Wine reviews from Chris Shanahan

d'Arenberg d'Arry's Original McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache 2011 $18–$20

d'Arenbeg's shiraz-grenache blend entered the Australian market decades ago as d'Arenberg "Burgundy". But it switched to varietal labelling in 1993, at the same time honouring its creator, d'Arry Osborn. It was, and remains, a loveable, warm, generous red with considerable cellaring potential – a rare thing in wines of this price. The 2012 vintage gives more robust flavours than the last release, from the cool 2011 season. Rich, earthy, savoury shiraz gives loads of flavour and solid, but gentle tannins; grenache adds greatly to the wine's perfume and liveliness.

Punt Road Napoleone Vineyard Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2013 $21.85–$25

The name commemorates an 1850s vineyard located on Melbourne's Punt Road, as it rises steeply from the Yarra River towards Toorak Road, in what is now the salubrious suburb of South Yarra. The vineyard is long gone. But the Napoleone family – Yarra Valley orchardists since 1948, and grape growers since 1987 – took the name for their label, inspired by an 1856 photo of the punt, the road and the vineyard. The warm 2013 vintage gives us a fuller bodied style with juicy, ripe, nectarine-like varietal flavour – but still in the elegant Yarra Valley style.

Streicker Bridgeland Block Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011 $35

The pale colour, bright fruit and lively acidity of Bridgeland Block belie its four-year's age. It's modelled on a Bordeaux's classic white blend of barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc and semillon. However, the accent remains entirely Margaret River, despite a textural richness reminiscent of Bordeaux. The very best Margaret River versions have wonderful weight and richness, like their Bordeaux counterparts. But this one shows another, and to me less appealing, side of Margaret River sauvignon blanc semillon in a pungent character, sometimes described as "canned pea". It suggests unripeness. The character divides judges in wine shows. And no doubt it'll find lovers and haters among wine drinkers.