Zema Estate 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

Mature Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon that is ready to drink for $30 a bottle? Yes, you read that right. This is a beauty for both quality and value from a family with Italian roots and winemaking heritage that has now been making excellent wines on the Terra Rossa strip for over 40 years. This is a delightfully everyday cabernet that's also good enough to grace the table for a dinner party. Think classic hedgerow berry flavours and a wine that's been given time to mature gracefully in French oak. Ready to enjoy right now (try pairing with a steak and kidney casserole) or for maturing for a decade or more. Lovely stuff. $30. https://www.zema.com.au/ 

Gibson 2024 Burkes Hill Eden Valley Riesling

Rob Gibson is much better known for his red wines than his whites, but this is an outstanding young riesling from a stellar vineyard made in conjunction with a talented friend. The Burkes Hill vineyard produces exceptional riesling grapes in tiny quantities and Gibson calls on the talents of legendary winemaker Andrew Wigan (ex Peter Lehmann) to help him craft the wine. Impressively floral, this is a very pure and intense riesling with terrific line and length and oodles of zesty citrus and minerality. Pair with just about any fish. $39. https://gibsonwines.com.au/

Truly Wildly 2022 Nero d'Avola

Nero d'Avola, a grape that is native to Sicily, is proving a huge success in warmer regions of Australia. This one is particularly good value; and if you are not familiar with the Truly Wildly label that's because it is used exclusively for wines sold at Aldi stores. This one has lashings of berry flavours and some bright acid. You could easily chill it a little on a warm day. I'd pair with a bowl of chill con carne but its juicy freshness would also go well with a cheese platter.. $14.    

Henschke 2021 Tappa Pass Shiraz

 

With Father's Day just around the corner, this very fine shiraz from one of Australia's top producers might be worthy of consideration. Ticking all the organic and biodynamic boxes and coming from a very good vintage, this is blend of shiraz from the cooler Eden Valley and the warmer Barossa that has been grown on vines up to 70 years old. It is very cohesive, extremely stylish with maturation in mainly older oak giving it some serious sophistication. Dark, spicy, with layers of flavours, but very smooth on the palate. You can drink this now, or cellar it for a decade or more. A delightful drop with serious panache. $125. https://www.henschke.com.au/ 

Kirrihill 2023 Regional Series Riesling

Is this one of the best wine buys out there in retail land right now? Undoubtedly. It is a thrilling, zippy Clare Valley riesling that has starred on the wine show circuit and offers formidable value. At one year of age it has settled comfortably into its skin with classic lemon/lime/grapefruit character and brisk minerality, along with acidity that has settled comfortably. The fruit comes from the elevated Schobers Vineyard overlooking Watervale; prime riesling territory. This would pair brilliantly with anything from pan-fried flathead to spicy Asian stir fries. Available in most BWS and Dan Murphy stores for around $20. www.kirrihill.com.au 

Atze's Corner 2021 'Mob' Montepulciano

A piping hot lasagne. Crisp green salad. Grissini. And a bottle of this. You have the perfect midweek winter dinner treat. Montepulciano is a red wine grape grown widely in central Italy, most notably in the Abruzzo and Marche regions. It has also proved very well suited to warmer regions of Australia, like the Barossa Valley, where it produces flavoursome wines like this one, with an impressive balance between fruit and savoury characters. Think black fruits, hints of chocolate and some impressive composure. The name does not refer to the Mafia, but a mob of sheep who broke into the vineyard and destroyed some of the Kalleske family's vines. This vintage is sold out at cellar door, but check the shelves of your local bottle shop. Good drinking for  $35. https://atzes.com/

Oakridge 2022 Henk Vineyard Chardonnay

 

There is something about the fruit from the Henk vineyard at Worri Yallock in the Yarra Valley that I find particularly captivating; vintage after vintage. This is a searingly good recent release that I found evaporated in my glass. A couple of sips and the bottle was empty. There is nothing revolutionary here. just a very good, well-balanced cool-climate chardonnay for under a pineapple from David Bicknell and his consistent team. The grapes were hand-picked and whole bunch pressed into large oak puncheons for a wild ferment - and the juice then spent 10 months on less. An excellent example from a long, late and cool growing season. Pair with American pork spare ribs for gourmet treat. $48. https://oakridgewines.com.au/