A dense and linear red with medium to full body, chewy tannins and a slightly extracted finish.

Juicy and savory, this has aromas evoking black-skinned berry, crushed mint, carob and a hint of Mediterranean brush. On the linear, taut palate, dusty tannins accompany juicy blackberry, blueberry and almond. Drink through 2023.

This sports an intriguing core of loganberry and mulled raspberry flavors, with sassafras, menthol and tea accents weaving throughout. Mulled spice details infuse the seductive finish. Distinctive. Drink now through 2028.

The 2018 Anas-Cëtta is very fresh, gracious and light on its feet, with striking aromatic presence. Dried pear, dried flowers, mint and chamomile all grace this racy, very pretty wine.

Cogno's 2017 Barbera d'Alba Bricco dei Merli is dark, sumptuous and wonderfully inviting. Black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice and sweet pipe tobacco add shades of nuance to a Barbera that captures the richness of the year while also retaining a mid-weight sense of structure. Impeccable in its balance, the 2017 has so much to offer.

Well-structured, with notes of underbrush to the burnished dried cherry and berry flavors. Minerally midpalate, revealing a long, rich finish that features a savory focus. Powerful yet elegant. Drink now through 2025.

Within Kumeu's wide range of Chardonnays (after all, this far northern winery has carved its reputation on the variety), its estate wine is the one to go for if drinking young, although it will continue to blossom over the next five to seven years. Exceptionally food-friendly, it offers all the length and class of the upper-tier wines, but with more upfront appeal in the form of bright citrus and pear fruit, white spice and honey. Like with its brethren, the palate stars in the show with texture and acidity striking a graceful balancing act, and with oak taking a back seat.

This is Kumeu's middle-tiered Chardonnay, and it is the most approachable young, yet promises a long and happy life in the cellar. Delicate aromas of honeysuckle, citrus and butterscotch oak characters come together on the palate in a beautifully textural mouthfeel. Length, harmony and precision are all here. Drink now with food or until 2030 at least.

Coming from the oldest of Kumeu's vineyards (1990), this vintage of “Maté” is not in any hurry. It's very quiet, but is at peace with its introspection. It needs to be decanted and sipped practically at room temperature before offering up subtle pear, stone fruit, butterscotch and vanilla bean oak notes, and even then aromas are trumped by the palate, where chalk and cream share a balance beam with pristine acidity and oak that supports but is currently a little drying. There's length and laser focus, though. This just needs a patient owner. Drink 2022–2030.

This vintage of Hunting Hill, from one of New Zealand's most renowned Chardonnay producers, is, like the “Maté,” currently very young and austere. After some time warming in the glass, soft but fairly ripe melon and tropical fruit, along with buttery, vanillin oak characters emerge. Once again, the palate is the star here: Laser-sharp acidity is tempered by a slippery texture and a zing of citrus fruit. But, while the winemaking is solid with nary a hair out of place, there's little in the way of character. It's likely going to take many years before that will show. Drink 2023–2030.

Highly aromatic, grapey and intensely floral – would be too much for some people. Grapey and orange and orange blossom on the palate. So aromatic is is hard to see the volcanic influence. Fresh and extreme in its aromatic quality. I can see why it is called as it is. But it’s surprising the the floral character is still so primary after a few years in bottle.

Full in body, with fleshy, dark berry and currant fruit character, yet there is a great balance between the fruit ripeness and fresh acidity to finish. It’s very clean and pure, an attractive wine that has good ageing potential. A fine Napa Valley blend. So youthful, despite its relative age.

Contoured, with a svelte structure to the pure-tasting flavors of Fuji apple, Bosc pear, peach tart and quince, layered and filled with toasty accents. Wet stone notes show midpalate, leading to a finish that lingers with light buttery details and rich spiciness. Drink now through 2026. 357 cases made.

Big, complex and rich-tasting, with ripe apple, baked pear and quince paste flavors, offering curry spice accents. Toasty notes glide across the palate on the plush, buttery finish. Drink now through 2025. 210 cases made.

Tasted from magnum, the 2015 Sicilia Nero d'Avola Vrucara is a dark and penetrating wine with a chiseled and pungent side that delivers dried cherry and blackberry preserves. There is a point of ripeness, maybe even jammy cherry with lots of inky dark fruit. I knocked off a point or two compared to the previous edition because I am less a fan of that ripeness. You get cherry liqueur or cherry syrup sweetness on the close. However, this remains one of the benchmark bottles for Sicily's banner grape Nero d'Avola.

Powerful, with intense toasty accents to the lithe, pure and structured flavors of fresh-cut Gala apple, lemon curd and dried mango. Exotic spice details show on the creamy, complex finish. Drink now through 2025. 324 cases made.

The 2016 Belle Cousine is another absolutely gorgeous wine in this range from Hyde De Villaine. Ripe plum, mocha, new leather, spice, menthol and grilled herbs infuse the 2016 with striking complexity. Despite its considerable appeal, the 2016 is potent and massively tannic. Time in the glass gives a good idea of what will develop in time; readers should plan on being patient. The Belle Cousine is very clearly a special wine in the making.

The 2017 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard is a blend of Calera and Wente clones, which, along with the decision to pick early, yields a Chardonnay with distinctly salty, saline notes that give the wine energy, tension and persistence. Orchard fruit, white flowers, mint and white pepper add striking aromatic top notes. The 2017 is quiet understated, but it is also just sublime. The 2017 spent 12 months in oak (15% new) and about four months in tank prior to bottling. It is pure class.

The 2017 Pinot Noir Ygnacia Hyde Vineyard is ripe, vibrant and exotic. An explosion of sweet red cherry, plum, lavender, mint, rose petal and cinnamon bursts out of the glass in this exuberant Pinot. The 2017 is decidedly racy, and yet it is also so delicious and so irresistible, that readers will have a hard time keeping their hands off. The 2017 was done with just a touch of whole clusters (8%), but the stems are not especially noticeable.

The 2016 Syrah Californio Hyde Vineyard is a dense, powerful wine that remains very much within the classic style favored here. Inky dark fruit, grilled herbs, menthol, licorice, tobacco and incense add striking layers of nuance to this dark, beautifully resonant Syrah. The 2016 spent 18 months in French oak, 20% of which was new. A reduction of time in barrel by a few months really helps the purity of the fruit come through. This is a superb vintage for the Syrah.