This is a fragrant pinotage, showing mint-chocolate, cedar, cherry, spiced-plum and nutmeg aromas. Firm, spicy and full-bodied on the palate with firm yet ripe tannins and a long, spicy and focused finish. Better after 2025 [and will last into early 2030s]. Score - 94. (Claire Nesbitt, jamessuckling.com, Sept. 4, 2024)
Extremely bright flowers and citrus with graphite, currants and blueberries. The nose is like going into a flower shop. Medium- to full-bodied with extremely polished tannins that caress your palate. Firm at the finish, which tells you that there is plenty coming in the future. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 25% malbec, 9% carmenere, 6% petit verdot. Try after 2028, but already open and enticing. Score - 98. (jamessuckling.com, Feb. 12, 2024)
Always a great value, this is a reliably vibrant wine, with floral, nutty, fig, smoke and pear notes, gentle sweetness and a long, intense finish. Pair with deep-fried calamari, or pork roast with crispy crackling.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. A showcase for Coonawarra: complex black and red fruits mingle with savoury black olives and earthy tones, with fine tannins and a peppery lift at the end. Score - 95. (Decanter World Wine Awards, 2025)
Off-dry, aromatic and graceful, with notes of peach, spring blossoms, lemon and mineral. Pair with spicy Thai or Indian food, chicken in a cream sauce, or semi-sweet cheesecake.
The eighth in a line of winemakers, Laurent Miquel joined the family tradition by transforming their Viognier plantings into an accessible, high-quality product. You can feel the passion for the grape variety in this wine, with its lovely flavours of yellow apple and tangerine accented by hints of sunflower seeds and honeysuckle.
Albariño is the flagship white wine for Garzón and was actually the first variety planted on the property. The grape thrives in Maldonado, where the region's soil and its proximity to the sea are similar to those of Albariño's home in Spain's Galicia region. The wine offers lovely stone fruit with a mineral undertone.
Aromas of black plums, vanilla and smoke set the scene for cassis, blackberry, milk chocolate, dried sage leaf and black olive flavors. This wine is full-textured, with polished tannins and a well-balanced acidity that lingers into a vivid, black-pepper infused finish. Score - 92. (Mike DeSimone, Wine Enthusiast, March 1, 2024)
Here's a naranjo with a vivid, light orange hue that you don't come across very often. Very perfumed nose with orange blossoms, jasmine tea, white grapes and orange jelly. Medium- to full-bodied with some subtle, lightly grainy tannins and a floral finish. Drink now. Score - 91. (Zekun Shuai, jamessuckling.com, March 1, 2024)
A blend of Gamay, Merlot and Pinot Gris, this sunny, engaging rosé is bursting with red berry, lemon and grapefruit tones. Its fine structure makes it a great option for salmon or chicken from the grill, or simply for sipping and savouring.
Though not believed to be native to Rueda, Verdejo has truly flourished there and is grown virtually nowhere else. It's often blended with Viura or Sauvignon Blanc, but this example is 100% Verdejo. It shows pear, grapefruit, tropical fruit, and garden herbs and is ideal for sushi.
This wine is 100% Garganega Veronese. Its fine structure and texture come from the lees contact that follows its fermentation in stainless steel. A fresh, tangy wine, with pear, peach, tropical fruit, subtle herbal and vanilla tones, and a characteristic almond note. Great for barbecued seafood.
The 2022 The Standish Shiraz is again providing me with the opportunity to assess bottles two days apart, and how different they are. The freshly opened bottle, as we would all experience upon our first opening, is tight and fresh, with cracked fennel seed, black peppercorns, cumin and ras el'hanout, then dried blueberries and licorice, hints of arnica and raspberry. It's cool and mineral, with a graphite finish. I cannot overstate how much better the wine tastes after two days. All of the edges smooth out, and it is composed and complete ... what a wine. Balance and harmony in a single swoop. It's savory, though. Super. 14.9% alcohol, sealed under natural cork and foil. Drink date: 2024-2047. Score - 98. (Erin Larkin, robertparker.com, May 9, 2024)
Aged for 13 months in barrels, 30% new and the rest of various uses, this malbec from Altamira, in the Uco Valley, has a pronounced accent on floral notes, something that is common in many malbecs from the area. Here, it is also accompanied by a lot of ripe red and black fruit, to a degree that does not become tiresome. The tannins create a firm texture with enough strength to support the weight. A delicious example of mountain malbec, a fresh Andean breeze to accompany grilled meats. [Will evolve into the mid-2030s+.] Score - 95. (Patricio Tapia, guiadescorchados.cl, 2025)
Inspired by the oaked Sauvignon Blancs of Bordeaux and Pouilly-Fumé, Hidden Bench uses estate fruit from Rosomel Vineyard in Beamsville Bench and ferments the wine in 100% French oak, of which 20% was new, 20% second fill, 7% third fill and the remainder neutral. Look for lovely grassy and hay notes, with hazelnut, peach, grapefruit, citrus, oak spice, and a flinty edge. Pair with seafood.
This Cabernet Franc rosé is a lively, refreshing expression of the Beamsville Bench that offers up a host of complex ripe red berry, rhubarb, apple, watermelon and spice. Fun and serious in one, it's great for outdoor dining and will pour well with barbecued seafood, summer salads, or vegetarian pasta dishes.