Dog Point 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Forget what your fashionable friends tell you. The best sauvignon blancs from Marlborough continue to offer delightful drinking - and this tangy little number is certainly in the upper echelons. The first sip confirmed its drinkability and we continued to enjoy it over three days until the bottle was incontrovertably empty. The bouquet is particularly vibrant with citrus and papaya notes while there is plenty of flavour on the palate with plenty of tropical fruit characters, less herbaceousness than you would expect, some complexity added by a portion of natural yeast ferment and refreshing finishing acidity. A very nice package and ideal for enjoying with shellfish. I'd drink it over the next 12 months. www.dogpoint.co.nz. $26.

Capel Vale 2009 Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon

Here's a delightful young cabernet sauvignon that offers value with a capital V. Quintessentially Margaret River in style, it is a vibrant young thing with hints of cedary oak and mulberries on the nose. It is well-balanced on the palate, where you'll find blackcurrant fruit flavours along with eucalypt, dark chocolate and mint notes and a tannin structure that suggests this will continue develop for at least five years. I found the wine a most agreeable companion to a selection of tapas but it has enough weight and power to accompany a hearty beef stew. A wine offering a commendable combination of power and elegance. www.capelvale.com. $25.

Morrisons 2009 The Siege Shiraz Durif

Winemaking doesn't get any more boutique. Bob and Dianne Morrison handcraft tiny quantities of wine at their remote hilltop winery in the hills above Glenrowan, most of them rustic and intensely flavoured reds. This blend of 80% shiraz and 20% durif stood out from the pack for me with its appealing dark berry fruit flavours, hints of dark chocolate and serious tannin structure. This is a medium- to full-bodied red that will be an excllent winter warmer. Serve it with roasts, casseroles or hearty pasta dishes. I left the best news for last: it is ridiculaously good value at just $15. www.morrisonsofglenrowan.com

Clairault 2009 Estate Chardonnay

There are some pretty exciting chardonnays out there at the moment, but this shines as one of the best of the new-style wines that are all about pure fruit flavours. savoury complexity and linearity. This is a million miles away from the blousy, oaky chardonnays of a few years ago. It's a wine with all the bells and whistles: 100% new French oak barriques, whole bunch pressing, lees stirring and partial malo mean it has plenty of mealy, nutty interest along with good acid structure but it is still the pristine Margaret River fruit, with nectarine and peaches and cream flavours, that is the star of the show. www.clairaultwines.com.au. $39.

The Idiot 2009 Shiraz by Philip Shaw

Purity of fruit is the key to the success of this easy-drinking cool-climate shiraz from Philip Shaw's 20-year-old Koomooloo vineyard outside Orange in Central Western New South Wales. It's a wine designed for enjoying with food and friends, without too much thought, but it has already won three trophies at the Royal Sydney Wine Show - a tribute to Shaw's ability to craft wines that are crowd-pleasers. Ideal for pairing with lighter dishes, it is vibrantly fruity with lashings of peppery spice and a nice soft palate. The alcohol is pretty low, too, at 13.7%. A really lovely wine. www.philipshaw.com.au. $20.

Medhurst 2010 RedShed Pinot Noir

Former Domaine Chandon chief winemaker Matt Steel is producing some impressive wines under the Medhurst label - using quality fruit from the Yarra Valley vineyards owned by former Southcorp CEO Ross Wilson and his wife Robyn. There is nothing too serious about this bright, attractive, easy-drinking pinot, but it is a wonderful wine for drinking without thinking. Designed for enjoying in its youth, it has some vibrant fruit, nice texture and plenty of youthful exuberance. An ideal picnic wine. $19.50. http://www.medhurstwines.com.au/.

Simonnet-Febvre 2008 Petit Chablis

Wines like this are the essence of pure chardonnay, offering fresh, tangy fruit along with steely minerality. This is a beautiful wine for the price with classic oyster shell, floral and sea spray aromas. It's on the lighter side of the scale when it comes to weight but has plenty of length and zesty lemony intensity, along with oodles of acid on the finish. You'll find it at Dan Murphy stores. It's uncomplicated. lean like a whippet and tightly wound but offers fantastic drinking at the very moderate RRP of $18.95. Brilliant with seafood.