Hahndorf Hill 2010 Rosé

The team at Hahndorf Hill in the Adelaide Hills can be relied upon to be unconventional and intriguing; whether it be varietals made from blaufrankisch and gruner veltliner, or a cellar door where table wines are matched with chocolate. Their very impressive rosé is a blend of blaufrankisch and trollinger grapes; aromatic and dry with apple orchard and vibrant red berry notes. This would be great with sushi, sashimi, spicy Thai dishes or simply as an after-work pick-me-up. Lovely stuff! $22. www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au

Water Wheel 2009 Shiraz

Shiraz does not have to be in-your-face; all macho and snarling. It can also be soft, silky and amenable, as is this case with this old favourite from Bendigo winery Water Wheel. Estate grown, this has a ripeness and softness to it that makes it irresistible; a veritable Lolita. There are also some savoury, earthy notes but it is the vibrant dark berry fruit that leads the way. A real bargain and a great choice for a weekend barbecue. $18. www.waterwheelwine.com.

Hollick 2010 Savagnin

Savagnin is the grape variety that everyone who had planted it in Australia thought was albarino, a Spanish grape of considerable merit. Owing to an inexplicable mix-up it turned out that the vines had been planted were actually savagnin, a grape from the Jura region of France that has seldom risen to great heights. This, however, shows that savagnin can work well in Australia. Winemaker Matt Caldersmith has crafted an aromatic, crisp, clean and fresh white wine with zingy green apple and pear notes. A wine for enjoying in its youth, it has good acid and nice length and should be served well chilled. www.hollick.com. $21.

Zette 2005 Malbec

Zette is the second label of Domaine de Lagrézette, one of the leading producers in Cahors, south-west France, where malbec is king. This is an attractive and mature malbec and a considerable bargain. It's a plush, ripe red made in a New World style and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The forward dark fruit is matched by some supple tannins, hints of spice and softness on the palate. This medium-bodied wine is from a particularly good vintage and is drinking very well, particularly when paired with red meat dishes. Great buying at $14.99. Imported by www.discovervin.com.au who have an impressive range of regional French wines.

Brokenwood 2009 Hunter Valley Shiraz

Brokenwood may have extended their reach well beyond the Hunter Valley, sourcing fruit from Beechworth, Orange and McLaren Vale among other regions, but their strength still lies with the Hunter's core grapes; semillon and shiraz. After a couple of difficult vintages, 2009 provided some respite and produced this impressive sibling to the iconic Graveyard Shiraz. This is a typically savoury, earthy Hunter wine from a cooler year with attractive lifted fruit. It's medium-bodied with 13.5% alcohol and very drinkable even if the oak is just a little forward in its youth. I suspect this well-bred wine will cellar impressively but it is already a very attractive proposition. $40. www.brokenwood.com.au.

Under&Over 2010 Tumbarumba Chardonnay

This one screams out "bargain". For a start it is made from fruit grown in Tumbarumba, one of Australia's best cool-climate grape growing regions. Secondly, its made by the talented team of winemaker Corey Ryan and marketer Nicholas Crampton, who are producing some top-notch wines. And thirdly it is a very good wine that could quite easily retail for considerably more. It's quite lean and elegant, composed and crisp with grapefruit and pear characters to the fore, only lightly oaked with some nice mouthfeel, length and finishing acid. A wine for snapping up by the case and using as your house wine - your guests will be very surprised when you tell them the RRP is $13.99.

Tapanappa 2010 Fleurieu Peninsula Pinot Noir

What a tempting wine this is. OK, it's very youthful - and comes from young vines, too - planted by veteran winemaker Brian Croser at Parawa; a cool, foggy site on the Fleurieu Peninsula, in 2006. The proof is in the pudding, however, and Croser has been proved correct in identifying this as a special site. It's probably a bigger wine than hoped for - the result of a warm vintage - with plenty of appealing sweet fruit, but there's also impressive tannin structure and some silky elegance on the palate to keep the bold fruit in check. Great news for consumers, too, is that the wine is under screwcap; as is the Tapanappa 2010 Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay. Only 500 cases were made, so it may pay to be quick off the mark. www.tapanappawines.com.au. $39.