic, with the highest ever portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, all from plots on the famous Terrace 4 soils.

A bright and fine-boned Talbot that opens with subtle spice of white pepper, sandalwood and fresh tobacco. The palate offers crunchy hedgerow fruit, fresh violets and bright cherry fruit. There is a sense of balance and coherence here with elegance that shows this has not been pushed too far. It is a wine that will show well after just a year or so in bottle, but with plenty of energy in the tank for mid-term ageing.

While definitely showing plenty of Lynch Bages signature, this feels beautifully classic and understated. It opens with a subtle spiced nose of sandalwood and a little cedar before a fine mineral tinge floods the palate with notes of oyster shell, violets, and iodine. There is a bright cherry blossom note with a fine, tense and sinewy structure to the tannins. The finish is long and mineral with a sense of restraint.

As always, a vibrant and spicy white from the Cathiards. It opens with a nose of ginger, lemongrass and white grapefruit pith. The palate is very driven and saline with a real sense of purity and ocean freshness. The finish is fresh and vibrant with a fine bitter lemon twist.