Calvados, Pinot noir, Nebbiolo...

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Fausoni is a 1.5-hectare plot with old vines up to 70 years old in age. The Sottimano 2021 Barbaresco Fausoni delivers more oomph and texture thanks to clay and sandy soils that definitely make the difference. In terms of aromas, this wine is quite floral and delicate with citrusy oils, dates, tamarind and lavender. The tannins are elegant and chalky. (96) MONICA LARNER

Aromas of mocha mingle with underbrush, blue flower and exotic brown spice on the intensely fragrant Fausoni from Sottimano. On the palate, firm, fine-grained tannins accompany spiced cranberry, blood orange, licorice and chocolate. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. This will be even better in a few more years once it has fully come together. Drink 2028-2036.  (96) KERIN O'KEEFE

The 2021 Barbaresco Fausoni is a wine for readers who appreciate the more linear, old-school style of Nebbiolo. Chalk, white pepper, mint, tobacco, cedar, blood orange and sweet red cherry fruit all race across the palate. The 2021 won't be ready any time soon, but it is an absolutely stellar wine in the making. (96+) ANTONIO GALLONI

This wine comes from a 1.5-hectare plot with white soils and 40- to 50-year-old vines. Pajoré tends to produce austere wines with an etched mineral note and without the glossy softness you can get in some of the other parcels. The Sottimano 2021 Barbaresco Pajoré saw submerged-cap fermentation until January 20, 2022, marking one of the longest maceration times to date for this estate. This pretty wine has a ferrous or metallic note coupled with crushed mineral. These shape an angular, almost cubist personality. However, you also get tart cassis and crushed peppercorn. The wine is indeed more austere, and this bodes well for a long aging window. The tannins are grippy and tight. (96+) MONICA LARNER

So perfumed, the 2021 Pajorè from Sottimano is a stunner, with enticing aromas of mocha, ripe red berry, camphor, violet and forest floor. The intense, full-bodied palate is super savory, delivering succulent raspberry, Marasca cherry, baking spice, star anise and hints of hazelnut before a cool, minty finish. Tightly knit, close-grained tannins provide support while bright acidity keeps it balanced and energized. A gorgeous wine. Drink 2028-2036. (96) KERIN O'KEEFE

The 2021 Barbaresco Pajorè has shut down massively since I tasted it last year. Dried herbs, menthol, incense, game and tobacco infuse the palate with tremendous complexity. Readers will find an austere, classically built Barbaresco for the cellar. Time in the glass brings out the natural breadth and structure of Pajorè. Quite simply, this is an archetype. What a wine. (96+) ANTONIO GALLONI

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The 2020 Barolo Giachini comes across as quite closed today. The aromatics are expressive, and yet the wine feels much more reticent on the palate. Sweet red cherry, leather, pipe tobacco, cedar and dried flowers open with great reluctance. It will be interesting to see if time in bottle helps this come together a bit more fully. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

Refined, complex and nuanced nose with grainy minerals, grapefruit, white pepper and a mossy edge. Transparent but broad on the palate with lots of crushed wet stones and a tight, nervy finish. Delicate but powerful and ethereal too. Lots of finesse and texture. Drink from 2026. ZEKUN SHUAI, JamesSuckling.com

This wine comes from a 2.8-hectare vineyard purchased by Andrea Sottimano's father in 1969. Today, the vines are 80 years old and planted in very wide spacing that once had vegetables and artichokes between the rows. The soils are sandy like in Rabajà and Asili. The 2021 Barbaresco Cottá was the last wine in our flight. That's because it has the biggest concentration and richness. It offers a full bouquet with sweet berry fruits, dried herb and dark spice. It makes a big impact on the palate, and it shows an intense, long-lasting mouthfeel. All of these Sottimano wines are racked into oak sometime after January, and malolactic fermentation proceeds very slowly (finishing at the end of summer or closer to harvest). This gives the wine a reductive character. The aromas here are very delicate and fine with carob, forest fruit, orange rind and blue flower. The tannins are powdery and fine. This beautiful Nebbiolo drinks like a Pinot Noir (97) MONICA LARNER

Intense aromas of iris mingle with fresh cranberry, ground clove and camphor on the fabulous Cottà from Sottimano. Focused and elegantly structured, the delicious, balanced palate features juicy red cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and saline alongside vibrant acidity and firm, fine-grained tannins. What a beauty. 2028-2036. (97) KERIN O'KEEFE

The 2021 Barbaresco Cottá is quite the powerhouse. As usual, it is marked by a huge mid-palate of fruit, but more classic winemaking these days keeps that in check while also adding the notable structural dimension to balance things out. Black cherry, licorice, incense, graphite, tobacco and scorched earth all build in a virile, potent Barbaresco to treasure for the next two decades. This has come together beautifully since I tasted it last year. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI

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The insider's choice among Rapet's reds is the 2022 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile de Vergelesses, a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless wine that's layered and velvety, evocative of sweet red berries, baking spices, rose petals and orange zest. WILLIAM KELLEY

Extra layers of ripe dark-cherry fruit compared with the elegant Bourgogne Rouge. Good density here with crispness allied with a purity of black fruit. Soft and enveloping light oak provides extra support. Really very fine and punches above its weight. ANDY HOWARD MW, jancisrobinson.com

An overtly floral, airy and cool nose offers up a variety of dark berries, herbal tea, earth and a hint of kirsch, all of which is trimmed in just enough wood to notice. The delicious tension-filled and beautifully textured flavors exude more evident minerality on the sappy, youthfully austere and equally serious finale. This also needs to develop better depth but the Rapet Ile virtually always ages well. OUTSTANDING, BURGHOUND

 

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The ridge that descends from Bussia, wedged between Cannubi Boschis and Pugnane, terminates in the Castellero MGA. Well known for its more poised style, it doesn't differ here: leafy lightness, dried cherry, bright mint and milky aromas are allied to a graceful, relaxing attack then firm tannins, fierce acidity and a fresh, juicy red currant and pomegranate fruit character. A dynamic finish. ALDO FIORDELLI, decanter.com.

Spontaneous fermentation. Aged in 4,000-litre Klaus Pauscha Slavonian oak. Mid to deep ruby with orange tinges. Brooding and a little exotic on the nose with hints of dark spice. Not entirely open yet. Concentrated but stubborn palate with lifted acidity that is a little marked, but this is still embryonic. Fine, grainy tannins on the finish. Far from ready and with lots of powdery tannins on a complex, layered finish. WALTER SPELLER, jancisrobinson.com

The 2018 Sforzato di Valtellina Vino Sbagliato is a powerhouse wine. Black cherry, plum, leather, cedar, tobacco, smoke, licorice and dried herbs pack a serious punch. Candied dark cherries smooth into the finish. This brooding, inward Sforzato has a ton of character. ANTONIO GALLONI

A Central Russian River Blend, the 2022 Chardonnay Chloe is a bright yellow hue and captures a wide spectrum of citrus with notes of orange, Meyer lemon, fresh pineapple, toasted spice, and a hint of almond through the mid-palate as well as a nice lift of citrus on the finish. It's a beautiful wine offering a richer tone through the range. (96) JEB DUNNUCK

Lemongrass, sage and apples with some pastry dough and flint. Medium-bodied with a pretty core of fruit and hints of minerals, flint and spices such as peppercorns and cloves. (95) JAMES SUCKLING

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The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate Pomarium is fabulous. Broad, ample and resonant, the Pomarium shows the more extroverted side of the year. Black fruit, mocha, chocolate, incense, leather and dark spice soar out of the glass. This potent, brooding Pinot Noir packs a tremendous punch. It's the most extroverted Pinot in the Peay range and is absolutely fantastic in this tasting. ANTONIO GALLONI

Youthful ruby with a hint of light magenta, on the nose, the 2022 Pinot Noir Pomarium offers bright pomegranate lift, fresh pine needles, minty herbs, dried flowers, and a hint of licorice. It reveals vibrant tension and deeper concentration on the palate, with a long, earthy finish and notes of tea leaf. Its ripe tannins have a chiseled but elegant feel, and it’s fantastically sculpted. Drink 2026-2046. JEB DUNNUCK

The 2020 Barolo Bricco delle Viole, Vajra's flagship, is very fine. Dark cherry, kirsch, blood orange, spice and lavender are nicely amplified. The 2020 is gracious and elegant, but its youthful Nebbiolo tannins will require some time to soften. The 2020 is another wine that captures my keen interests with its sublime balance. I would be thrilled to own it. (96) ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

A ripe ruby color, the 2020 Barolo Bricco Delle Viole is incredible on the nose. Initially lightly smoky on opening, it needs a little time to reveal notes of candied roses, wild raspberries, tea leaf, and sweet sage. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannins, a balanced, compact nature, and a velvety texture, it is nicely concentrated, yet with a weightless feel. This is one of the most complete wines I've tasted from Vjara to date. It has depth, but with a defined feel, and is long on the palate, with an exceptional finish. It's going to have a wide drinking window but age at a very slow rate over the next two to three decades. (98) AUDREY FRICKE, jebdunnuck.com 

The 2022 Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard is juicy and expressive, which makes it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Succulent dark cherry, spice, new leather and lavender caress the palate, with plush, silky tannins that wrap it all together. There's lovely texture and resonance. The Savoy Pinot is rarely super-complex, but it sure is delicious. ANTONIO GALLONI

Donum has purchased the Savoy Vineyard, so 2025 will be the last vintage of this wine for Peay. A ripe medium red hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard is woodsy and complex, with notes of pine needles, fresh sage, rose, wild cherries, and bright blood orange citrus. Medium-bodied, it’s elegant all the way through, with a linear feel, fine tannins, evenly balanced acidity, and a finish that floats gently away. Drink it over the next 15 or so years. JEB DUNNUCK

Tasmania has become such a hot-bed of awesome talent and great wine. As one of Australia's coolest wine growing regions pinot noir and chardonnay have excelled and sparkling wine still proves to be one of its crown jewels. These have been mainstays of the Apple Isle for some time and there looks this to be no stopping the tide of incredible examples of each making their way across the Tasman.

Fast-forward a generation and we are really starting to see what the verdant land can really turn out. In our mind some of the best Euro-styled rieslings are being produced there while the marginal climates and savvy wine-making are turning out some stellar textural pinot gris.

While pinot noir may reign supreme it is other reds like shiraz, that may, in time, prove to be something even more special. Time will tell and while it does we will happily sip our way through all that Tasmania's has to offer.

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

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Bright mid red-purple hue, a more fragrant aroma than Te Rehua, lots of dried herbs and some smoky charcuterie and roasted meat aromas. The wine has real finesse, focused intensity and drive. It's piercing and long, elegant and there's a lot of detail. Still has the persuasive tannin of Escarpment, but a finer wine. (95) HUON HOOKE, The Real Review

An enticing fragrance of fresh dark cherries and dried herbs, plum and sweet wood with a light smoke touch. There’s a gentle perfume and floral frame. On the palate firm touch with a core of ripe dark berried fruits for contrast. There’s some subtle power with tannins and acidity framing the wine nicely and a core of fruit flavours that reflect the bouquet. Firm and dry, lengthy and well made, I feel this wine needs some cellar time to complete its harmony. Best drinking from 2025 through 2032+. (94) CAM DOUGALS MS

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he lovely 2019 Pora Riserva from Produttori del Barbaresco offers delicate scents recalling ripe red fruit, culinary spice, new leather and violet while the refined palate features juicy raspberry, liquor soaked cherry and licorice. Tightly-knit, velvety tannins provide enveloping support. Pora is known for its softer tannins and smoother character thank to its more fertile soil, and the these traits come through even in 2019, a vintage known for yielding wines with youthful austerity. Drink 2027–2034. (96) KERIN O'KEEFE

The 2019 Cannubi from Francesco Rinaldi & Figli is gorgeous, delivering juicy red berry, menthol, baking spice and licorice sensations as well as floral notes recalling iris and rose. It’s structured and extremely elegant and energized, with tightly knit, refined tannins and fresh acidity. It’s still on the austere side so give it several more years to fully unwind and develop.  (96) KERIN O’KEEFE

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The 2019 Barolo Briccolina is a classy, powerful wine. A blast of dark cherry, plum, gravel, spice, incense and lavender makes a fine first impression, before big Serralunga tannins make themselves felt. This imposing Barolo will benefit from a few years in bottle. It is a fine effort from the Grasso family. ANTONIO GALLONI

The Grasso family have owned Briccolina since 1923 and for many years sold their fruit to neighbouring wineries. In 2012, Daniele convinced his father Tiziano to bottle a little Barolo under their own name. Sadly, Tiziano passed away in 2017 and it’s been left to Daniele and Tiziano’s wife Simona to continue the dream. Their six hectares is the largest single holding of Briccolina and occupies the best part of the MGA, which neighbours Ornato and Falletto in the southern part of Serralunga D’Alba. We were thoroughly impressed with our cask tastings of 2019-2022 and the new cantina will be ready for vintage 2023. Tiziano would be proud. TREMBATH & TAYLOR

Bold and delicious, the 2020 Brunate delivers succulent Morello cherry, fruit cake, licorice and baking spice flavors before closing on a hint of almond liqueur. Firm, close-grained tannins provide serious structure. This is one of the few Barolos from the vintage that shows serious aging potential.  KERIN OKEEFE

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More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

From the most iconic vineyard site in La Morra and one of the best crus in the denomination, the 2020 Rocche dell'Annunziata from Francesco Rinaldi & Figli is stunning, starting with its captivating aromas of wild rose, violet, camphor and spice. Loaded with finesse, it shows a great depth of flavors that include crushed raspberry, red cherry, cake spice and licorice wrapped up in enveloping, extremely refined tannins. A gorgeous wine KERIN OKEEFE

From 18 parcels in vineyards situated in Brochon and the northern sector of Gevrey with a few to the east of D974 that average approximately 75 years of age; these include Les Corvées, Reniard, Jouise, Sylvie, Champs Perriers, Carré Rougeaud, Combe de Lavaut, Fourneau, Murots, Billard and Creux Brouillard

The 2022 Gevrey-Chambertin Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes opens with gorgeous aromatics. Exotic and yet also quite delicate, the 2022 has so much to offer. Kirsch, sweet red cherry, rose petal, blood orange and spice. In many vintages Mes Favorites can be quite powerful, but judging from this barrel sample, the 2022 looks to be on the delicate side. The last of this fruit, from parcels that are as much as 75 years old, did not come in until 10/15, very late by the standards of the year. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous.com

OUTSTANDING TOP VALUE. The wood treatment remains subtle though by no means imperceptible on the spicier aromas of mostly red berries. The richer and more concentrated medium-bodied flavors possess good power on the more complex, firmer and impressively long finish. This is an excellent, and age worthy, Gevrey villages that is worth checking out. BURGHOUND

Neive. Just mid ruby. At first very closed but with aeration, aromatic cherry fruit creeps up. Succulent, elegant cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate with finely ground, coating tannins. Lots of juicy raspberry fruit on the finish. Quite gorgeous right now. WALTER SPELLER  Jancisrobinson.com

The 2021 Barbaresco Albesani is a super-classic wine that is going to need time to come around. It possesses notable structure and the understated depth that is common of Barbaresco. Time in the glass brings out scents of herbs, white pepper, autumn leaves and spice. All this needs is time in bottle. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

Bright and fresh with notes of red berries, dried rose hips and asphalt. Medium-bodied. It has a meaty structure with very fine tannins and bright acidity. Shows tension and focus. Spicy at the end. Try after 2026. JAMES SUCKLING

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The wild mint leaps from the glass at the outset, the Marjorie site was planted in 1982, on its own roots, replanted vine by vine starting in 2000. Aromatics of fresh spearmint, red bramble fruits and a tart spritz of blood orange complete the aromatic appeal. The tannins are substantial here and frame the wine's elegance with a structure that will enable some great ageing. It's a tough site to farm because of the spacing and the low pH. Tart red berries and a melange of dried scrub flavours meld into notes of blackberry and mint and a touch of white pepper to finish. (96) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard comes from the only pre-existing vines the family acquired when they purchased the winery in 1992. A deeper magenta color, it's perfumed with seductive notes of violets, black raspberries, sweet herbs, and forest earth. The palate offers plenty of purity, and it has a fantastic, savory finish, with ripe tannins and even acidity. It's drinking well now, with a wide window for enjoying over the coming 15 or so years. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

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Planted in 1982, the estate's oldest vines, this is a site that gives structure and length year in and year out. The aromatics flash savoury and mineral with crushed stone and green tea leaf alongside pine bough and a hint of tomato leaf all with a backing of crushed red berries. The palate shows great concentration to match its ample structure. Red fruits, savoury herbs and spice to match the aromatics. Clive Pursehouse DECANTER

favourite. The elegance overcomes the power of the site, with earth and forest floor aromas finishing the show. The palate is a marriage of ripeness with the savoury character and superb tannins that the vintage has given winemaker Daniel Estrin to work with. This is an ageable example of Oregon Pinot Noir with ripe berries, fresh bing cherry flesh and delicious notes of dried anise. (97) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

A ripe ruby red color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard displays a more savory profile. Coming from the winery's steepest vineyard site with a 33% grade, it has an elegant floral perfume of ripe berries, and the texture is supple, with ripe tannins and an approachable feel. It's well-detailed, with a cushion of approachability, but it's fully dry and has a savory undertone. Drink 2025-2040. (96) JEB DUNNUCK

Eileen is at the top of the hill, staring out towards the Coast Range. This wine is a picture of elegance, and the turbulence from the Van Duzer Corridor moves through the clusters and vines. It's satiny, with spiced aromatics, wild herbs and bright tart cranberries. The site's higher acids lift the silky mouthfeel, it comes together beautifully. Blue fruits, wild spearmint and Chinese five spice frame an elegance of red berries and pine bough freshness. The finish shows a sweetness of berries and a note of green peppercorn. (97) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

A deeper and layered profile emerges in the 2022 Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard, which comes from windswept site where the grapes get thick skins from the wind. It has a more woodsy profile, with savory saline, brothy feel, tea leaf, toasted spice, and black cherries. Drink it over the coming 15-20 years. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

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Most diverse soils on the property the Louise is the only site without 100% volcanic soils. The warmest site on the property, protected from the Van Duzer winds from a horseshoe of forest is about radiance of warmth for winemaker Estrin. This site can get big fast, so he picks them a bit earlier than the others and has to pay attention to the extraction, exotic spice aromatics, Chinese five spice and Oolong tea. This is a bit more broad-shouldered and the tannins intimate that this will go the distance. The palate leans into savoury spice, with black tea, wild anise blackberries and mint. Brooding and elegant. (95) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

From a vineyard the Gerrie family planted in 1993 that sits around the winery, the 2022 Pinot Noir Louise Vineyard reveals a beautiful woodsy profile, with notes of mossy earth and higher-toned red fruit shining through, with cranberries, darker red fruits, and Asian spices. It has a chiseled structure, with fine compact tannins, a refreshing lift, and notes of tea leaf on its long finish. It's going to age with grace over the coming 20 years. (96) JEB DUNNUCK

In the windy part of the Eola-Amity Hills, this vineyard sits between 200-275m and is made with about 50% whole cluster, a favourite technique of winemaker Daniel Estrin. Dusty aromatics open the wine with gravelly minerality, wild red bramble fruits and a note of salty sea air. On the palate, that mineral tone continues. Red and black berry fruits compete with a distinct tone of salted blood orange pulp. Wild anise and dill bring a savoury finish to this elegant showing. (96) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Pinot Noir Paul Gerrie Vineyard offers more lifted, savory, and deep aromatics, with an almost Nebbiolo-like structure, with an angular feel to its notes of black raspberries, wild earth, and alpine forest herbs. It has angular bright acidity, as well as lots of tension and linear drive, a stony, salty, mouthwatering feel, coiled tannins, and a clean, savory finish. It needs time to unwind. Drink 2026-2046. (98) JEB DUNNUCK

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The 2018 Barbaresco Gallina is the most open-knit and forward of the three 2018 Barbarescos I tasted. Ripeness feels a bit pushed here, but it works nicely within the style of the wine. Super-ripe red cherry, sweet pipe tobacco, orange peel and exotic spice overtones build effortlessly as the Gallina shows off its racy, flamboyant personality. ANTONIO GALLONI, Vinous

Purchased in 1999, the domaine farms 1.3 hectares of what is possibly the best-known MGA of Neive (made famous by Bruno Giacosa). Sitting at 240 metres altitude on a low and twisting ridge opposite the Albesani Cru, Busso’s vines are south-west exposed and face the river. It’s a windy microclimate despite not being particularly high. The soil here is the limestone-rich Sant’Agata marl with sandy and calcareous layers. In 2015 Piero began to separate his oldest vines here (planted in the 1950s), for a separate old vine bottling (see below). The vines for this wine were planted between 25 and 50 years ago. Aging is the same as for the other crus (two years in Slavonian oak casks), but the wine is kept an extra year in bottle before release.

Tasmania has become such a hot-bed of awesome talent and great wine. As one of Australia's coolest wine growing regions pinot noir and chardonnay have excelled and sparkling wine still proves to be one of its crown jewels. These have been mainstays of the Apple Isle for some time and there looks this to be no stopping the tide of incredible examples of each making their way across the Tasman.

Fast-forward a generation and we are really starting to see what the verdant land can really turn out. In our mind some of the best Euro-styled rieslings are being produced there while the marginal climates and savvy wine-making are turning out some stellar textural pinot gris.

While pinot noir may reign supreme it is other reds like shiraz, that may, in time, prove to be something even more special. Time will tell and while it does we will happily sip our way through all that Tasmania's has to offer.

We start with the NV Delamere sparkling a blend of chard and pinot noir that represents not just some of the oldest plantings in the region but in Tasmania. This is always plays with great harmony structure it gets from the ferrous soils of the region. Textured and fine.

Stefano Lubiano have been making some waves recently with a fantastic set of releases. Their Primavera chard well and over-delivers for the money and we wonder how they can do it at the price they do. Fine and focused but with plenty of palate impact.

Young gun Ricky Evans is making a splash with his modern styled, clean and classic wines. While no doubt his pinots are highly regarded the latest release riesling is an absolute belter. Racy and fresh but with plenty of lush fruit to back it up.

We have two pinot's for the pack and why not? The first is Sailor Seeks horse from Tassies southern most municipality. This revitalised vineyard has been taken to new heights by Gilli and Paul Lipsombe. The second is a relatively newcomer Luna and is right north in the Tamar Valley and another single vineyard wine. Plush and full of energy a svoury finish - you decide which one you like best.

Last off is the Glaetzer-Dixon Mon Pere Shiraz. The 2010, to many people surprise took the coveted Jimmy Watson trophy and the following vintages have proven this was not a flash-in-the-pan. The 2017 is a stellar effort with plum and rip blackberry fruit off-set by a lush, structured palate. Fantastic stuff.

The 2020 Barolo Margheria is a very pretty wine that shows the gentler side of the year. Dried herbs, menthol, incense, new leather and licorice all take shape in the glass. The 2020 is a soft, uncharacteristically open-knit Margheria that will drink well with only minimal cellaring. ANTONIO GALLONI

I like the freshness and vivid red-fruited character. Medium-bodied with firm, slightly chewy tannins. It’s compact and structured with a tense and lively aftertaste. Vivid and bright with hibiscus undertones to the orange and berry character. Try from 2027, but already very pretty. JAMES SUCKLING

The 2019 Barolo Ginestra Vigna del Gris is another terrific wine from Conterno-Fantino. Crushed flowers, cedar, pipe tobacco, mint, dried flowers and worn-in leather give the 2019 striking aromatic presence. Here, too, Fabio Conterno has done a terrific job in taming the Monforte tannins. The Gris never has the completeness of the other crus, but in 2019 it is positively striking. I would drink this ahead of the other 2019s. ANTONIO GALLONI