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The classic Australian combination of shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, varieties that are rarely blended elsewhere, in a big, bold but approachable McLaren Vale red that tips the scales at 14.8% alcohol but has the oak subtlety of a fast-punching middleweight. From 2012, a cracking vintage in the Vale (and other regions of South Australia) it is dark and slightly brooding but with fresh dark fruit notes that lift it above the pack. This not only tastes great, it also looks good. I love the colour-coded candy stripe labels that make Hither & Yon (a family-owned boutique producer) stand out from the crowd. $25. www.hitherandyon.com.au.
The guys at Yelland & Papps, a small family winery in the Barossa, do a lot of things well. Their wines invariably offer terrific value and they have a range that features both the usual suspects and vareties like vermentino, dolcetto and lagrein. And while many Barossa wine families date back generations, Susan Yelland and Michael Papps are relative newcomers - but newcomers with a plan. Visit their delightfully rustic cellar door if you get a chance, and enjoy their quirky labels. I particularly liked this new-release cabernet made from organically grown fruit. It has spent 17 months in new French oak and is purple in colour, bold in demeanor with classic cassis, savoury and spice notes but also beautifully balanced with fine tannins. You'd struggle to do better for the price. $20. www.yellandandpapps.com
Malbec is a much under-rated grape variety in Australia, where it is often blended away unacknowledged and unappreciated. In Argentina and Chile, in contrast, it is much respected. This wine, made in the Joven, or "drink young" style by Nav Singh, uses fruit sourced from the Clare Valley and is the ultimate juicy drink-now red . With a nose of wild flowers leading on to a palate that has both intense spice and ripe berry flavours, it is deep purple in colour, soft and enticing - a vinous Lolita that is extremely food friendly. It was hand-picked, matured in older French oak puncheons and basket pressed and carries just 13.5% alcohol, a welcome respite in these days of blunderbuss reds. Just lovely and great drinking for $30. www.matchboxwine.com
The Killerman's Run is not the best riesling in the Kilikanoon portfolio. That would be the Mort's Reserve. It's not the second-ranking riesling either, that's the Mort's Block. But while it only ranks third in the Kilikanoon heirachy, this is a very good-value drink that shines from an outstanding vintage - as befits a wine from James Halliday's 2013 Winery of the Year. Made from grapes sourced from several Clare vineyards - including those that provide fruit for the flagships - this is a classic of the style; fragrant, crisp and zingy with fresh lemon and lime flavours and plenty of racy acidity. Pair this with a plate of flathead and chips and you have a feast at a pauper's price with this wine sometimes to be found on special. $20. www.kilikanoon.com.au (although the website is shambolic).
This is the third commercial release by Mornington Peninsula winery Eldridge Estate of their gamay/pinot noir blend that is an homage to the much-loved and undervalued Burgundian light dry red style known as Passetoutgrain, abbreviated to PTG because, well, this is Australia. This is an unashamedly drink-now style; soft and juicy and extremely slurpable, it is unfined, unfiltered and low sulphur - and tastes like a liquid summer berry pudding. This will stand being chilled and would be a perfect partner for cold roast turkey. $28. www.eldridge-estate.com.au
Margaret River is enjoying a series of outstanding vintages and the Sandalford wines have never looked in better shape. This wine is made from grapes of dry-grown vineyards that are among the oldest in the region and comprises 92% cabernet sauvignon and 8% other Bordeaux varieties with a smidgen of shiraz. Pretty, fragrant aromas are followed by a palate that is just a tad bigger than medium bodied with soft silkiness alongside dark berries, mint and herbal notes. This is drinking superbly right now and is a bargain compared to some of the more expensive offerings from the same region. Match it with veal, or maybe even the Christmas turkey. $45.
A new label from De Bortoli Yarra Valley, where Steve Webber is churning out some outrageously good wines, and this is an absolutely beautiful, and affordable, chardonnay in the style of Petit Chablis. Made from fruit blended from several different sub-regions of the Yarra, including Dixons Creek, Woori Yallock and Tarrawarra, this is an immaculately balanced number with pristine, crisp fruit, slatey and citrus characters to the fore, with some nutty textural hints adding interest but letting the fruit do the talking. Just 12.5% alcohol, too. It's well worth picking up a case of this for the holiday season. $22. www.debortoli.com.au.
