Rusden 2012 Black Guts Shiraz

If you like your red wines with plenty of personality; wines that reflect the soil in which they are grown and the sun that ripens the fruit, then you've come to the right place. The Canute family's wines are made with love and attention to detail, none more so than this flagship old vines shiraz. Estate-grown and made, it is a little bit gnarly, full of flavour and unmistakably Barossan. Winemaker Christian Canute describes it as "a new world wine made in a old world style" - hence, perhaps, the cork closure. There is plenty of muscular grunt here but also balance. Match this with a slab of steak for a primeval feast. From a great vintage, it needs time to open up after the cork has been removed. I'll score it 94/100. $85. www.rusdenwines.com.au. 

Gaelic Cemetery 2014 Celtic Farm Riesling

Gaelic Cemetery is a new name to me. Some research revealed it is a joint venture between Neil and Andrew Pike, grape grower Grant Arnold, who has some old vines, and Ben and Mario Barletta of Australian Domaine Wines. The reason I bothered to do any research is because this vibrant, juicy, citrusy riesling blew me away with its value for money. Clare Valley riesling is always a good buy but this one is a little beauty with its aromatics, delightfully refreshing with pure lemon, lime and grapefruit notes, 11% alcohol and tight acid on the finish. You couldn't ask for anything more in a wine that is an absolute steal at $20. I'll give it 94/100. www.gaelic-cemeterywines.com.

Clonakilla 2014 Pinot Noir

Tim Kirk has shiraz viognier blends nailed. Now he's turned his talents to that most challenging of grapes, pinot noir, as part of the annual Clonakilla small and rare batch release. Beautifully soft, silky and sweet, this gloriously varietal wine is a triumph. With 30% of whole bunch fruit, it spent one-year in fine-grained French oak before being released as a deliciously fragrant and youthful wine. It is a supple young thing with immense potential to blossom. Be quick. This was made in small quantities and won't last long. I'll give it 94/100. $55. www.clonakilla.com.au.

Houghton 2012 Jack Mann Cabernet Sauvignon

First produced in 1994, this single-vineyard wine from the Frankland River region of West Australia's Great Southern honours Jack Mann, who was senior winemaker at Houghton from 1930-1972. From a great red vintage, this is made from some of the region's oldest vines. It is an Immensely satisfying wine, with impressive dark fruit and impeccable balance, while subtle oak and an assertive tannin structure suggest this will cellar well for decades. One of the best Jack Manns to date. $115.

Singlefile 2014 Porongurup Riesling

Regions of West Australia's remote Great Southern region, particularly Frankland River and the Porongurups, are noted for producing steely, classy rieslings of impeccable line and length. This bone dry number is gloriously gluggable, weighing in at just 11.3 percent alcohol, and is one of a number of very fine wines produced by this under-rated producer, a boutique family-run operation that was named as a James Hailliday "Dark Horse" winery in 2014. $25. www.singlefilewines.com

Sebastien Dampt 2013 Chablis

A cracking Chablis - available under screw cap in Australia - from Sebastien Dampt, son of renowned Chablisienne producer Daniel Dampt. This is a relatively inexpensive wine from the appellation but none the less delicious for that. This is a very pure wine, with bright acid, and palate interest has been added by six months on lees and malolactic fermentation. Lemon and other citrus notes are to the fore, along with white peach, with the chardonnay fruit looking very fresh and tense. Made from 45-year-old vines and a lovely companion for grilled flathead fillets, crustaceans and old-fashioned roast pork. Imported by France Soir. $36. www.francesoirwineselections.com.au
   

Mandala 2012 Prophet Pinot Noir

The wines from Mandala, a relatively new producer in the Yarra Valley, have shown immense promise over the past decade. This single-vineyard pinot noir from cool Yarra Junction (Mandala also has a vineyard at Dixon's Creek) not only confirms that potential, it underlines it in thick black marker pen, Made only in outstanding years, this has a compelling freshness and vibrancy to it; perfumed with poached cherry flavours, newly-picked raspberry notes and understated oak all coming together, this is a delightfully light-on-its-feet wine that would once have been labelled feminine - had that term not been outlawed by the police of vinous political correctness. Anyway, this is lovely, speaks of the region and will set you back around $50. www.mandalawines.com.au.