Mount Horrocks 2023 Nero d'Avola

 

The Nero d'Avola grape may originate from Sicily, but it is very much at home in the warmth of the Clare Valley. Stephanie Toole has been producing wines made from the variety for several years now, having planted in 2007. This is one of the best releases I have seen; an ultra-food friendly, savoury and earthy offering with terrific textural elements and tannin structure that suggests it might cellar for a decade or more. This had the medium-bodied presence to pair impressively with a pan-fried veal schnitzel with red cabbage. Juicy and crunchy with background hints of cedar oak. Organic, biodynamic; a wine of style and substance. $45. https://www.mounthorrocks.com/

Dog Point 2024 Sauvignon Blanc

 

Marlborough sauvignon blanc may not be as fashionable as it once was, but there is still a certain magic to some of the best examples; like this outstanding release from Dog Pont. The winemaking team has managed to capture all the classic Kiwi sauvignon blanc flavours and refreshment, along with some interesting textural elements, perhaps due to an increased percentage of indigenous yeast. It is a white for enjoying in its youth, nicely chilled, accompanied by some fresh oysters or maybe some whitebait, or King George whiting. Dry and deliciously drinkable. $35. http://www.dogpoint.co.nz/

Angove 2022 Family Crest McLaren Vale Shiraz

 

Here's a red of serious weekend drinking quality that's priced like a midweek quaffer. It's well worth seeking out a bottle of two of this if you like your reds flavoursome but graceful and stylish. I was surprised just how easy this was to drink. The flavours are classic McLaren Vale - dark berry and plum notes with hints of moccha and spice. There is a lightness of touch to Tony Ingle's winemaking, however, that makes this a very food-friendly new release. You could pair this with anything from a Sunday roast to a Lebanese mezze plate but I'd probably choose a meaty pizza. And a second bottle. $28. https://www.angove.com.au/

Soumah 2024 Single Vineyard Hexham Savarro

 

Savagnin is a white grape variety best known for being used in the complex Vin Jaune wines of the Jura region in France. Here it has been given a new, less confusing, name, and very different treatment, producing a lively, refreshing "drink now" style. Savarro is the name Yarra Valley-based Soumah gives to cool tank-fermented savagnin, a close relative of traminer. Think aromatics, citrus aromas, intense chalky minerality, leesy hints and brisk acid on the finish. Pair with anything from seafood to a chicken and leek pie. Excellent value at $34. https://soumah.com.au/     

Ox Hardy 2023 McLaren Vale Grenache

 

Grenache is back in a big way baby - thanks largely to modern takes on Australia's traditional fortified workhorse. Andrew "Ox" Hardy's family has generations of experience with the variety in McLaren Vale, where it thrives in the warmth. The fruit for this impressive drop was sourced from three different vineyards, all planted 40-50 years ago. There is a lot of depth of flavour here, but also a deftness to the winemaking with the end result a flavoursome red that is immediately accessible. Hard picked, part whole bunch, unfined, unfiltered and perfect for an autumn barbecue. Soft and floral but with crisp acid on the palate. Good value here for $30. https://oxhardywines.com.au/      

Yangarra 2024 Piquepoul

 

Piquepoul, or piquepoul blanc, sometimes also spelled picpoul, is a quite rare French grape variety that is mainly grown in vineyards adjacent to the Mediterranean and is used to make crisp, "drink young" whites that are often enjoyed with oysters from the local lagoons. This is one of a new, affordable range of wines from organic and biodynamic trendsetters Yangarra in McLaren Vale. Winemaker Pete Fraser says piquepoul thrives in the Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale. From vines that are just eight years old, this is a fruit driven dry white with impressive minerality and acidity. Enjoy chilled with fresh seafood. $30. https://www.yangarra.com/

Mottura 2023 Classic Primitivo del Salento

 

It is becoming increasingly difficult to source quality wine imports that offer a point of difference along with good value. This primitivo (aka zinfandel) delivers in spades, however, with a real rustic charm that makes it an amiable companion for most Italian dishes; from red meats to hard cheeses. It shines with food. Imported by Single Vineyard Sellers, it is grown and made in Salento in southern Puglia - in Italy's far south - by a family winery with almost a century of history. This is full-bodied with plenty of attitude along with astutely judged assertiveness and lots of length. $35. https://www.singlevineyards.com/

Cullen 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot

 

Margaret River icon Cullen Wines is at the vanguard of organic and biodynamic winemaking in Australia, producing some of the country's finest wines at appropriate price points. But Vanya Cullen and her team also produce some outstanding wines that do not cost the earth, this being a prime example. A blend of 85% cabernet and 15% merlot, this is a very stylish wine, mellifluous on the palate and ready to enjoy in its youth. From an excellent, albeit warm, vintage this has plenty of depth of flavour and impressive structure with 20% new French oak playing a support role as the quality fruit plays lead guitar. Elegant wine; excellent drinking. $50. www.cullenwines.com.au. 

Whispering Brook 2024 Arinto

 

Whispering Brook is a small vineyard in the Broke-Fordwich sub-region of the Hunter Valley that has enjoyed success with its take on the Portuguese red grape Touriga Nacional. Now owners Susan Frazier and Adam Bell are aiming to popularise another grape from Portugal - the white variety arinto. I visited their welcoming cellar door last week - just as grapes were coming into the winery - and was very impressed by the 2024 Arinto, a fresh, vibrant style that would seem eminently suited to the Australian lifestyle and our love of Iberian-style foods. Arinto is one of the key varieties in Vinho Verde wines and produces high acid wines with lemon/lime notes. Here it has crisp tropical notes and would pair brilliantly with grilled sardines. $40. https://www.whispering-brook.com/

Denis Race 2022 Chablis

 

When we lived in Paris, almost a quarter of a century ago, we had two "house" Chablis producers; Denis Race and Domaine du Colombier, both of whom we discovered at trade shows and subsequently visited. Domaine du Colombier is hard to find in Australia, but the wines of Denis Race and his family are now imported by Randalls Fine Wines in Melbourne. This Chablis is an excellent example of sleek, minerally Chablis that pairs impressively with seafood and roast pork. A pristine wine with poise and precision, at its current price of $44 a bottle it offers stunning value. I've just ordered some more, so I'm prepared to share the secret. https://randalls.net.au/products/2022-denis-race-chablis-750ml-bottle 

Yalumba Y Series Cuvée NV

 

Yalumba's Y Series range has offered some of the best-value easy drinking wines in Australia for over two decades - and now the choice is expanding with a couple of mid-range wines for those looking for lower-alcohol choices, and this bright and breezy white bubbly; perfect for summer drinking whether you quaff it on its own, use in a spritz, or liven up as a kir or a bellini. Think lively citrus and shortbread notes with a nice crisp finish. Very versatile for $16. This will hit Aussie wine outlets any day now. https://www.smithswinestore.com.au/yseries/

Quartier 2024 Pinot Gris

 

This is a quintessential fun summer white wine from the Gjergia family and winemaker Tim Perrin, who produce some stellar Mornington Peninsula wines under the Kooyong and Port Phillip Estate labels, and some terrific drops for everyday drinking under the Quartier label, which uses grower rather than estate fruit. This new release is a ripper; with tangy freshness and vibrancy perhaps more akin to grigio than gris styles, and a very food friendly personality with citrus and stone fruit flavours front and centre. Very good drinking for $30. https://www.portphillipestate.com.au/our-wines/

$30.  

Stockman's Ridge 2022 "Rider" Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Sampling this blind, my first thought was "this tastes like Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux". And while that may sound like cliché, it is a fair summation. The good news is that, at around $30 retail, it offers claret character without the price tag. It is a lovely, savoury and elegant expression of cool-climate cabernet with green hints but excellent balance. The wine spent a couple of weeks on skins before being matured in older oak barrels, and a dash of cabernet franc was added to the final blend. This is from a cool year in the Orange region of Central Western NSW. It is ripe, but astutely judged. Good value drinking. $30. www.stockmansridge.com.au 

Oliver's Taranga 2024 Falanghina

 

Winemaker Corrina Wright is never afraid to push the boundaries; showcasing several alternative varieties in small-batch releases - including Spanish grape mencia - in the Oliver's Taranga range. This is another newcomer making its debut, crafted from an Italian white grape variety that is difficult to say but easy to drink. Vegan friendly and Sustainable Winegrowing Australia-certified, this McLaren Vale white might well emerge as a serious rival to both fiano and vermentino down the track. Pronounced FAH-lahn-GHEE-nah, and native to the Campania region in southern Italy, this has lively, flavoursome orange/tangerine/peach and melon fruit notes, along with nutty and honeyed hints. It finishes with crisp, clean acidity. Perfect with summer salads. $35.  https://www.oliverstaranga.com/

Logan 2022 Orange Ridge of Tears Shiraz

This is one of a pair of stellar 2022 shirazes from Peter Logan at Logan Wines, one from Mudgee and this one from nearby Orange. It perfectly captures the appeal of cool-climate shiraz, being intensely flavoured without the sometimes intrusive weight and power of warmer-climate siblings. The 2022 growing season was one of the coldest on record in Orange, resulting in lower yields but wines of purity and minerality, and, in this case, red berry fruit allied to pepper and spice aromas and flavours. Medium-bodied, but all the better for that, this is immensely food friendly and disturbingly moreish. $60. https://www.loganwines.com.au/