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If only all New Zealand sauvignon blancs were as compelling as this consistently brilliant offering from Dog Point in Marlborough. I could certainly drink a fair amount of this with its standout tropical fruit salad and Thai herbs on the nose, leading to a palate with textural interest, brisk, refreshing acidity, flinty minerality and citrus notes. Indigenous fermentation to a portion of the fruit has added interest, but this is certainly not one of those over-worked Kiwi savvys where it is all about how clever the winemaker is. Lovely drinking and a congenial companion for seafood and shellfish. $25. www.dogpoint.co.nz.
What a beautifully precise cool-climate wine this is, but you'll need to move quickly to snap some up as only 150 cases were made. Winemaker Nick Spencer has everything in place with gorgeous bright fruit, hints of pepper and spice, structure and balance. While this is drinking superbly already (it will be released in March), I suspect it will also cellar well, and it is extremely food friendly with a sensible 13% alcohol. This is a wine at the cutting edge of new-wave Australian shiraz. Lovely stuff. $60. www.edenroadwines.com.au.
Australia's warmer regions produce some of the finest fortified wines in the world and this Riverland take on port is up there with the best. A blend of tinta roriz (tempranillo), touriga nacional and tinta cao (all Iberian grape varieties), along with durif and shiraz, this is dark and mysterious wine, with ripe berry fruit, spice and licorice and a soft, silky and sweet core. The vintage is made only in excellent years - the last was 2006 - and winemaker Eric Semmler reckons this can confidently be cellared for 20 years. This would be brilliant paired with a Pyengana cheddar from Tasmania, or indulgently poured over vanilla ice cream. $50. www.919wines.com.au/
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
