Tassie rules the sub-$20 sparkling stakes, and you’ll land Jansz for $19 at Dan Murphy’s or $20 at Vintage Cellars this week. Chardonnay dominance explains lemon zest and fresh lemon juice notes; honey and roast nuts from extended ageing on yeast lees; minerality counters sweetness on the finish.

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Hankering for hearty winter reds? Langhorne Creek to the rescue! Dripping in Langhorne concentration and oozing with juicy blackberries, black jubes and a load of mint, there’s plenty of structure to keep it upright and poised. These 35 year old vines sure deliver. $20 at WineStar and Dan Murphy’s.

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True international gris (think Alsace, France) is built around the grip of “phenolic” structure. Very few Aussie makers get this right, but Tim Adams boldly throws the pressings into the ferment, giving both a subtle pink tint and a delightful texture. $19 at cellar door, $20 at Vintage Cellars.

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If you got out of your Armchair to order the chardonnay last week, you’ll be leaping for joy when you discover that its brand new brother is from thirty-year-old, low-yielding Heathcote vines. Definitively regional, poised, textural and concentrated, the only thing that’s lacking is the price. Could be $38!

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The Turkey has landed and it’s putting on quite a spectacle! Watermelon, pomegranate and strawberry, with a touch of textural acidity and a well-gauged dose of sweetness. Most 2011s need another six months to calm down. Not this one, so catch this bird right away! $18 at WineStar and Dan Murphy’s.

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Label sluts, look away. JC Riesling is for fashionistas of taste. Anyone who can make a riesling from the forward 2010 vintage to look as lively and youthful as this in June 2011 deserves your respect. Anyone who can do it for $6.60 (Dan Murphy’s & 1st Choice this week) deserves superhero status.

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The little hub of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the epicentre of the southern Rhone, Vieux Télégraphe is one of its star estates, and 2008 is the most pure expression I’ve seen. Exotic spice, cherry liqueur and cumquat aromas introduce a brilliantly honed, chiselled and textured palate of deep-set black fruits and glimmers of exotics. $130 at WineStar, […]

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Pierre Larmandier’s sensitive approach to drawing out the terroir of his vineyards ranks his exceedingly fine wines high among the greatest of champagne’s grower producers. His B de B is chalky, mineral, textural and ethereal. $75 at Barrique Fine Wines, $79 at East End Cellars, $85 at Wine Selectors.

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Last time I visited the Rutherglen wine show, old Mr Morris got up to receive trophies so many times that he moved his seat to the front of the auditorium, amid hoots of laughter! This wine accounted for most of the accolades, and deservedly so. ‘Rare’ means more than 20 years average age but the […]

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Do the maths. Under $8 at Kemeny’s and Dan Murphy’s makes it $1 a glass. You can’t buy a can of coke for that! Maccas makes some of the most exact bargain cabernet and Hanwood is as reliable as ever with its red berry, leaf and capsicum fruit. Three years of maturity, and when do […]

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