If you’re looking for an elegant, savoury, acid-driven, Italianate sangiovese, don’t look this way, but if you’re after a deeply coloured, plush, black-fruited and dense quaffer of elusive varietal designation, step right up! It’s a great drink, and that’s ultimately the most important thing. Best price direct.

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Clare shiraz is not inherently lacking, so as to call for a blending partner, but the combination has always seemed to work for O’Leary Walker. A blend of a little more than two-thirds Clare defines a succulent, voluptuous, exuberant and fruit-infused shiraz, layered with sweet, ripe mulberries, spicy mixed berry compote, anise and black pastilles. […]

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Dense, crunchy black- and redcurrants and cassis define a style at once impeccably varietal and at the same time succulent and generous. This is classic Clare cabernet, with hints of eucalypt and mint, but the focus remains resolutely on deep and well-structured black fruit definition, underlined by firm, fine, chewy tannins. Value and potential. $17 […]

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The latest incarnation of Rococo represents great value Yarra Valley fizz of impressive finesse and tension, with well balanced dosage and nuances of fine, mineral mouth feel. Sourced from several Yarra Valley vineyards, base wines are fermented mainly in older casks and given lees contact for texture and softness. For all this activity, it retains […]

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Capturing elegant fruit focus and savoury texture in a rosé can be a precarious balance. The talented De Bortoli crew have upheld the integrity of a flattering season for pinot noir, while injecting the lingering, dry sophistication of full oak barrel fermentation and lees work. Its pale salmon hue heralds pretty watermelon and rose petal […]

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Rose Kentish’s experience in McLaren Vale and southern France shines in this beautifully varietal, characteristically regional and downright delicious blend. It’s an elegant, succulent expression of the raspberries, strawberries and red cherries of grenache, with subtle savoury spice and olive nuances characteristic of McLaren Vale. Tannins are finely textured, providing an air of sophistication to […]

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Sourced from the middle hill of the K1 by Geoff Hardy vineyard at Kuitpo in the Adelaide Hills, this is an impressively spicy, savoury, gamey and complex cool climate shiraz, layered with deep, dark berry/cherry/plum fruit and impeccably fine, textural tannins. It’s finely crafted and enticingly priced. $24 at Zeeman Wines and Wines Warehouse.

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From the cool heights of Skillogalee’s fantastic site in the Clare, this is a gewürztraminer of texture and complexity, refreshingly reserved and contemplative. Lovely lychee and rosewater purity culminates in a long finish of subtle grapefruit and white nectarine character. The texture is fine and well gauged, with carefully placed, soft phenolic character and fine, […]

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In the right hands, tempranillo has a wonderful hallmark of retaining acid drive and fresh restraint, even in warm regions, and this is why we are going to see a lot more of this variety in Australia in years to come. With alluring character of black cherry and violet perfume, Manners has conjured a beautifully […]

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Geoff Hardy is playing with all kinds of Italian, French and Spanish varieties across South Australia and this is one of the best. The heat and drought resistance of Graciano make sense in Langhorne Creek, particularly when it can make wines of such lifted fragrance, luminescent purple hue and fresh black plum, black cherry and […]

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