De Bortoli 2021 Woodfired Grenache

 

It is starting to get chilly so everyone needs a couple of reds like this on hand for those nights when the temperatures plummet. This is a new addition to De Bortoli's barbecue/bistro Woodfired range, made from grenache grown on estate vineyards - and from a coupe of growers in rural Victoria. It is bold and dark with blue/black fruit flavours and well judged oak, but finishes with a softness on the palate that makes it ideal for immediate enjoyment, preferably with a red meat dish, or perhaps with mushrooms. Great value for $22. www.debortoli.com.au

Tar & Roses 2021 Sangiovese

 

Narelle King from Nagambie-based Tar & Roses concentrates on making Mediterranean-style, food-friendly wines and this was one of the stars of a recent Red & White trade tasting with its bright fruit flavours, savoury notes and immediate drinkability. Older oak plays a support role and there are some dried herb notes, as well. It would be a perfect partner for pizzas, pasta dishes with a meaty ragu, or simply for sipping in front of the fire over winter. Made from grapes grown in Central Victoria, this is also very well priced. $27. https://www.tarandroses.com.au/

C'est La Vie 2022 Gamay

 

When times are tough it is good to know that you can still find a fun bottle of red wine for under a tenner. Made from the Beaujolais grape, gamay, this is a fresh, fruity and vibrant young red that delivers plenty of drinking pleasure and could even be served chilled on a warm day. It is a special offer from Aldi supermarkets - and only available for the next couple of months. Made by the Burgundy-based GCF group, it is classified as a basic Vin de France. But who cares when it is delicious and easy to drink? $10.  

Hoddles Creek 2022 Estate Chardonnay

 

If you tasted this blind, you'd swear it was a $50 chardonnay. From a year that produced a much reduced volume of grapes, the d'Anna family has once again delivered a cool-climate Yarra Valey chardonnay that offers a whole lot of drinking pleasure. This is lean and clean, unmistakably chardonnay but with plenty of tang on the palate. Think classic stone fruit and citrus fruit aromas and flavours, a touch of oak adding palate interest, some chalky, biscuity notes and impressively brisk acid on the finish. Absolutely excellent. $26. www.hoddlescreekestate.com.au/

Wirra Wirra 2019 The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon

 

So you enjoy your red wines bold, with a swagger and plenty of confidence? You've come to the right bottle. But this wine is also a gentleman; impeccably balanced and well mannered. From one of the best producers in McLaren Vale, it takes its name from the giant Angelus Bell that sits on top the winery cellars. The Angelus comprises the best parcels of cabernet sauvignon from the vintage and its structure means it is a wine that can usually be cellared for two decades or more should you wish to do so. Think Dark plum and currant fruit flavours and a long, structured palate. We paired this with a lamb en croute with green vegetables, and that worked a treat. $70. https://wirrawirra.com/

Ravensworth 2021 Estate Sangiovese

 

Bryan Martin is a long-time collaborator with the Kirk family at Clonakilla, but also makes serious ripples with his own wines under the Ravensworth label, also based in Murrumbateman, outside Canberra. This is one of the finest Australian sangioveses that I have had the pleasure of tasting, ethereal, dangerously drinkable. No fertilisers, chemicals or pesticides, no fining or filtering. This was whole-berry processed to oak cuves, plunged daily during fermentation, sealed up, topped as skins soften then locked up for six months. Pressed and returned to cask, it was then transferred with lees to Hungarian oak casks for another year. Poised, textural, complex, savoury but silky, this matched brilliantly with pizzas, but also has the complexity to be enjoyed with more serious dishes. Outstanding drinking for $45. But be quick. Volumes are tiny. http://www.ravensworthwines.com.au/

Shaw Wines 2022 Estate Rosé

The cool Canberra region is a source of a growing number of outstanding wines and this dry rosé from estate vineyards in Murrumbateman has plenty of appeal with its bright, lively palate and very reasonable price tag. Utilising the usual shiraz (60%), blended with 40% malbec, this is a very vibrant, almost tart, wine that demands to be enjoyed with food. Think cranberry and wild strawberrry fruit notes and a very crisp and dry palate. This would be perfect pair with anything with a Middle Eastern flavour; from a lamb kebab to a mezze plate. Or, perhaps, a charcuterie board. Very refreshing this one and it weighs in at just 11.5% alcohol. $26. https://shawwines.com.au/

https://shawwines.com.au/