Alex MacKenzie trumped The Great Australian Red with his new Quelltaler blend and here’s proof it was no fluke, because its brand new stablemate is about to storm the sparkling shiraz world. With an average age of more than five years and a deep, brooding palate complexity, it looks and feels like it should be double this price. Ignore the commercial brand, this is a wine with an unmistakable artisan feel, layered with plums, blackberries and liquorice, with the aged complexity of game, kalamata olives and pitch. Beautifully polished, with fine, supple tannins and restrained sweetness, it’s one of the bargain sparkling reds of the year.