The Dana 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Hershey Vineyard stands out for its classicism and energy, two attributes that aren't always typical of the Dana wines. There is a feeling of translucence to the 2019 that is just breathtaking. Old School meets New World in a riveting, stunning Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon loaded with class and personality. The 2019 Hershey is one of the most elegant and refined wines I have ever tasted at Dana.

2020 Le Pin 99-100p / Barrel sample. Great density, liquid silk or liquid cashmere, long, sophisticated, so decadent and with fantastic midpalate. Heavenly stuff

Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 2019 is another strike from Mazzei family. Fonterutoli territory never ceases to amaze, and that’s the peculiarity of a Chianti that is shaped by blending 90% Sangiovese, 5% Malvasia Nera and 5% Colorino. 

M. Chapoutier Ermitage La Pavillon 2014 is very dark indeed. Real lift and twang to this on the nose. Very sophisticated. Surely long lived. Remarkably muscular.

Penfolds G5, Released on 1 November, final one of the 'g' trio. 2,200 bottles made. 2018 and 2016 (blended out of barrel), plus 2014, 2012 and 2010 (blended out of bottle). 70% Barossa. 97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Finished in used oak.
Opened ten hours earlier. Intoxicating oak scent – drenched with coconut and vanilla. Lusciously fruited, of course, with a few degrees more subtlety than the Grange 2017. Brambles from start to finish, with not a thorn in sight. It is a marvel of blending, without any peppery character, but all the richness and history of Barossa Shiraz. Finishes with black liquorice.

Bass Phillip Estate Pinot Noir 2018 – Gleams with the lustrous beauty of old sterling silver. The waves of fruits, predominantly red but with some purple, flow effortlessly across your palate; all the architectural requirements have been subtly built behind the veil of fruit. Drink to 2014.

Buccella Cabernet Sauvignon 2008; Remarkable for its complex aromas of roasted coffee, dried herb, dark berry, mocha and sage, yet for all its size this is quite graceful and elegant, even delicate, with a long, tapered finish where the flavors glide along smoothy. 

These are a few of my favourite Christmas drinks...

Heidi and Bo Barrett’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is fabulous. It offers a compelling interplay of Calistoga richness and the natural energy of the vintage. Sweet dark cherry, plum, spice, cedar, tobacco, licorice, mocha and gravel infuse the 2016 with so much character. The 2016 is deep, but not at all heavy. 

Cheval des Andes wines are ripe and rich, as you’d expect from Argentina. But they do have complexity and interest, too. 

Domaine Latour-Giraud's Jean-Pierre Latour compares 2017 to 2015 "but with more complexity, precision and interest. The wines will have a certain accessibility but they also have much more potential than the '15s." 

The Marchesi Antinori 2018 Solaia reveals a silky and elegant personality, and the wine steps away from some of the more robust fruit weight and dark concentration that we've seen in the past. This elegant vintage prizes fruit purity and focus with black plum, cassis, blue flower, pencil shaving and lots of sweet spice from the oak that recalls clove and toasted almond. The blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. The fruit is harvested at the Antinori family's Tenuta Tignanello at the heart of the Chianti Classico appellation. The percentage of Cabernet Franc used in the blend is the ultimate Solaia wild card. In this vintage, the Franc has been increased to 7%, and that number is expected to be even higher in 2019 as the vines get older and the fruit more complex. Production of Solaia is 65,000 bottles in this vintage. This is a beautiful wine, but if pressed I must admit a preference for the 2018 Tignanello (the other celebrated wine crafted at this property). The 2018 Solaia is delicious on all fronts as expected, but the 2018 Tignanello struck at my heart strings. Either way, these are stunning results.

There is some exciting news to report from Antinori's Tenuta Tignanello (which I visited the last week of July). The Antinori family was able to acquire a new parcel measuring 15 hectares adjacent to their historic Tignanello plots, thus giving new space and production possibilities to the various wines made at the celebrated estate (where both Tignanello and Solaia are born).