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A chardonnay that ticks all the boxes for $30? Here you have it. From Walcott Estate in Pemberton, West Australia, this is a real crowd pleaser that can be paired with a range of cuisines. Think nutty, tropical aromas leading on to a serious palate, to which barrel fermentation has added complexity. The finish is classic chardonnay; with lifted lemon and grapefruit notes along with some croissant notes. You could pair with the everything from roast pork to Chinese chicken and cashew stir fry. Bloody good drinking. $30. www.singlevineyards.com.
I'm jumping the gun a little here, as this wine will not be released until early April, but I'd recommend putting your name down for a bottle or two right now. This is the epitome of stylish Clare Valley cabernet, made from fruit grown on an estate vineyard at Polish Hill River. The back label notes say it is "elegant, textural and complex" and that nails the appeal. From a cooler vintage in the Clare, this is an absolutely delightful medium-bodied red that can either be enjoyed on release, or cellared for a decade or so. Not cheap, but well worth $70. www.pikeswines.com.au.
There are few vineyards that can match Cobaw Ridge for visual wow! factor - and the Cooper family always produce wines with personality and palate interest. From the Macedon Ranges in Central Victoria, this is 100% estate-grown, -made and bottled. It is a result of sustainable farming and a passion for quality. This has much in common with the wines of the Northern Rhone, hence its name, but it speaks with a distinctive Australian voice. From 35-year-old vines it has focus and style with definite nod to its granite soil terrior. Just lovely. $55. www.cobawridge.com.au.
The Henschke family has a global reputation for its high-end red wines, including Hill of Grace and Cyril Henschke. It is less recognised for its excellent white wines at fair prices including the $20 Tilly's Vineyard blend and this impressive Adelaide Hills wine made from the Austrian grape variety gruner veltliner. The Percival’s Mill label pays tribute to the early pioneering days of Lenswood in the high country of the Adelaide Hills. The now demolished historic E.W. Percival’s timber mill once stood on the Croft Road property in the early 1900s. That property is now a Henschke vineyard. This has some gorgeous stone fruit, citrus and root vegetable notes, with spice and minerality jousting amiably on the palate. $38. www.henschke.com.au.
Wickhams Road is the entry-level label for star Yarra Valley producer Hoddles Creek. Year in, year out this early-released pinot noir is arguably the best value easy-drinking pinot in Australia. More forward than the estate range, it has around 20% whole-bunch fruit to add spice and structure. The palate offers a spectrum of dark fruit flavours while remaining unmistakeably pinot. Unfined, unfiltered and bloody delicious. At $19 a bottle you'd want to be buying by the case, not the bottle. www.hoddlescreek.com.au
Usher Tinkler is one of the rising stars of Australian winemaking and this new release chardonnay offers brilliant value. Available through Cellarmasters or Tinkler's Hunter Valley cellar door, it is a beautifully balanced wine for those who enjoy fruit flavours and purity in their chardys. Weighing in at just 12% alcohol, this has a delightful combination of white peach and vibrant citrus flavours. It has been matured for five months on yeast lees in French oak barrels, adding texture, and was bottled at just six months of age. It is zingy and vibrant, surprisingly complex and thoroughly enjoyable. $16.99. www.ushertinklerwines.com or www.cellarmasters.com.au.
One of Australia's finest red wine bargains, this is named after Irish musician and composer Sean O’Riada. He died, prematurely, in 1971, the year Clonakilla was established by John Kirk at Murrumbateman, outside Canberra. He was Kirk’s cousin. From a wet winter and early spring, followed by a warm, dry summer, this is a wine of elegance and beauty. Think red cherry flavours, floral aromas, spice notes and layers of delicious flavours. Simply stunning with beautiful balance; this is the girl next door who might just be the next supermodel. $36. www.clonakilla.com.au.
