Vasse Felix 2025 Classic Dry Red

 

We are in bargain basement territory here with the new release of a "drink now" red from one of Margaret River's pioneering wineries. Previously made using shiraz grapes, this is now a slurpable cabernet sauvignon-driven blend (there's also some merlot and malbec in the mix) with vibrant fresh fruit flavours the driving force. Estate grown and made to meet the growing demand for lighter, uncomplicated red wines, this is unoaked, saw wild yeast fermentation and spent eight months in stainless steel tanks before release. Immediately approachable at 13.5% alcohol, it would be a fine choice for a barbecue, or pasta night with friends. $20. www.vassefelix.com.au 

Unico Zelo 2025 Pastafarian

Fresh and vibrant, this Clare Valley sangiovese from innovator Brendan Carter and the team at Unico Zelo in the Adelaide Hills is disarmingly drinkable. I had had a couple of sips with my spaghetti bolognaise and the bottle was mysteriously half empty. That might be because this is the unofficial wine of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or be simply because it is a damn good drink. Distributed by Franc About Wine, the most recent vintages have been sangiovese based after the wine started out as a nebbiolo. Looking for a wine to take to your local pizza or pasta joint? You've come to the right place. $36. https://www.unicozelo.com.au/

Hurley Vineyard 2024 Garamond Pinot Noir

 

The 2024 Hurley Vineyard Garamond Pinot Noir is my favourite pinot of the year so far. The other three Hurley wines from the vintage are all outstanding, but this one has that faint tinge of rusticity that distinguishes the great burgundies. I've been enjoying wines from this tiny domain for close to a quarter of a century now; this is the 24th vintage from legal eagles Kevin Bell and Tricia Byrnes and during that time their pinots have become much sought-after by aficionados. This is my pick of the three individual vineyards, which comprise just 3.5 hectares on the Mornington Peninsula. All fruit is estate grown and all wines made on sight by Bell, a former Victorian Supreme Court judge. This is basket pressed and bottled after 20 months French oak with zero fining or filtrations. Super satisfying. A wine of balance, style and character well worth splashing out on. $130. www.hurleyvineyard.com.au 

Cote Mas 2024 Syrah

 

Bastille Day is just around the corner on July 14 and what better way to celebrate France's national day on a budget than with this excellent Languedoc syrah from innovative French winemaker Jean-Claude Mas, also known as the Arrogant Frog? This is delightfully easy to drink: what Mas describes as describes as "expressive and accessible".  It reflects the sunshine of the south of France with its generous flavours, but also offers some chic style and suppleness on the finish. You could pair this with anything from a barbecue to a picnic - and the price is certainly right at $17.99 at Dan Murphy's stores. https://www.cote-mas.fr/en/  

Penfolds 50-Year-0ld Rare Aged Tawny

Do you have long arms, deep pockets and a serious love of richly textured fortified wines? The ninth series of Penfolds 50 Year Old Rare Tawny is one for serious collectors with only 333 bottles to be released. I was lucky enough to try the new release from numbered bottle No.1 at Magill Estate. This is a symbol of Penfolds heritage, drawing many very old vintages, so while it carries a minimum average age of 50 years, the blend incorporates several historically significant components. Bottles are hand blown and hand filled. This is amber coloured, seductive and succulent with nutty hints and toffee apple goodness. Downright delicious. I enjoyed it with sticky date pudding. So should you. $3500. www.penfolds.com

Longview 2023 Macclesfield Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Here's an impressive winter red from a star producer in the Adelaide Hills; a wine that ticks a lot of boxes. The estate vineyard produces wines of style and substance at very fair prices and this one showed a disturbing evaporation problem as the bottle level dipped at an alarming rate. It offers classic cooler-climate cabernet character with blackcurrant and French herb notes on a dry palate. This is dark, cedary and gently spicy. Made in small quantities, so cellar door is probably the best place to access. This would pair brilliantly with roast lamb en croute or calves' liver with onions. $48. https://www.longviewvineyard.com.au/ 

The Drover 2025 Pinot Grigio

 

Who says it is hard to find a wine bargain nowadays? This bright and breezy pinot grigio from Dee Vine Estate won the trophy for the best gris/grigio at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show, beating entries from some of the biggest names in the business. Wine show results don't necessarily count for a lot, but I've tasted this and it is crisp, clean and fresh with some zingy acid on the finish, making it ideal for pairing with Thai or Korean cuisine, or with fresh shellfish. The fruit comes from the Riverina and it was clearly picked at the right time for vibrancy and flavour. No oak was involved, so I'd serve it chilled right now while it is still so perky. Here's the good news:  the price is just $8 a bottle. https://www.deevineestate.com/the-drover/the-drover-pinot-grigio    

Terre a Terre 2022 Crayeres Vineyard Reserve

 

Terre a Terre has built a formidable reputation for higher echelon South Australian reds with just a touch of French swagger added by winemaker Xavier Bizot. From the first sniff and sip this identified itself as something special; a wine of style and substance to grace any dinner table. Think length, power and balance with dark fruits to the fore. This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (66%,) shiraz (17%) and dollop of cabernet franc - a classic Claret style made entirely from estate fruit grown at Wrattonbully on the Limestone Coast. I liked this a lot and gave it 97 points. Pair with Moroccan roast lamb.  $90. https://terreaterre.com.au/

Curly Flat 2025 White Pinot

 
Here is something a little bit different from outstanding Macedon Ranges producer Curly Flat - a rosé style that is effectively a white wine made from a red wine grape. Using only free-run juice, it is fermented with wild yeasts and aged in old oak puncheons. Lightly salmon coloured, it is a pale, composed and very dry wine with bright acid on a brisk, refreshing finish. Pair with a chicken pie, or a vegetable quiche, or share with friends and challenge them to identify the grape. An unusual marriage that delivers lovely drinking. Best enjoyed lightly chilled. $34. https://curlyflat.com/

 

Brokenwood Graveyard Vineyard 2024 Shiraz

 

Some wines sing. This is a Pavarotti extravaganza. The new vintage of the Hunter Valley's standout red will be released in June - and it is a star turn - a wine of concentration, structure and distinction. The Pokolbin vineyard grapes, from vines that are 56 years old, are aided and abetted by 100% French oak (15% new), which is soaked up by the quality fruit.  Very composed, impeccably balanced. Dark with layers of flavours; and sensual, savoury notes. This is elegant but rounded; precise and very sexy. An icon from winemaker Stuart Hordern and his team that gets 98 points from me. Wish I could afford a bottle or two to put away as this is a brilliant cellaring prospect for the next three decades. $500. www.brokenwood.com.au

Pewsey Vale 2025 Riesling

 

Walk into any wine shop and you are likely to be confronted by a bewildering array of choices. Some days you might feel like experimenting; others you might want to be assured you are getting a familiar favourite that always delivers. The Hill-Smith family has been producing the dry Pewsey Vale riesling since 1847 - using fruit from a lovely vineyard in the hills of the Eden Valley in the Barossa. Year in, year out this single site wine delivers excellent drinking for under $30 - think intense aromas with a melange of citrus, leading to bright acid and stunning length on the palate. After a few months in bottle this is sitting in a very comfortable space and would pair with anything from fresh Tassie oysters to salt and pepper squid. $28.

Shaw + Smith 2023 Shiraz

 

Love red wines with flavour and personality but a little over, big, clumsy, over-oaked shirazes? This excellent wine from the Adelaide Hills exemplifies modern, cooler-climate shiraz. It's stylish with a bit of swagger and very food friendly. Shaw + Smith is now in its fifth decade and delivers top-notch wines across the board. This one has bright berry/dark cherry energy, deftly judged oak in the background, and impressive medium-bodied balance with subtle savoury and spice notes. I'd pair this with lamb chops and roasted Mediterranean vegetables. $59. www.shawandsmith.com.  

Port Phillip Estate 2025 Pinot Nouveau

 

Port Phillip Estate makes a whole swag of Mornington Peninsula wines more serious than this one; wines crafted for sipping and savouring, and in many cases for cellaring. This is none of those things. Tim Perrin and his winemaking team have created a fresh, youthful style of pinot noir made to be enjoyed in the style of Beaujolais - perhaps slightly chilled. This is a wine for immediate enjoyment; one to be slurped, perhaps with a barbecue, or perhaps just on an autumn day. Because. Red fruits, juiciness and lots of fun. Pair with a gourmet sausage roll, or a slice of vegetable quiche.  $32. https://www.portphillipestate.com.au/   

Marnong Estate 2025 Single Vineyard Montepulciano

Montepulciano is one of the most popular red grapes in Italy, second only to sangiovese, and it is widely grown across the centre and south of the country. Here, Marnong Estate winemaker Alex Beckett has produced an impressive version from the Sunbury region of Victoria, one of a band of new releases for winter. It is, typically for the variety, dark coloured and deeply flavoured with blackcurrant and herb notes ahead of blackberry intensity and savoury/deli notes. Perfect for pairing with a winter casserole, perhaps starring rabbit or mushroom. $37. marnongestate.com.au

Oakridge 2025 Meunier

 

This is a fun, affordable, dangerously drinkable light red with a serious point of difference. It is made from 100% Yarra Valley pinot meunier, a grape that is a mutant of its cousin pinot noir and is often used as a minimal component of sparkling wines. Three weeks on skins and time in French oak add substance to what is a very food-friendly style. We paired ours with Middle Eastern pita pockets (one lamb, one falafel) and they matched a treat. Aromatic with bright fruit here, along with hints of spice and instant palate appeal. Lovely stuff. $35.  https://oakridgewines.com.au/       

Clonakilla 2024 Shiraz Viognier

 

You'll need to get a wriggle on if you want to secure some bottles of the new release of this cult favourite - available from Thursday. A wine of impressive energy and flow, it is high on quality with deep, dark spice notes to the fore, but volumes are low after a difficult year marked by severe frosts. From Murrumbateman, outside Canberra, this cool-climate classic offers harmonious fruit/spice notes and fabulous length. "It is undoubtedly one of the great SV vintages for us, but one made in more limited quantities than usual," the Kirk family, which has been pioneering winemaking in the region since 1971, says. This is certainly worth a splurge - and a spell in the cellar for those who are so inclined. $130. https://clonakilla.com.au/

Kooyong 2025 Clonale Chardonnay

If you like your chardonnays big, oaky, aged, leesy and yeasty then please look elsewhere. If, however, your preference is for vibrant, fresh, pure young chardonnays in the Chablis mould then this will be right up your alley. Full of carefree exuberance, there is subtle, mainly older French oak laying down the background vibe, but this is all about a zingy citrus tang, hints of rockmelon and plenty of acidity and length. is a blend of Chardonnay from Tuerong and Balnarring vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula that would pair well with anything from a pork chop to a bowl of paella. A very good wine for $38. https://www.portphillipestate.com.au/

Mr Riggs 2021 The Chap

Everything about this wine says "premium" or "special occasion". Heavy bottle, classy packaging, special box. Ben Riggs describes his flagship red wine as the "creme de la creme" of his output, and it is easy to see why he is proud. This is blend of 55% shiraz from Riggs' own McLaren Vale vineyard and 45% cabernet sauvignon from a well-regarded vineyard in Coonawarra. The Chap is a serious fellow. Bold and and assertive but still blessed with impressive balance. Lashings of new oak on an opulent palate. Released at five years of age, it is dark and profound with the polished shiraz fruit an impressive foil for the structure of the cabernet. I paired this classic "claret" with a burger and Mediterranean vegetables, but it merits finer fare. $120. https://mrriggs.com.au/ 

 

Angullong 2023 Fossil Hill Montepulciano

 

Montepulciano is an indigenous Italian red grape planted throughout central and southern Italy. This well-priced new release is one of a trio of Italian varietals made by Jeff Byrne for Orange-based Angullong. The others are an equally impressive barbera, and a sangiovese. Montepulciano produces fruity, immediately enjoyable reds that are food friendly - and this one certainly ticks that box. It would pair well with anything from simples pizzas to pastas with a rich ragu. Think generous cherry/plum flavours and just a hint of mixed dried herbs adding a savoury note. Nice balance; soft tannins. Ready to enjoy right now. $30. https://www.angullong.com.au/    

Vasse Felix 2024 Chardonnay

 

World-class chardonnay from one of the premier producers in Margaret River for under $50? That's a huge win. There is plenty of palate complexity here; but also immediate accessibility - not an easy trick to pull off. This is a thoroughly modern chardonnay veers more to elegance than power but still has enough weight to satisfy with food. The palate offers a concerto of melon, stone fruit and spice, savoury/nutty elements and some zingy fresh minerality. Palate interest has been added by wild ferment and maturation in French oak barriques (30% new). This would be a great match for pork belly dishes, or a Portuguese roast chicken. Top notch. $46. https://www.vassefelix.com.au/