Since coming onto the scene in 2005, Flat Rock Cellars has been knocking 'em out of the park with every wine in their lineup. Racking up critical and consumer acclaim, this winery appears to do no wrong. Expect equally great things from this racy, peach/lime-scented and flavoured 2006 Riesling.

Maleta Winery's playful Grape Brain Riesling label immediately pulls you into the joyful and sensuous world of wine. Your brain, the control centre for your senses, is where wine is fully experienced. Maleta's talented winemaker, Arthur Harder, has created a Riesling that is loaded with peach, apricot and pear aromas and flavours. It is medium dry, but a layer of crisp acidity makes it seem drier in the mouth. See? Your brain really does control all your perceptions.

This fragrant sweet wine has a gorgeous collection of aromas, including strawberry, blackberry and sweet plum. Its sweetness is perfectly balanced by a seam of acidity. Enjoy this terrific wine with fruit-based cheesecake.

A favourite of VINTAGES customers, Cakebread Cellars is known for its ability to straddle the line between New and Old World styles. This Chardonnay displays flavours of green apple, melon and hints of spicy oak. The rich and creamy mouth-feel is balanced by crisp acidity which will allow the wine to evolve with time in the cellar. If you cannot wait, try it tonight with rich seafood like lobster or scallops.

VINTAGES Essentials Collection

CONUNDRUM (V)
California  

This fascinating off-dry wonder brilliantly blends together Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Viognier and Muscat Canelli. The amazing thing about this wine is that you can actually experience every grape they use. A wide array of aromas and flavours such as melons, oranges, pears, vanilla, grass and more intertwine in this multi-layered and well-balanced white. A delightful match for spicy Asian dishes such as Thai green curry chicken or even fiery jerk chicken.

Santa Barbara is the most recent 'hot spot' in the California wine firmament. Here, the warm southern California climate is balanced by the influences of cool coastal fogs. This ripe and flavourful Chardonnay is well-balanced by crisp acidity. It is a great choice for roast chicken, freshwater fish or pasta in a white sauce.

In only its second vintage, Toasted Head has already exhibited a deft hand at crafting Viognier. This wine is loaded with fresh mango, lychee, peach and hazelnut aromas and flavours. Match this wine to spicy shrimp or calamari dishes.

The Marnier-Lapostolle family, of Grand Marnier fame, has been involved in winemaking for generations. The same uncompromising approach to quality that has made their liqueur a world-wide success is applied to this winemaking endeavour. The exotic fruit and mineral aromas lead to a palate that is crisply dry, fresh and fruity. It will perfectly complement a salmon steak.

The Torres family acquired the Santa Digna property in 1979 and immediately set about modernizing and expanding the winery and the vineyard. Today, they have over 600 acres (245 ha) of vineyards. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is made without oak contact to retain as much of the bright lemon/peach fruitiness, grass and chive flavours and aromas as possible. Enjoy this wine with lightly seasoned pan-fried freshwater fish or grilled prawns.

The skins were cold soaked on the juice for about 24 hours. The resulting wine is pretty in pink with quite rich and intense aromas and flavours of morello cherry, wild strawberry and a hint of spring flowers. It is barely off-dry with a round, fruity finish. A great sipping wine, or enjoy with pan-fried freshwater fish.

This is one of two exciting Verdelhos from the Hunter Valley in this release (see also James Estate's, 031377, $15.95). Verdelho is native to Portugal and was originally planted in Australia when the local wine industry was dominated by sweet fortified wines. Today, winemakers in the Hunter Valley use this variety to craft fascinating dry white wines such as this one. Medium-bodied and well-balanced, it features pineapple, pear and tropical fruit aromas and flavours along with a hint of spice. Enjoy it with spicy Asian dishes.

This award-winning Verdelho offers terrific value with loads of peach and tropical fruit characteristics leading to a long, savoury finish. Fresh and fruity, this medium-bodied wine would match well with a fresh summer salad or seafood stir-fry.

Juniper Crossing, Juniper Estate's second label, offers terrific value wines made in a ready-to-drink style. This well-made Shiraz delivers ripe, round black fruit flavours with some peppery spice and vanilla oak notes. Smooth and balanced, it would be perfect with gourmet burgers, lamb kebabs or a juicy steak hot off the barbie.

The Langmeil property, dating back to 1841, lays claim to some of the oldest-known surviving vineyards in Australia. This wine honours Christian Auricht who planted the first vines at Langmeil in the 1840s. A blacksmith by trade, his shop has been preserved at the winery. Today, winemaker Paul Linder crafts this Cab in a rich and generous fruit-forward style. Aged for two years in French oak (20% new), this full-bodied Cab is loaded with blackberry and black currant aromas and flavours with notes of chocolate and a soft creamy texture.

Magpie Estates is a collaboration between UK wine merchant Noel Young and the Barossa Valley winemaking star Rolf Binder. Aged mostly in seasoned French and American oak barrels, this Grenache offers a big rich mouthfeel dominated by flavours of red berries, plums and white spice supported by some meaty tannins. A great match for slow-cooked barbecued brisket, smothered in a tangy sauce.

This is the first vintage of Domain Day's One Serious Rosé. Established in 2000, Domain Day is quickly developing a reputation for producing flavourful wines with quirky names that actually live up to the hype. For years, Robin Day worked as a winemaker at Orlando Wines producing a wide-range of products. That experience served him well when he came to launch his own company. With his attention to detail, expect this to be, well, one serious rosé.

New to our market, Lawson's Dry Hills is a family-owned winery established in 1992. As with many Kiwi wineries, the Lawsons began their vinous life in 1980 as grape growers before turning to winemaking 12 years later. Their first wine was a Gewurztraminer. They now produce a full range of wines, including this black cherry- and spice-scented Pinot. A fine wine to enjoy with cedar planked salmon. The winery also claims to be the first in the world to seal all their wines under screwcaps.

The long, moderate 2003 vintage in Gisborne allowed the Merlot grapes to mature slowly, gathering structure, elegance and fruit flavour. The wines were then given 12 months in French barriques. Enjoy this red berry-, plum-, leather- and chestnut-scented wine with basil, red pepper and porcini mushroom risotto.

The cool climate of the Marlborough region is extremely well suited for producing the 'heartbreak grape'. The latest vintage from Oyster Bay is fresh and fragrant, full of ripe cherry, plum and strawberry flavours with soft, subtle oak notes (it spent six months in French oak). Serve it with roast duck or goose for a match made in heaven.

Rozier Bay is a relatively new line for Mount Rozier. Its portfolio currently includes Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and this tropical fruity and lightly oaked Chardonnay. Enjoy this luscious wine with grilled salmon steaks.

Since VINTAGES first introduced Porcupine Ridge Syrah in January 2005, it has shown spectacular consistency through the 2003, 2004 and 2005 VINTAGES. This 2006 is bound to impress too. Loaded with blackberry and pepper, it is fruity but nicely balanced by tannins and crisp acidity. Drink it tonight with lamb or cellar for 2-4 years and see how it develops.

New to our market, Swartland Winery is celebrating its 60th anniversary next year. This is an old-style co-op that has very recently reinvented itself as a state-of-the-art property. Satisfying its 60 owners has been a challenge, but they have managed to achieve remarkable results. This Cabernet/Merlot has layers of vanilla and berry fruit held together by a nice streak of tannin. Enjoy it tonight with rare steaks or cellar it a further 2-4 years.

This is a classic dry Riesling with fresh and fruity aromas of peach and lime juice as well as a mineral note. It has a racy and crisp fruity medium-bodied palate and would be an excellent match for grilled tuna steaks, Alsatian onion tart or mild pork sausage.

Owned by Frédéric Bellanger of Château Roquefort fame, this 100% Merlot is part of the vanguard of 'garagiste' wines. Also known as 'vin de garage', these wines are made by individualists who push the boundaries of terroir to create deeply flavoured wines. This super-ripe, opulent wine is a great match for very rich beef, lamb or wild game dishes. For another example of the garagistes' artistry, see Château Coucy 2003 (046516, $28.95), below.

Owned for generations by the Mauréze family, Château Coucy produces forward, flavourful wines. The Maurèzes ramped up the fruit and the structure when they brought on board Jean-Luc Thunevin, godfather of the garagiste movement, as consulting winemaker. Garagistes produce fruit-forward, rich wines by employing serious yield reduction, micro-oxygenization and long macerations.

Château Haut-Guiraud's Péché du Roy (Fish of the King) is so named because King Louis XIV (1642-1715) loved to fish at this estate. The 2004 vintage is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine, fit for a king, is ripe and round with a good structure brought to the fore by the 14 months spent ageing in new French barriques.

This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc is aged in 50/50 new French oak and stainless steel. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, thus preserving as much of the forward fruitiness as possible. Philippe Magrez, the son of Château Pape-Clément-owner Bernard Magrez, has owned the estate since the spring of 2005. His aim is to create wines that not only meet the high standards of the AC, but exceed them. This 2004 Plaisance does just that. Age it 3-5+ years or enjoy it tonight with grilled steaks.

A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Malbec, this wine, from the hot 2003 vintage, is fleshy and silky in the mouth with aromas of cassis, plum and cedar tones. It is still youthful and will reward 2-5+ years in a cellar, or try it tonight with rare beef or lamb dishes.

Moulin à Vent is arguably Beaujolais's finest sub-region. The wines are renowned for maturing beautifully for five years or more in a cellar. They are sometimes mistaken for Burgundian Pinot Noirs in blind tastings. This version, grown in a distinct area with granite and sand soil called Les Caves, is aged for 10 months in oak before bottling. The wine is rich and flavourful with a firm streak of tannin suggesting good ageing potential (2-4 years). Enjoy it tonight, if you must, with rare lamb or veal dishes.

The ever energetic Anne Parent told me that 2005 wasn't a vintage where "you had to be a great winemaker to make great wine. I did absolutely nothing during the vinification except stand there and watch. The tannins are so refined and the colors extracted so easily that there really was nothing to do except monitor things to make sure that all was as it should be." (Allen Meadows, www.burghound.com, April 1, 2007)

For years, Maison Champy has been known as a staunch Burgundian traditionalist, creating wines for the very long haul. Beginning with the 2005, they have cut back on the new wood and no longer heat the must after fermentation. As a result, the fruit aromas and flavours are fresher and the tannins are silkier. These wines, such as this single vineyard Clos de Bully, are now designed for enjoyment over the next 10 years rather than 10 to 20 years down the road.

Savigny-Lès-Beaune distinguishes itself by the spicy character of its 'goût de terroir'. The village itself sits tucked away in a little valley between Pernand and Beaune, and the vineyards for the appellation are planted on two hills with different exposures. To the north is the Vergelesses slope, producing delicate and perfumed wines, while to the south is the beginning of the Beaune 'Côte'. The wines from the latter tend to have that much more structure. Drouhin's Savigny-lès-Beaune is fermented in both open wooden and stainless steel fermenters. This cherry- and plum-scented wine is elegant and flavourful with ripe tannins giving balance. Cellar it for 3+ years or enjoy it tonight with rare veal chops.

Orca is Latin for amphora, the Roman vessel for storing wines. Orca III is so named because it is the third vintage of this wine. Aromas of blackberry, leather and raspberry dominate this balanced but fruity wine. Cellar it 1-3 years or enjoy it tonight with grilled duck breast or shoulder of lamb.

La Forêt is a blend of the indigenous Négrette (45%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Syrah (25%). The wine goes through fruit-enhancing and tannin-mellowing micro-oxygenation and acid-softening malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine is full of flavours and aromas, including raspberry, blackberry, cassis, dark chocolate, licorice and a hint of tar. Serve it with grilled steaks, backribs or gourmet sausages.

Tavel produces some of the richest, yet driest rosés on the market. They work beautifully as a sipper and are quite adaptable to a variety of foods such as grilled chicken, sea-food salads, bouillabaisse or pork tenderloin. The Perrin 2006 vintage is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Cinsault.

La Tunella is considered one of Friuli's Pinot Grigio specialists, and this dry, fresh and well-balanced wine is a superb example. The aromas suggest smoky pear, apple and hint of wet earth. It is dry and medium-bodied with a long, vibrant finish. A fine complement for veal scallopini, grilled tiger shrimp or herbed chicken.

Planeta is one of Italy's most fashionable wineries. Their inexpensive, internationally-styled blend of Nero d'Avola, Merlot and Syrah offers playful aromas of blackberries and cedar with added spice notes on the palate. It has a soft, charming mouthfeel. A great wine with gourmet sausages or simple grilled meats.

The Mazzei family of Tuscany (Fonterutoli) have ventured down to Sicily for this exciting, blackberry-, cherry-, plum- and vanilla-scented wine. This marks the second vintage for Zisola, and if the reviews for the first are any indication - 90 from Parker and Wine Enthusiast - the future looks very bright. Made with Nero d'Avola and aged for 10 months in new French oak.

Consistently one of the most sought after wines, Tignanello is a must for any cellar. 'Tig' is considered one of the best Italian wines racking up numerous awards and accolades with each and every vintage. This rich and spicy blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc is loaded with blackberry, coffee, tar and truffle aromas. More powerful than a locomotive, generally it should be cellared for two to ten years. This faster-maturing half bottle is perfect for that dinner for two with a grilled beef tenderloin.

Ruit Hora translates as roughly "time is running away". Presumably, the producer is saying "don't waste time" on bad wines. This masterful 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is matured for 10-12 months in new French barriques. To soften the acids, it is allowed to go through full malolactic fermentation. The resulting wine displays aromas of cassis, cherry, vanilla, coffee and dark chocolate. A hint of tannin adds structure and elegance to the wine. Cellar it 3+ years or enjoy it tonight with rare cuts of beef or lamb.

Mostly Sangiovese with a bit of Colorino, Colognole's Chianti is aged for 12 months in barrel and then spends another six in bottle before release. Though Chianti Classico receives much deserved praise, Chianti Rufina is quietly gaining a solid reputation of its own. Many believe, even though these wines are generally softer than the Classico versions, they have the ability to age longer. This version is an ideal candidate for mid-term ageing 3-5 years.

Fausto Maculan is a man with a plan. He aims to enhance the character definition of his range of wines without making radical changes to the production philosophy that has made the name Maculan appreciated around the world. (Gambero Rosso Italian Wines 2004). This unfined and unfiltered wine is dominated by aromas and flavours such as blueberry, cherry, camomille tea and spices. It is fruit-forward and ideal for roast beef with root vegetables.