Coonawarra is hardly renowned for riesling, but there’s great value to be found in Majella’s reliable and well-made style. It’s crisp, fruity, clean and precise with citrus notes of lemon, lime zest and tangelo, supported by softly textured acidity and good persistence. $15 direct.

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Majella’s estate shiraz vines are responsible for a well balanced rosé of enticing appeal, subtle fruit sweetness and soft, finely textured structure. Pretty strawberry and raspberry fruit notes linger with pomegranate and pink pepper on a long finish. Great value at $15 direct.

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Jacob’s Creek’s entry sparkling rosé isn’t what it used to be, making the small trade up to Trilogy a worthy investment. Sourced predominantly from the great 2012 vintage in Langhorne Creek and the Adelaide Hills, this blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier is a soft and creamy rosé of elegant strawberry and red […]

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There must be wizardry on the go at the great Primo Estate to conjure a wine that transcends the nature of the region and the variety in summonsing a white wine more zesty and refreshing than anyone would expect for McLaren Vale Colombard. Fresh lemons and crunchy nashi pears are accented with a subtle sea […]

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If you’re into shiraz, love a bargain and out to try something different, here is your wine. Enticing aromas of violets waft over a deep core of black plum, black cherry and liquorice fruit. Exotic nuances of spice and black pepper add interest. Matured in new and old French oak barrels, the wood influence is […]

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From the foothills of the French Pyrenees, south of the legendary walled city of Carcassonne, where the hills rise to an altitude of 400m, cooled by refreshing winds, this is an even and balanced sauvignon upheld by fine acid tone. Three months maturation on lees has built a softly textural mouth feel and apple cider-like […]

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in the right hands, semillon remains one of the great bargains of the Barossa. No hands are more deft with this variety than Peter and Michael Scholz, nurturing their seventy-six-year-old vines into a wine of characteristic lemon zest, talc and cut grass character. Toast, roast nuts and lanolin complexity are already building quickly, though it […]

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Zesty, vivacious and unashamedly precocious in its youthful verve, this chardonnay is fresh, tangy, light on its feet and geared for lighter canapé fare. Half fermented naturally in seasoned French oak barrels, the oak influence is minimal, leaving the stage to pretty gardenia floral notes, lemon zest and grapefruit pulp. $13 at Tony’s Cellars.

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Why spend any more on chenin when you can have all this with change from $20? Half fermented cool in tank and half warm and just a little bit dirty in aged French oak barrels to provide a softly textural structure, it over delivers for the price. It’s well crafted and varietal, capturing fragrant pink […]

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Geographe is Margaret River’s more affordable neighbour, Willow Bridge is its top estate and Dragonfly is where the best value is found. Matured in a combination of new and old French oak barrels, this is a cabernet merlot of delightful varietal precision, alive with red- and blackcurrants, tobacco and capsicum. It’s lively and crunchy, powered […]

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