Under $20
Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $17-$19
Score 88 Value Good
Archetypal Marlborough sauvignon blanc of good quality. Aromas of freshly shelled peas, lime and guava introduce a zesty wine of bracing varietal flavour and refreshing drinkability. (Screw cap; 13 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? No.
Food ideas Mussels mariniere.
Stockists include Liquorland stores; Dan Murphy's stores.
Zeppelin Big Bertha Barossa Valley Shiraz 2013 $17-$19
Score 92 Value Fantastic
Plenty to like here for fans of generous Aussie shiraz. A powerful nose of crushed berries, liquorice, plum pud and stony earth. Full bodied in the mouth, it's rich, velvety and satisfying, with a solid backing of tannins. (Screw cap; 14.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over four years.
Food ideas Char kway teow with stir-fried beef.
Stockists include Chamber Cellars, Randwick (NSW); Bottle-O Liquorologist, Elizabeth Street, Melbourne (Vic).
$20-$35
Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Wiltinger Riesling Trocken 2012 $30-$32
Score 90 Value Good
German riesling, complex with aromas of herbs, minerals, tropical fruit, gingery spice, and a sulphide thread. It hints at sweetness, but it "feels" dry with good depth, texture, and firm, mouth-watering finish. (Screw cap; 12 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over four years.
Food ideas Pork chops with apple sauce and braised cabbage.
Stockists include Camperdown Cellars, Double Bay (NSW); Bottle House, South Yarra (Vic).
Paracombe Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $21-$23
Score 90 Value Good
Cabernet of generous build with blackcurrant, mulberry, bitter chocolate and herbal aromas, ahead of a smooth palate of plentiful ripe flavour, good balance and balanced, soft, fine tannins. (Screw cap; 14.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over three years.
Food ideas Lamb kebabs.
Stockists include Wine Down, Carnegie (Vic.); Glebe Liquor (NSW).
Indulge yourself
Yalumba Paradox Shiraz 2010 $43-$45
Score 94 Value Good
A refined Barossa shiraz, fragrant and complex with raspberry, plum, spice and tar aromas. It has lovely seamless flow and integration of flavours, medium body, and a dry tannin signature. (Cork; 13.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over six years.
Food ideas Beef fillet.
Stockists include David's Cellars, Annandale (NSW); Decanters by the Bay, Port Melbourne (Vic).
Brokenwood Indigo Vineyard Beechworth Chardonnay 2013 $47-$50
Score 95 Value Fantastic
Stylish, complex chardonnay. Citrus, pear, nutty lees, a light struck-match touch, and oak spice on the nose leads into a fine, precise mouthful of depth and creamy richness, ahead of an elegant, lingering finish. (Screw cap; 13 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over four years plus.
Food ideas Buttery roasted salmon cutlets.
Stockists include Winebox Warehouse, Port Melbourne (Vic); Bottle-O Taylor Square, Surry Hills (NSW).
Wine of the week
Houghton Crofters Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 $17-$19
Score 92 Value Fantastic
Remarkable value, stylish WA cabernet. Fragrant aromas of violets and blackcurrants find a counterpoint in a savoury touch of black olive, and it's intense tasting, medium bodied, deliciously balanced, and concentrated in the best Houghton manner, balanced by fine, ripe tannins. (Screw cap; 13.5 per cent alcohol.)
Ageing? Drink over five years.
Food ideas Racks of lamb.
Stockists include FoodWorks Belmont, Geelong ; Camperdown Cellars (NSW).
Brew
Old Hooky Ale $2.50-$4 500ml
Score 93
English ale of the satisfying, velvety sort, Old Hooky has a good level of malty richness partnered by good body and a balanced bite of hoppy bitterness. (4.6 per cent alcohol.)
Stockists include Dan Murphy's stores.
Something different
Barbadillo La Cilla Pedro Ximenez NV $37-$39
Score 94
A good introduction to the super-luscious Spanish sweet sherry known simply as "PX," after the grape pedro ximenez. Reminiscent of toffee, raisins and dried fig, it's a syrupy mouthful of great presence and lingering aftertaste. (Cork; 19 per cent alcohol.)
Stockists include Dan Murphy's stores.