RIDGE VINEYARDS Geyserville Zinfandel blend, Alexander Valley

DOMAINE DES COMTES LAFON Du Milieu1er cru, Volnay-Santenots

CLARENDON HILLS Brookman Vineyard Merlot, McLaren Vale Clarendon Hills’ Brookman Vineyard is among the highest in McLaren Vale, 250m higher and 10km north-east of the McLaren Vale township. The vines were planted on clay soils in the late 1960s and are dry-grown. Grapes are hand-picked 2-3 weeks later than on the flats, following a long, mild and generally consistent ripening period. Fermentation as whole berries, using wild yeasts, precedes 18 months maturation in tight-grained French Oak, 85% new, the rest between one and four years old. The final wine is a barrel selection. Brookman Merlot is noted for mulberry and blackcurrant fruit, spice and Christmas cake aromas, opulence, richness of flavour and softness with finely balanced tannins.

One of the longest-lived white wines in France, the extremely rare M.Chapoutier Ermitage de lOrée is a single varietal Marsanne sourced from a single vineyard Murets plot at the eastern edge of the Hill of Hermitage. Orée means edge in French and is also a reference to the colour of the wine as or in French means gold. Rich, full-bodied and immensely complex, Ermitage de lOrée has the structure and concentration to age often well beyond 50 years.

This is a stylish village wine from the 0.645 ha parcel of the En la rue de Vergy vineyard in the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis. Located just above the les Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru vineyard, this plot is truly remarkable for the soil is non-existent. Instead the vines are planted directly on the calcareous bedrock where they have over the years, established extremely deep roots in order to seek out water and nutrients. Typically wines from this parcel are round and silky with more upfront fruit and moderate acidity.