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Attention to detail in the vineyard has been paying huge dividends for Pooley Wines in recent vintages - with their Coal River Valley vineyards producing some of Tasmania's most exciting and reliable pinots. This is a great each way bet, drinking beautifully in its first year of release with vibrant black and red fruit flavours, but also blessed with tannin structure that suggests it will cellar well for several years to come. It is aromatic and spicy with bright fruit allied to intriguing savoury notes. A chance to see why Tasmanian pinots are all the rage - without breaking the bank. $35. www.pooleywines.com.au.
Veteran Clare Valley vigneron Tim Adams hits a double bullseye with this. It's not only mind-blowingly enjoyable, it is also a tremendous bargain as it can generally be found for under $20. This is a classic Clare dry riesling but an x-factor. It is aromatic with zingy lime and lemon zest zaniness on the palate and searing natural acidity on the very cleansing palate. Adams reckons this will cellar for a decade or more. I say phooey - it's just too refreshing not to drink it right now. It reminded me of drinking straight from a fresh mountain stream - and it paired brilliantly with pan-fried snappper. Absolutely fabulous - and just 11.5% alcohol. It's almost a health drink! $20. www.timadamswines.com.au.
The wines from the Orange region in the Central West of New South Wales can be quite spectacular - and this is a case in point; a stunningly good cool-climate shiraz that is peppery, elegant and has plenty of thought-provoking texture. It's not a wine for lovers of blockbusters, but rather for those who prefer reds that can be sipped and savoured. It has plenty of sweet ripe plummy fruit, judicious oak, and is only medium-bodied with just 13.5% alcohol. This has the architecture to age well. I liked this a lot. MCC, by the way, stands for Mount Canobolas Collection - the reserve wines in the Printhie range. $36. www.printhiewines.com.au
Another wine with a crazy name from the fun-loving crew at Zonte's Footstep, who source fruit from vineyards across South Australia. It is named after the "Lake Doctor", a wind that causes temperatures to drop late in the day at Lake Alexandrina, which is overlooked by the Adelaide Hills vineyard from which the fruit is sourced for this really lovely pinot grigio; crisp and fresh, zingy and delicious. There is some really lovely acid here - it's sharper than Christopher Pyne's tongue - but also some softness with delightful ripe pear notes. A terrific summer wine, with or without food, and outrageously good value at $18. www.zontesfootstep.com.au
