In an era when wineries release one-off collectibles for over a thousand dollars a bottle, paying $200 for a high-quality red of long-term provenance seems fair. Meshach is the flagship shiraz of the Grant Burge portfolio, made from hand-picked grapes sourced from near-century-old Barossa vineyards. Meshach (named after a Burge ancestor) is only released in exceptional vintages - and only when it is deemed ready. This is a wine of intensity, grunty but still impeccably balanced. It is full-bodied, earthy and spicy with sweet, dark fruit and plenty of length. History tells us this will age for up to 25 years if cellared well. Impressive. $199. www.grantburgewines.com.au.
Chenin blanc is a key white wine variety in the Loire Valley of France and hugely popular in South Africa, where it is often called steen. It has never made much impact in Australia perhaps because it can be neutral if its natural vigour is not controlled in the vineyard. This is anything but neutral; a high-acid wine that was hand-picked early, basket-presssed, barrel-fermented and briefly matured in French oak. The nose offers glimpses of citrus and tropical fruits and that carries on to a nicely-textured palate. There is a lot of length here and plenty of refreshing acid focus. Low in alcohol, too, at just 10.6%. Well worth sampling. $28. www.rusdenwines.com.au.
Classic cabernet sauvignon from the heart of Coonawarra's terra rossa strip. From a single-vineyard site, this has everything you'd want in a top-notch Coonawarra red; fruit intensity, balance, structure and potential for longevity. All that's missing is the hefty price tag. A wine this good would cost three times as much if it was made in the Napa Valley. One for sipping and savouring with a hearty end-of-winter casserole. $34. www.parkercoonawarraestate.com.au.
