USA

57% Syrah, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 6% Cabernet Fanc, and more (red and white), aged in French oak (18% new). Deep blue/black fruits, plum, cherry, and chocolate, with a little spicy leather and liquorice, and a touch of cured meat. Full-bodied with a plush texture, bags of complex flavours, fruity and sweet, tangy and savoury, with lovely ripe and juicy tannins. A lot to like! 2-7 years

98% Syrah, 2% Viognier aged in French oak (35% new), and enormously impressive, quietly gathering a cult-following. Incredibly deep and dense, loaded with rich blue-black and purple(!) fruits, lots of pressed flowers, resinous notes, wild and savoury pockets, and so spicy, herby, and fragrant. Full bodied, with great energy and a tangy salinity, it pops with bright red fruit detailing, giving a pleasing lift and added dimensions. It has a long life ahead and will prove to be a rare wine indeed. 5-15 years.

A blend of 65% Zinfandel, 16% Carignan, 14% Petite Sirah, 5% Mourvèdre aged for 12 months in mainly old American oak barrels. Rather than a single vineyard expression, this fruit for Three Valleys is sourced from several quality Sonoma AVAs. Espresso, blackberry and raspberry, a hint of sweet tea and fennel, mocha, and baking spices. Medium bodied, ample and juicy, with a Rhône-like garrigue character, supple grainy tannins, and a long fruity finish. Drink 2024-2030+

A blend of 67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignan, 10% Petite Sirah, 3% Mourvèdre aged in a split of one-, two-, and three-year-old American oak barrels for 16 months. Fresh and animated with a core of sweet black cherry fruit, red cherry and raspberry highlights, baking spices, dark flowers, a certain wildness, and toast. Lively but supple, plenty of concentration and a long, tantalising finish. Drink 2025-2035+

With just 30% of the rainfall of an average year, the production of Monte Bello was down by around a third of the norm for this 2021 release. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, aged for 19 months in new oak (92% American, 8% French), this is exceptionally concentrated and offers deep aromas and flavours of blackberry and cassis fruit, a host of pressed dark flowers, exotic spices, wild herbs, and sweet oak. Great levels of fruit, a certain richness but also a purity – great mineral presence and freshness, a pleasing firmness, and a long finish. Drink 2030-2050+

This very limited release of Monte Bello is comprised of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, raised in mainly new American oak, and comes in at 14% vol. Great aromatic quality, floral with a well-defined mix or red and dark berry fruits, cedar, tobacco, and mocha. Structured but the tannins are so fine and polished, the whole is beautifully balanced and shows tremendous length. Monte Bello is always deserving of long-term cellaring. Drink 2030-2050+

Like the Estate Chardonnay, this is a blend from Bentrock and Radian, aged in French oak (20% new) for 11 months. A very pure cherry Pinot nose, pressed spring flowers, a little leaf and pepper, and black plum. The palate is elegant and expressive, layered with spiced red and black fruits, a touch of blood orange, and wild herbs. 2-7 years

A blend which takes in fruit from Bentrock and Radian, a range of clones and matured in mainly old French oak for 11 months. Medium bodied but racy, tense and bright making it feel tighter, there are notes of patisserie and toast, intense citrus, palpable mineral flavours, and lightly creamy white and stone fruits. Great freshness and balance with superb length of flavour. 0-7 years

Bentrock is on less-exposed gentle slopes at 500-700 feet asl, and this is aged with a little more (40%) new French oak. There is a step up in concentration, breadth, and richness, showing more ample and exotic fruit thanks to the radiating effect of the galet-like stones and slate topsoil. Wonderfully fresh, textured, and complex with a mouthwatering salinity on the long finish. 2-9 years

A mix of clones and 25% new oak here, displaying a gorgeous perfume of sweet cherry and raspberry fruit with a darker personality than the Estate Pinot, more blood orange, a little mint, and spicy cedar. There is a compelling generosity to the mid-palate and some muscle; it’s a deliciously expressive, ripe and supple experience and the balance makes it hard to resist now, but it has so much more to give! 3-12 years

12 months in French oak, just 10% new, and a complex mix of clones and blocks from the wild, exposed Radian vineyard. As is often the case here, there is great detailing throughout with a Northern Rhône-like perfume of dark fruit and dark flowers laced with strawberry, raspberry, soft spices and fragrant herbs. This dazzles with energy and brightness, the palate is wonderfully poised and beautifully balanced with layers and layers of complex, long-lasting flavours. Matt reckons this is a legend in the making. 3-12 years

Radian is an extreme vineyard which rises to 1000m asl, it is very exposed, steep, and moon-like, and brings a steely edge with laser focus. No new oak here this time, it’s all about an electrifying vivacity, purity of fruit and drive. There are fascinating delicate aromatic notes of orange blossom, lemongrass, pithy citrus, and honeysuckle, and tantalising complex mineral flavours with some haunting exotic fruits ahead of a moreish, salt-kissed finish. Patience is required for this to show its potential! 3-12 years