Atticus 2006 Chardonnay

From the winemaking team at Chapman Grove in Margaret River comes this stunningly good chardonnay. A single vinyard wine fermented in French oak barrels, this is a chardy with all the bells and whistles. It is beautifully developed and ready to be enjoyed thanks to layer upon layer of flavours. There's great white stone-fruit characters with hints of nuts and toast adding complexity. A beautiful wine made in the Burgundian style - it would be sensational with a roast pork loin. $50.

Baillieu Vineyards 2008 Pinot Noir

Kathleen Quealy is an exceptionally talented winemaker who crafts fine wines for several labels on the Mornington Peninsula. This is a pinot for those who like their wines on the bolder side of the spectrum. It's from a warm year, which is reflected in the intense dark cassis fruit flavours, but it also has lovely balance, with hinuts of earthiness and oak in the background but playing a key role. My wife fell in love with this instantly - I took time to come around but was eventually captivated as well. $35.

Swinging Bridge 2008 Shiraz

This was one of my favourite wines from a recent trip to Canowindra and Orange in the Central West of NSW - and it's all the more meritorious because it follows in the footsteps of the much-awarded 2007 shiraz, which is all but sold out. Winemakers Chris Derrez and Tom Ward have got it right again with a wine that has excellent complexity but is also very easy to drink. Dark berries and spice characters are prominent and this has already won a gold medal at the Royal Sydney Wine Show. Excellent value for $20.

Paxton 2008 MV Shiraz

The Paxton vineyards in McLaren Vale are farmed using biodynamic principles and the wines certainly shimmer with bright fruit. This is made from old vines and is a lovely shiny wine with appealing spicy dark berry characters, minimal oak and a delightfully silkly palate. Despite being the product of a warm year, the alcohol is relatively restrained at 14% thanks to the fruit having been picked early. Available from Dan Murphy's stores and a very good buy for $20.