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Malbec's traditional home is in France, where it first shone in Bordeaux and is the main grape in Cahors. Nowadays, most malbecs come from Argentina, where the variety has flourished, but Langhorne Creek in South Australia is a another region where the variety shines. This is an absolute standout from a family winery with a 170-year history and a very talented winemaker in Paul Hotker, the 2019 Jimmy Watson trophy winner. This is rich, assertive and full bodied, with violet, dark berry and olive aromas, powerful cassis fruit with savoury naunces and a firm structure that suggests long-term cellaring might be in order. It's a bloody delicious drop. $69. www.bleasdale.com.au
A lot of wine drinkers are not particularly adventurous. They know they love chardonnay, or perhaps old clarets, and that's all they drink. Perhaps that is why roussanne, a Rhone white grape variety rarely grown in Australia, remains very much under the radar. A pity, as roussanne is vibrant in its youth but also has a capacity for aging gracefully, unlike sauvignon blanc and other popular white grapes. Yangarra, in McLaren Vale, make two different styles of roussanne, of which this lively - but savoury and textural - offering is my favourite. Farmed organically and biodynamically on sandy ironstone gravels, this is wild fermented and spent seven months in older oak with lees stirring. Think white stone fruit and honeyed notes with a Led Zeppelin-style richness. $35. www.yangarra.com.au.
