A rustic chianti to try and two other great wines

Chianti Classico (Corte Carista) 2012 $9.99

Aldi's Tuscan import takes us well away in style from Australian wines made from the same grape variety, sangiovese. It's medium-bodied, taut, bone-dry, earthy and savoury, with sour-cherry-like fruit characters in the aroma. On the palate, this cherry-like flavour wells up through tough, pervasive, savoury tannins. It fits the Chianti Classico specification, albeit in a pleasantly rough and rustic way. Last time we tried one of these, a withered little cork snapped in half as we coaxed it from the bottle. The cork survived the operation this time.

Hardys Tintara McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013 $18.90-$28

Hardys, now part of Accolade Wines, began as a Tintara, McLaren Vale, producer in the 19th century. The Tintara label reflects those roots. The 2013 vintage provides an opulent, drink-now expression of the regional shiraz style. The deep, crimson-rimmed colour suggests a strong wine with youthful vitality. The aroma and palate confirm this with full, ripe, vibrant fruit flavours, reminiscent of ripe, black cherries. Behind the fruit flavours we detect dark-chocolate and other savoury characters weaving through the smooth, soft tannins.

Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay (Henty, Victoria) 2013 $23.75-$27

The Drumborg vineyard, planted by Karl Seppelt in1964, lies a little to the north of Portland on Victoria's southwest coast. The cool maritime climate presented huge viticultural challenges in the early days. But over the decades, its managers coaxed ever-better fruit from the site, culminating in elegant, charming wines such as Jaluka chardonnay. The very good 2013 shows us an intense, fine-boned face of modern Australian chardonnay from a very cool climate. Delicate, grapefruit-like varietal flavours underpin a complex, barrel-fermented wine. Possibly the best value for money chardonnay made in Australia.