What to drink ... savoury reds
Offering complex and beguiling flavours, these wines are also a perfect match for simple food, especially red meat.
UP TO $20
Picante Grande Meseta Tempranillo Shiraz 2010, $13
''Grande meseta'' means ''high plains'' in Spanish; apparently it's from somewhere high in the middle of that country where the fruit for this blend is sourced. This is a terrific, inexpensive - if uncomplicated - drink. It starts with a neat whack of juniper and liquorice spice, earthy with an appealing whiff of jamon. Ripe, supple tannins and cleansing acidity meld with juicy fruit but this is not fruity; it's definitely in the savoury spectrum. A perfect red with a steak sandwich smothered in homemade spicy tomato sauce. From Purvis Cellars, Surrey Hills.
$30 AND UNDER
Shadowfax Minnow 2012, $30
The first thing to do with this wine is to let it breathe, as it's a touch reductive and stinky at first. It then opens up to reveal cool black pepper plus some fresh raspberry and an earthy, almost stemmy character. It's not a heavy wine, it's almost light on the palate, driven by its tangy acidity rather than tannins. Minnow is an intriguing mix of mostly carignan at 40 per cent, with more or less equal amounts of grenache, cinsault and mataro. What does that mean? It's savoury, super-tight and matches well with a bowl of ravioli stuffed with a meaty filling. From Shadowfax winery, Werribee.
UNDER $50
Caillard Mataro 2011, $48
If I had to buy a wine solely for its label, this mataro would be it. Andrew Caillard, a highly regarded wine auctioneer is also a talented painter - hence his exquisite artwork on the label. A different painting features each year, now numbering four, and Caillard's latest vintage is an enticing drink, too. It's complex and I love the fragrance of mataro, a mix of Mediterranean herbs with Sichuan pepper, and this has both aplenty alongside currants and dark plums. While there's good fruit at its base, this sits in the savoury spectrum; a full-bodied wine with round tannins. At Prince Wine Store.
SPLURGE
El Wanderer Carinyena 2010, $55
Each year, Yarra Valley winemaker Andrew Marks wanders off to Spain, specifically Catalonia, to make this carinyena sourced from a single vineyard of 100-year-old vines. The resultant wine is amazing. It's deep, earthy, rich with an intense and unusual, complex palate. There's a heady mix of fresh tobacco, lavender, red liquorice and saltbush, with soft, grainy tannins and fine acidity rounding out this medium-bodied wine. It's gorgeous, super fresh and beguiling. Simple is key with food matches - jamon would be just right. From wandererwines.com.