Koonara 2008 Angel's Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Let's get this straight from the start. Here we have a very good Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon from a family owned winery that is a current release at four years of age. It is concentrated, but with classic regional elegance, and weighs in with just 13.5% alcohol; a lean, fighting machine. It's dark, still a little moody, with classic dark berry and chocolate characters, balanced, not intrusive, oak, dry and with plenty of length and structure. It will almost certainly cellar well. And here's the silly bit (the good bit, actually): this wine is available for $15.95 at cellar door on online and only a couple of bucks more retail. $18. www.koonara.com. light to see how dense it is if you don't believe me.

Wither Hills 2011 Sauvignon Blanc

OK wine snobs. Time to get over yourselves. The reality is a lot of people really enjoy Marlborough sauvignon blanc. A lot of them like to enjoy a bottle or two on a sunny day, or pair some savvy with fresh seafood. Much as you'd prefer them to be drinking arneis, or albarino, the reality is they relish the style of wines the Kiwis make. So if you are looking for a classic and consistently reliable Marlborough sauvignon blanc, nicely put together, with plenty of zing and zest and a good balance between tropical and leaner herbaceous characters you'll almost certainly enjoy this vibrant young wine from one of the region's style leaders. $22. www.witherhills.co.nz.

Lark Hill 2011 Dark Horse Viognier

Several Australian wine producers have had a crack at the white Rhone grape variety viognier - with decidedly mixed results. Far too many end up tasting like an alcoholic version of canned apricot juice. This is a welcome counterpoint to those wines; made with restraint and passion. Lark Hill is a proven success with other aromatic white varieties, including riesling and gruner veltliner, and this wine continues in the same vein. It is floral with appealing fresh stone fruit characters, ginger notes and a hint of citrus. Wild yeast ferment has helped add complexity and texture but the key here is balance - it has only 12.5% alcohol with a refreshing slatey finish. Definitely one of Australia's better viogniers. $25. www.larkhillwine.com.au.  

Highland Brae 2010 Pinot Noir

Richard Tyler's ultra-neat Highland Brae vineyard is tucked away at Braeside, in the hills above Franklin, overlooking the Huon River in southern Tasmania, where he also farms Highland cattle. This new-release wine offers almost comical value for money given the wine (made by talented Nick Glaetzer at Frogmore Creek) has delightfully clean fruit flavours, varietal savoury notes and some impressive textural elements. It has already collected a silver medal at the Royal Hobart Wine Show and is extremely food friendly; we paired it with a rich mushroom soup. It's equally impressive without food, a wine for sipping and contemplating. $20. Email: richard.tyler41@bigpond.com or (03) 6266 3411.

Louee 2011 Nullo Mountain Riesling

Mudgee-based David Lowe, vice-president of the Winemakers Federation of Australia, seems able to turn his talents to fruit from just about any region. Having made his reputation in the warmth of the Hunter Valley, he's now producing some of his best wines from the cool-climate, ultra-high altitude vineyards of Nullo Mountain, outside Rylstone, which stand at 1100 metres above sea level. This is a very lean, austere style of riesling, dry with some cracking natural acidity from a vineyard that is unlike any other within the Mudgee appellation. This is a wine of real character and intensity that weighs in at just 10% alcohol. Lowe predicts it will be potentially long-lived. I love it in its youth. We'll just have to agree to disagree. $25. www.lowewine.com.au.

Derwent Estate 2010 Chardonnay

The chardonnay fruit from the Derwent Estate vineyard in southern Tasmania is second to none, much of it being used in Penfolds' ultra-premium Yattarna blend. This is a delightful new release with the quality and tension of that fruit shining though. Classic stone fruit and citrus flavours work harmoniously but the use of French oak by Julian Alsorso of Winemaking Tasmania hits the dial maybe one notch too hard for my taste. That said, I have no doubt the wine will become tighter-knit as time goes by. Wild yeast barrel ferments, lees stirring and malolactic fermentation all give poise and structure and it is already a lovely drink that can only get better over the next couple of years. $35. www.derwentestate.com.au.

Two Hands 2010 Gnarly Dudes Barossa Shiraz

Made from gnarled old shiraz vines, this is a quintessentially Barossa Valley wine that offers excellent drinking and great value. It's a powerful wine, no doubt, but it handles its 14.8% alcohol with aplomb. There are all the black plum and dark berry characters you'd expect but the volume knob has been turned down in terms of oak and it is the fruit that is singing. It's an elegant wine when compared to many of its contemporaries, soft, easy to drink and very nicely balanced. We drank the whole bottle, which is rarely the case with Barossa shiraz nowadays. $27. www.twohandswines.com.