Robert Otaley Finisterre Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – From the Pedestal and Batley vineyards in the famed Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River. Two to three weeks post fermentation maceration and then 18 months in new and older French barriques. Just 400 six-packs. 

Very dark red. This is tight, youthful and really needs time. Has seriously good balance. Dry herbs, blackberries, hints of bell pepper and tobacco leaf. This is quintessential cabernet. Balance and concentration, yet light on its feet. Very fine tannins. It will do ten years standing on its head. Great stuff. My pick of the entire release for this year. 96.

2020 Smith Haut Lafitte/ A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aging in 60% new barriques, the very deep purple-black colored 2020 Smith Haut Lafitte makes an impactful entrance, opening with flamboyant notes of blackcurrant pastilles, chocolate-covered cherries and molten licorice, leading to nuances of ground cloves, woodsmoke, crushed rocks and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate bursts with opulent black fruit preserves and shimmering mineral sparks, framed by exquisitely ripe and fantastically firm tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with epically long-lasting earthy and savory layers. This is the singular voice of Smith Haut Lafitte at its finest, and wow-oh-wow is it worth a listen. This 2020 has an alcohol of 14.5% with a pH of 3.65. The tannins this year were a little higher than 2018 and 2019. A little less than a third of production went into this grand vin. 98-100p

Meerlust Rubicon 2017 / Pure Cabernet expression, with leafy spice interest from Cab F and Merlot. Super balance and purity here, with volume that unfolds with time in the glass. Very promising for future Rubicon. 95/100

Latour vertical 1934 - 2005 in Copenhagen / Latour 1961 was, as expected, a monumental wine. Sixty years old wine and not ready yet. Still young and vigorous. Oceans of fruit and tannin perfectly supported by underlying acidity.  Enormous potential! 99-100p.

Cullen Diana Madeline 2019 / Deep dark red. Elegant aroma which is marked by cassis and a light leafiness and a suggestion of Cabernet Franc's characteristic blackcurrant-leaf quality. Dry, refined tannins giving a dry mineral character. Plush and full in the mouth, the mineral character as much in the tannins as in flavour. ‘Toast to mum’, says Vanya Cullen. Smoky but not reductive. Layers of paper-fine tannins. Elegant. Opens up to a slight note of curry leaf. Or is it tobacco, or both? Very, very dry without being drying. Ultimate in refinement. 

It's truly amazing how big Napa cabs can deliver full enjoyment at their very young stage. In a blind tasting I was sure that the wines were from late 2000s, not late 2010s! So smooth and well-integrated and harmonous. Pure pleasure!    

The Único released in 2021, 10 years after the harvest, is the 2011 Único, selected from 40 of their 210 hectares of vineyards. 2011 is a concentrated and ripe vintage, and they selected 95% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon that were cooled in a cold room for 24 hours before being sorted; the bunches and grapes macerated at 9 to 10 degrees Celsius for three to four days, and then it was inoculated with a pied de cuve to ferment with pumping overs. Malolactic was in stainless steel, and the wine was put through a long aging, 10 years between oak and bottle, using new and used French and American oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats. For Vega Sicilia, 2011 was a fresher year than 2010, not the common idea about those vintages in Ribera del Duero. The wine has a developed nose with some notes of ripe black fruit, meat and underbrush, somewhat herbal and perfumed. There is something about the nose of the Únicos that I cannot quite describe but is quite distinct, and it's in this vintage and also in the Reserva Especial. 88,288 bottles, 3,505 magnums, 318 double magnums, 60 Imperial and 3 Salmanazar were produced. The wine was bottled in June 2017.

Vega Sicilia is also increasing their capacity to age wines in 40,000-liter oak vats to decrease the impact of the oak in the wines. Their 210 hectares of vineyards produce more than enough grapes to produce between 250,000 and 300,000 bottles.

Swinney Farvie Syrag 2019 / Bacon fat, maple, salted pomegranate, raspberry, graphite, red dirt, mulberry and pink peppercorn. Like the Hokusai wave, this crashes and courses with flavours and textures, ebbing and flowing on the palate. This is balanced, restrained, long, powerful and most importantly, shaped and structured by supple, chewy tannins. They hold the fruit in the cups of their hands and usher it through a very long finish. A weightlessly poetic wine. 98 pts - Exceptional

This compelling 2021 Penfolds release highlights the fidelity of multi-vineyard sourcing, precision winemaking and the authentic Penfolds House Style tradition. The collection in many respects demonstrates that every vintage, regardless of growing conditions, can have a silver lining. In many cases the lining of this year’s release is made of gold. I loved the white wines for their lovely pure fruit definition, volume and tension. The 2019 reds are beautifully made wines with the rich fruit expression typical of Penfolds and a vigour and energy that promises great cellaring careers. The 2018 St Henri is a benchmark vintage and is a must for lovers of this tried and tested maturation style. 2017 Grange does not disappoint and transcends the reputation of the vintage. Although it will fly under the radar for many years, it will develop into something beautiful to drink somewhere around 2028 onwards! Chief winemaker Peter Gago AC and his exceptional winemaking team have triumphed once again! This is a release for punters and collectors. No disappointments and highly recommended. 

The 2019 Kistler Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen takes time to open up to delicate wafts of white lilac, Meyer lemon, quince peel and sea spray, with hints of beeswax and almonds. The palate offers incredible tension between surprisingly generous fruits and tangy, salty lift. Its expansive, honey-laced flavors linger for an extraordinarily long finish. Wow! It deserves another 2-3 years in bottle at least.

The 1995 Petrus Magnum was much bigger and full of youthful fruit. It was so much more adolescent out of magnum. I was all about its deep purple and iron as the wine continued to reveal its rich, exceptional sexiness that only grew with air. A touch of banana skin added complexity. This was still elegant but sturdy and fresh in its youth. It was much wealthier than the 1985. Its meat was dripping off the bone; this was an exceptional Petrus, and an undervalued one (96+M).

The Biondi-Santi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino exudes dark, velvety fruit and concentration while maintaining the signature elegance, suppleness and lithe personalty that distinguishes the iconic Il Greppo estate. I found this new release to be quite distinctive and exquisitely beautiful, setting it apart from many of the past vintages we are most familiar with. This 2015 edition is dark, exuberant and bold, but precise, focused and sharp as well. It will live for years in your cellar, but tasted now in its infancy, the wine shows blackberry, dried cherry, plum and dark cassis. Those dark fruit tones segue to a rich presentation of tar, spice, earth, tobacco and sweet balsam herb. The bouquet offers seamless and smooth transitions. This warm and sunny growing season favored richness and phenolic weight. Wines from Biondi-Santi are made for the long haul, and the fresh acidity that characterizes this estate is the principle reason why. However, I'd argue that this wine from 2015 will evolve over the years not only thanks to the freshness but more so thanks to the important structure of this solid and profound wine.