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

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/ 

Angullong 2023 Fossil Hill Tempranillo

 

Angullong is a family-owned wine producer in the cool-climate region of Orange in the Central West of New South Wales - a location producing increasingly impressive wines across the board. Here we have a Spanish grape variety - most famous for its key role in the great wines of Rioja - crafted in Australia by a Canadian winemaker, Jeff Byrne. Bright and immediately engaging, this offers a nice balance between savoury fruit notes and quality oak. We paired it with chilli con carne and rice, and it proved a most amiable pairing. Outstanding value at $30.  https://www.angullong.com.au/