Ross Hill 2025 Pinnacle Series Chardonnay

This is one of a range of impressive new releases from respected Orange wine producer Ross Hill under its Pinnacle Series label, made by winemaker Chris Jessop. It is a very classy cool-climate chardonnay that delivers excellent bang for your buck. Jessop reports the 2025 vintage was extremely favourable, allowing fruit to achieve excellent balance and concentration with minimal intervention. Family-owned Ross Hill is located just outside Orange and has been certified Carbon Neutral for a decade. The quality fruit from 20+ year-old vines grown at altitude is the hero here with oak in the background. Available nationally via Domaine Wine Shippers. This would pair well with dishes ranging from roast chicken with savoury stuffing to a scallop pie. $40. rosshillwines.com.au

Lyons Will Estate 2025 Gamay

 

Gamay is a delightful grape variety that is sadly under-used in Australia. Best known for Beaujolais and some Loire Valley reds, it offers lighter style drinking and can be enjoyed lightly chilled. Thank goodness for producers like Lyons Will Estate in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, where Renata Morello makes two different expressions of gamay. This is a vibrant drink now style, with 40% whole bunch, wild ferment, semi carbonic maceration and three weeks on skins adding some palate oomph. Unfined, unfiltered and Vegan-friendly, this an excellent Australian iteration full of youthful vinous joy: crisp with nicely balanced acid across the palate. Pair with anything from a mushroom tart to French onion soup. $50. lyonswillestate.com.au    

Windowrie Sakura Ruby Sparkling

Let's be honest; an awful lot of alcohol-free wines are over-priced lolly water. In many cases I'd rather have a glass of cordial. This is an exception, however, a cool drink that I'd happily have two or three glasses of. From family-owned organic producer Windowrie in the Central Ranges of NSW, it is lightly sparkling with no added sugar and has plenty of vibrancy on the palate, where crisp cherry and plum flavours are to the fore. Lively and fun, with or without food, this is also promoted as a good base for mocktails. Distributed by Single Vineyard Sellers. $20. https://www.windowrie.com.au/ 

Xanadu 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Regular readers will be aware we have a policy of not covering wine show awards. But when a sub-$50 wine from a consistently excellent producer is awarded the Prime Minister’s Trophy for Champion Wine of Show at the 2026 National Wine Show of Australia and also named Red Wine of Show then I was very keen to see it. Winemaker Glenn Goodall and his Margaret River winemaking team have hit this one out of the park. To my palate it is seriously under priced. It is a classic cabernet with all the elements in place. Cassis/dark choc flavours, well integrated oak and superb balance and length. Ready to enjoy right now with a winter casserole. 97 points from me. $45. www.xanaduwines.com

Soumah 2022 Mezzaluna

 

If you are a lover of simple fresh and fruity red wines then this is not one for you. If, however, you favour food-friendly, sophisticated reds then this might be right up your dinner party alley. This is the reserve nebbiolo offering from Yarra Valley Italian specialist Soumah, made from grapes grown in a Hexham vineyard that produces intense fruit and taut tannins. The wine spent 100 days on skins after fermentation, adding texture, before three years maturing in oak puncheons. It is seriously sturdy, savoury, structured and  cellar worthy; earthy and spicy with hints of dried herbs. pair with winter casseroles. The name Mezzaluna means half-moon in Italian, indicating this is only made in the best vintages. Let it breathe before pouring. $92. https://soumah.com.au/

Bishop by Ben Glaetzer 2023

Ben Glaetzer makes several top-notch red wines that reward long-term cellaring, including the Amon-Ra and Anaperenna. This is similarly well crafted shiraz but offers more immediate drinking pleasure with its classic Barossa combo of power and elegance. From a dry, sunny but late vintage, this offers a lot of length and style for a very fair price. It spent 16 months in mainly older French hogshead barrels for structure but finishes beguilingly soft on the palate. The wine is named in honour of Ben's mother Judith [Bishop] - who has the unique distinction of having two wines named after her by her sons. The other is the Glaetzer-Dixon La Judith. This one offers very good buying for $40. www.glaetzer.com. 

Hoddles Creek 2025 Pinot Noir

For several years this was consistently Australia's best sub-$25 pinot noir. But times have changed, the price has gone up and it is now Australia's best sub-$26 pinot noir. Extremely gulpable, but good enough to pair with fine cuisine, we have another winner from the d'Anna family's Upper Yarra Valley property. From an early and warm vintage the winemaking team has managed to still make a very pretty wine. Red berries and dark cherry aromas lead the nose, and there are firm but supple tannins on the palate. This spent time in 30% new, 30% one year old and the balance in two and three year old oak and spent 11 months in barrel before being bottled without filtration or fining. A serious bargain this one. Pair with poultry or mushroom dishes. $26. https://www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au/