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Winemaker Paul Bridgeman describes the 2017 Yarra Valley vintage as being "akin to winding the clock back 25-plus years, delivering an absolutely ideal unusually cool, calm and extended growing season like the classic conditions of yore". Anyone lucky enough to taste this stunning syrah would be likely to agree; it has serious cool-climate style. Poised, like a ballet dancer or supermodel, it also has an inner core of strength; and an elegance akin to one of the classic cars in owner Elias Jreissati's collection. It's a smooth customer with layered flavours that range from Christmas Cake to cassis to white pepper. Complex but undemanding, sensuous and silky, this is a beautifully integrated instant classic. I'd give it 96 points, or maybe 96.5. $80. www.levantinehill.com.au.
Seriously good cool-climate chardonnay from McLaren Vale winery Shottesbrooke made using Adelaide Hills fruit. With prices for top-notch chardonnays creeping about the $50 mark this offers excellent value for money. It is elegant and stylish with bright citrus fruit flavours and crisp minerality. It's a lovely drink offering immediate pleasure that would pair brilliantly with roast pork, crackling and all the trimmings. $33. www.shottesbrooke.com.au.
Castle Rock Estate winemaker Rob Diletti is something of a riesling specialist. This is one of three rieslings in the current range and is absolutely outstanding both in terms of quality and value-for-money. The Great Southern in Western Australia is a region that can compete with any in Australia in regard to riesling quality and potential longevity. Pale, but intense, this still quite tightly wound in its youth with lime and grapefruit juice notes to the fore. It has terrific structure and fresh zingy acid on the finish and is lip-smackingly good right now. Pair it with pan-fried whiting fillets.
Looking for a vibrant and juicy pinot noir that won't break the bank? You've come to the right place. The vineyards of Seville Estate are located in the cooler, southern regions of the Yarra Valley and produce very stylish fruit. Winemaker Dylan McMahon adds a bit of magic and you have an impressively perfumed wine which captures two key elements of pinot pleasure: bright red fruit characters and earthy, savoury notes. This is a fresh, textural wine with impressive structure for short- to medium-term enjoyment. Lovely stuff. $40.
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.
