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TarraWarra winemaker Clare Halloran is producing some excellent Yarra Valley wines, but this is an absolute standout when it comes to value for money. This estate-grown, hand-picked chardonnay just oozes class. It's clean and fresh with a bright acid finish but also offers real palate interest and is made with minimal intervention while retaining mainstream appeal. It is a wine of delightful balance; down to earth and definitely sessionable in a Chablisienne style. I remember attending the opening of TarraWarra some three decades ago (it seems like yesterday) and it has certainly established a reputation for excellence over those years. $28. www.tarrawarra.com.au.
Marnie Roberts is a busy, and talented, winemaker in the Clare Valley. Roberts not only makes three stellar rieslings for Claymore Wines, her full-time employer, but also makes two more rieslings under her own label Matriarch and Rogue, which is named in tribute to the strong women in her family. This is a classic Watervale riesling at a sensible price point, named after her great aunt Dot. Brilliantly tart and refreshing, it comes with lemon, lime and grapefruit notes to the fore, alongside racy minerality and acidity. Lots of energy here and with no additions other than sulphur, it is vegan friendly. Pair this with some King George Whiting fillets pan-fried in butter. Divine. $25. www.matriarchandrogue.com.au.
It is no surprise that John Harris from Mitchell Harris Wines produces outstanding sparkling wines that stand with some of the best in the country. Harris was for several years the chief winemaker at Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley before upping sticks and moving to Ballarat, from where he sources top-class fruit from growers in the Pyrenees, Macedon, Ballarat and Henty regions. The stellar 2013 vintage of this lifted and elegant bubbly is 60% chardonnay & 40% pinot noir from the Macedon and Pyrenees ranges. A reserve dosage liqueur adds just 5g/L sugar to help create a strikingly clean and complex aperitif style. Seriously lovely drinking. $42. www.mitchellharris.com.au.
There were four of us tasting a small batch of reds, not one of us particularly enamoured of soft and simple merlots. That this wine stood out from the crowd is a tribute to former Katnook Estate winemaker Wayne Stehbens, who died a couple of months ago. The range is named after the original land holding of John Riddoch, the founder of Coonawarra wine region. This stands out with its intensity and structure; on the opposite side of the spectrum to some of the sweet and wimpy merlots that are still being made. Medium-bodied with dark berry and plum notes and some perky spice, it has excellent structure with French and American oak adding to the picture. Available at Dan Murphy’s and at selected independent retailers Australia wide. Terrific value for $20. www.katnookestate.com.au.
Aged Hunter Valley semillon is a wine style like no other - and the winemaking team at Brokenwood are masters at making semillons that shine when young and zesty that develop after a few years into toasty, complex beasts. This reserve wine is six years old but isn't yet fully mature. It still boasts some youthful citrus fruit flavours and soft plushness on the palate. There's length here, intensity, complexity and still a good decade or more to go until it reaches its peak. $75. www.brokenwood.com.au.
Scotchmans Hill's Swan Bay range has been given a lift by new colour-coded labelling that makes the wines stand out on crowded bottle shop shelves. There are several excellent wines crafted by winemaker Robin Brockett in the $20-ish range but this blend of Geelong region and Adelaide Hills fruit caught my fancy with its youthful joie de vivre. There is a plenty of summer refreshment here with pear, tropical fruit and citrus flavours jostling for attention on the lively palate. Enjoy the crispness and length and serve well-chilled. Deftly balanced and vegan friendly. Match with a chickpea salad. $22. www.scotchmans.com.au.
Wines from Houghton in Western Australia (180 years in the business and counting) used to be all the rage when it came to value but you don't see them around as much as you used to, despite the label being owned by the Accolade behemoth. At a time of year when many of us are operating on tight wine budgets, this new release is one to keep an eye out for; a fruit-driven number that would grace any barbecue. It's soft, medium-bodied and easy to drink with bright, juicy dark fruit flavours. Tannin structure and oak influence are secondary but it doesn't matter because the balance is there and this certainly won't break the bank. Look for it on special - it can be found for under a tenner. $12.99. www.houghton-wines.com.au.
