Penfolds Bin 311 Orange Chardonnay 2007 $38–$43
Penfolds Bin 138 Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre 2006 $20.80–$34
From long personal experience the Penfolds reds provide reliable, sometimes exciting cellaring, especially at the discount prices accompanying each new release. They’ve become somewhat finer in recent years without losing the essential Penfolds layered, complex, tannic style. The whites seem to be undeservedly ignored, although this tight, intense style from nearby Orange rates a mention. It’s fully priced, however, and probably not quite up to the standard set by small players like Main Ridge and Kooyong – or even a premier cru Chablis. While predominantly shiraz, Bin 138’s aroma and flavour show grenache highlights with an attractive savouriness. Needs three or four years’ cellaring.

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2006 $18.90–$33
Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 2005 $18.90–$32
These are warm-climate and cool-climate expressions of shiraz, both weighing in at a hefty 14.5 per cent alcohol, but displaying distinct flavour differences. There’s cool-climate pepper and spice in the Coonawarra wine. But it’s taut, grippy and far from ready to drink. What was Foster’s thinking when it released Bin 128 a year younger than the Bin 28? It certainly didn’t do drinkers a favour. That quibble aside (and the slight alcohol hotness), it’s a significant red that’ll drink well for a decade or more. Bin 28’s fuller and riper. It too shows a little alcohol hotness, but the rich fruit and layered tannins suggest good long-term cellaring.

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $39–$45
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2005 $39.50–$58
The two cabernet-based bin reds, in my view, star in this year’s line up. Bin 407 is typically textbook varietal -– showing cabernet’s distinctive aroma, flavour, power and firm structure – characteristics saved from austerity by the deep, sweet fruit flavour. It’s built for cellaring, although unadorned protein-rich food, particularly rare lamb or beef, mollify those tannins and together taste terrific. With cellaring Bin 407 retains its cabernet varietal character under the patina of age. Bin 389 is the most beautifully aromatic of the new releases. With the flavour opulence to match the aroma and a sturdy tannin structure it ought to age well for twenty years in a good cellar.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Redmans Coonawarra Shiraz 2004 $15-$22
Redmans Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 $30-$35
Redmans wines stand out as distinct, finer examples of Coonawarra. There’s a deliberate philosophy behind them, based on a clear understanding of what the alternative styles might be and a long family familiarity with Coonawarra and its wines. Bruce and Malcolm Redman intentionally make the ‘elegant’ rather than the burlier style, approaching grape-growing and winemaking as their father Owen — and before that Owen’s father — the legendary Bill Redman – did. The 2004 shiraz is a fine-boned, spicy red to enjoy over the next five years. And the 2003 is one of the most graceful, understated and thoroughly enjoyable cabernets you’ll ever pull a cork on.

Mount Pleasant Philip Hunter Valley Shiraz 2005 $12-$18
Like the Redman wines reviewed above, the perennially under-rated Philip stuck to its guns through decades of changing red-wine fashion. It’s perhaps a bit brighter than the older versions – and a screw cap means no more cork taint or random oxidation – but it’s never tried to be more than what it is: an uncomplicated, tasty regional specialty. It’s appealing and soft and though richly flavoured, it’s medium bodied and refreshingly devoid of intrusive oak flavours.  As 2005 was a warm year in the Hunter, this one’s appreciably fuller than the 2004. It has hallmark soft Hunter tannins and mouth-watering savouriness.
Alenquer (Quinta Setencosta, Casa Santos Lima) 2005 $12-$15
This is a Coles import from Alenquer, Western Portugal – an area renowned for quantity rather than quality, but clearly capable of taking on Aussie wines in the $10-$15 price segment. It’s medium bodied, with appealing, bright, summer-berry fruit flavours and savoury, earthy tannins – all interestingly different to what we find in Aussie wines at the price. It’s one to glug down now. It seems that the strong Aussie dollar, combined with the growing confidence and selection skills of Coles and Woolworths, is creating real competition for Australian wine – and giving us variety to boot. It’s available from Vintage Cellars and 1st Choice stores.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Helm Canberra District Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $45
Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $31
As Canberra’s shiraz reputation soars, Ken Helm remains a cabernet true believer. And his latest release certainly has merit. It’s riper, fuller and more youthfully coloured than earlier vintages – attributes of the warm vintage and modified winemaking and viticultural practice. But measured against a good, but not top-shelf, Coonawarra of the same vintage, in my view it fails to stack up. There are blemishes to the Canberra wine, good as it is, that leave the elegant, supple-but-firm Balnaves wine a length or two in front. Others may disagree – Ken certainly does – but I’ve seen little evidence to support the cabernet-in-Canberra argument. Our best don’t compare with good-average-quality Coonawarras, let alone the elites from that area or Margaret River.

Seppelt Victorian Shiraz 2005 $16–$19
Seppelt became part of Foster’s as a result of its 2005 acquisition of Southcorp wines. But the wine styles have remained intact, thanks to the suite of outstanding Victorian vineyards and continuity in winemaking under Arthur O’Connor and then Emma Wood. Shiraz is the winery’s benchmark red. And while there’s a Victorian focus and familial rich-but-medium-bodied style, there’s also considerable diversity within that theme.  Victoria Shiraz – from Grampians, Glenlofty, Bendigo and Great Western – sets an affordable pace with its spicy and savoury varietal aroma and supple and rich palate. The focus is on fruit flavour with a modest tannin grip and no overt oak.

Seppelt Heathcote Shiraz 2005 $50–$55
Seppelt Benno Bendigo Shiraz 2005 $50–$55
Seppelt St Peters Grampians Shiraz 2005 $65–$70
The top-shelf Seppelt shirazes reflect the different flavours derived from varied vineyard sites in Victoria. They’re appreciably more concentrated and purple-hued than the Victorian blend. The Heathcote wine shows the red-berry end of the shiraz spectrum, tinged with an appealing spiciness. Benno (named after Benno Seppelt and sourced from Bendigo) delivers opulent blackberry-like varietal flavour. It’s a striking, big but lovely mouthful of a wine and highly distinctive.  The flagship, St Peters, has become finer in recent years, shedding a little oak and showing its sensational fruit. This is pure class, a wonderfully peppery, spicy, intense and elegant red with probably decades of cellaring ahead.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne $85 
Some of Australia’s top bubblies provide better value drinking, in my view, than some of the French non-vintage styles. But Louis Roederer, still in family hands, shows why real Champagne remains the benchmark. It has the assertive pinot flavour and structure more typical of a vintage Champagne, with a unique and lovely elegance, freshness and lightness – courtesy of the chardonnay component. There’s nothing hit and miss about this. It gets back to great grapes from the company’s highly rated 190-hectares of vineyards, skilled winemaking and blending – including the use of two-to-five-year-old reserve wines – and a minimum three years’ maturation in bottle.

Giant Steps Yarra Valley Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 $34.95 & Tarraford Vineyard Chardonnay 2006 $39.95. Stonier Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2006 $26.99
This is a trio of wonderful, new-age chardonnays – totally oak fermented and matured but not at all oaky, just vibrantly varietal, if restrained, and luxuriously textured. The first two show a family resemblance but also the subtle flavour difference of two different Yarra vineyard sites. I tried but couldn’t see the ‘pith, pears, mixed nuts’ nor the ‘Anzac biscuits’ and ‘toasted fresh coconut’ flavours described in the press release.  But, gee, they tasted good – the Sextons a little leaner and Tarraford with more fruit weight. Stonier’s, too, showed class, with the flavour depth, but delicacy, to wash down a platter of fresh blue-swimmer crabs.

Coriole McLaren Vale Chenin Blanc 2007 $15, Redstone Shiraz 2005 $18.50, Redstone Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $18.50
The Loire Valley’s chenin blanc proved versatile in Australia, making good fortified wine and, when makers bothered, good table wine. Coriole embraced it back in 1977, becoming one of its few supporters and making a delicious, tropical-fruit-scented dry white that ages well and provides a change from chardonnay, riesling and sauvignon blanc. The reds are appealing, drink-now regional varietals in the sturdy but not-too-heavy warm-climate mould. The bright, chocolate-rich and firm cabernet offers great value. And the shiraz, with its extra year in bottle, shows a pleasing rustic, savoury character – a feature that, to me, separates the Vale’s shiraz from those made in the Barossa, to the north.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Bourgogne Pinot Noir (Maison Champy) 2005 $20-$25
This is good, affordable real Burgundy, imported by Coles for its Vintage Cellars and 1st Choice outlets. London-based Burgundy specialist, Anthony Hanson MW, introduced Coles to Maison Champy in 1999 – just as the old firm (founded 1720) found new life under Henri and Pierre Meurgey. The wines are better than ever now and a new generation of Coles’ buyer persuaded Champy to preserve this goodness by using a screw cap – a huge step forward in my view. The wine’s limpid and bright with attractive ripe-pinot aroma and taut, fine, elegant structure – underpinned by clean, bright varietal flavour. Good value; watch for the specials.

Osborne Manzanilla Fina Sherry $18-$20
Manzanilla, from Sanlucar de Barrameda, Andalucia, is the lightest and finest of Spain’s fino sherries. It’s at its best when freshly bottled, like this just-landed Osborne – imported by Coles for Vintage Cellars and 1st Choice. At 15 per cent alcohol it’s only marginally stronger than your typical Aussie chardonnay but, of course, it has that tangy sherry edge that you’ll either love or hate.  The colour’s pale and the palate is beautifully fresh, bone dry and permeated by the sherry tang – a product of controlled oxidation during maturation under a film of yeast cells in oak for three and a half years. The savoury tang works well with many foods – for example char-grilled seafood, olives and smoked meats.

Oxford Landing South Australia Chardonnay 2007 $7.95
There’s a trickle-down effect from top-shelf to budget wines in larger companies. Hand-me-down barrels plus viticultural and winemaking learnings all help to boost the bottom end – as we see in Yalumba’s terrific Oxford Landing Chardonnay 2007. Fresh, clear varietal fruit flavour’s at the heart of it. But it’s the add-ons that lift it above the ordinary: barrel-matured reserve components from the previous vintage; a portion of wild-yeast ferment (formerly reserved for only top-end wines); ageing on yeas lees and a malo-lactic fermentation for a small part of the blend – and all well integrated with the fruit. In short, it’s a lovely, interesting chardonnay at a bargain price.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Nuragus di Cagliari (Argiolas S’elegas) 2006 $21
Melbourne’s Da Noi restaurant offers delicious Italian food, prepared by Sardinian owner Pietro Porcu.  It’s a restaurant where you leave the food selection to the chef then enjoy it with Italian wine from an extensive list that included, on our visit, this Sardinian white, made from the nuragus grape. This about as far removed from Aussie white as you can get. But it’s melon-rind-like bitter sweetness and full, round, buttery (but tart) palate worked with waves of scrumptious vegetable, meat and seafood antipasti. It wouldn’t be a wine to sip on its own as it needs savoury, rich and piquant flavours to match its own rustic character.

Le Sughere di Frassinello Maremma Toscana 2004 $60
What a contrast moving from the rustic Nuragus di Cagliari to this elegant, sophisticated blend of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon and merlot – another selection from Da Noi’s wine list. Taut, savoury, sinewy sangiovese dominates the blend while cabernet and merlot seem to lift the perfume, brighten the fruit flavour and ameliorate the tannin structure – making the wine more elegant than a straight sangiovese might have been. The wine is a joint venture between wealthy Italian businessman Paolo Pawerai and the Rothschild family of Bordeaux – source of the cabernet and merlot cuttings for the Tuscan vineyard. This and the white above are available direct from the importer: call Maurizio at Arquilla Wines 03 9387 1040

Pikes Clare Valley Eastside Shiraz 2005 $21-$29
Neagles Rock Clare Valley Riesling 2007 $17-$20
Henschke Joseph Hill Eden Valley Gewurztraminer 2007 $33
We test drove this trio with Thai food recently – starting with the Henschke Gewürztraminer, a magnificent, intensely varietal wine that proved to be deliciously dry but, because of that, a slight mismatch with the food. Neagles Rock’s full, soft, floral riesling fruitiness, though, sat comfortably with the spicy dishes and disappeared rapidly. Jane Willson and Steve Wiblin grow and make this one in the Clare Valley (see neaglesrock.com). While red wines, especially those with firm tannins (like cabernet), can be swamped by spicy foods, round, soft, fleshy styles – like our wine of the meal, Pikes Shiraz – tend to retain flavour yet mesh with the food.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Nicholson River Gippsland Pinot Noir 2004 $15
Thirty years ago science teacher-turned social worker, Ken Eckersley, planted vines at Nicholson River, East Gippsland, Victoria. It was pioneering stuff at the time. And today Ken and wife Juliet produce a range of wines, including their specialties, pinot noir and chardonnay. Ken says they built their reputation on chardonnay originally. But today, adds Ken,  ‘I like to make a nice pinot and sell it at $15’– inverse snobbery, he calls it, with top pinots pulling $60 and more a bottle. And it’s an understatement, as this is probably the tastiest, most genuine pinot you’re likely to find at $15. See www.nicholsonriverwinery.com.au

Black Jack Bendigo Shiraz 2005 $35, Block 6 Shiraz $35, Major’s Line Shiraz 2005 $25
Shiraz has so many expressions in Australia, ranging from the just-ripe, white-peppery styles like Mornington Peninsula’s Wildcroft Wild One Shiraz to the suck-the-water-from-you-eyes blockbusters of northeastern Victoria. Bendigo’s Black Jack Vineyard produces a style that might be called robust cool climate – rich, warm soft wines that sit somewhere between the burly Barossa style and, say, the refined elegance of Canberra shiraz. These, juicy, gentle, appealing wines, made by owners Ken Pollock and Ian McKenzie, reflect the character of different vineyards – the first two being estate grown while Major’s Line comes from David Norris’s vineyard at Faraday, about six kilometres to the south. See www.blackjackwines.com.au

Santa Barbara Le Vaglie Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi 2006 $28
We plucked this bone dry Italian white from the wine list at Da Noi, the legendary Sardinian restaurant in South Yarra. Made from the indigenous verdicchio grape — grown on the coastal plain, near Jesi in the Marche region – it’s a full-flavoured, utterly dry style with a tart, bordering on bitter, edge that grew in appeal as successive portions of a sensational antipasto arrived. This is as good a Jesi verdicchio as I’ve seen, if not a match for the best from the more elevated Matelica region to the west. Available direct from the importer, call Maurizio at Arquilla Wines 03 9387 1040.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Shelmerdine Heathcote Shiraz 2005 $34; Heathcote Merindoc Vineyard Shiraz 2005 $65 and Heathcote Merlot $28
The Shelmerdine family sources fruit from Victoria’s climatically diverse Heathcote region – from the cool south to the warmer north. The beautifully ripe, supple Heathcote Shiraz 2005 combines northern and southern shiraz with a dab of viognier; and the flagship shiraz comes solely from the Merindoc Vineyard in the south. Made by Sergio Carlei from just four tonnes of carefully selected fruit, it’s pure magic – in the fragrant, savoury, fine cool-climate mould. The merlot, from the Willoughby Bridge vineyard, Colbinabbin, at the warmer northern end of the region, is a fairly fleshy, firmly structured version of the style. See www.shelmerdine.com.au

Printhie Orange Region Merlot 2005 $16.95
Merlot’s out of favour in some quarters at present, perhaps because so many Australian attempts at the style tend to be green and hard or overburdened with oak or tannin. But this one – enjoyed twice in the last year – demonstrates what good fruit, gently handled, can do. It’s from Printhie’s Phalaris Vineyard. And, says winemaker Rob Black, winemaking focused on capturing the fruit flavour without extracting too much tannin. The appealing fragrance, elegant structure and simple, delicious fruit make it ideal for drinking right now. It’s just one of a range of big-value wines available at www printhiewines.com.au

St Huberts Yarra Valley Roussanne 2006 $25
Roussanne, marsanne and viognier are the three key white varieties of France’s Rhone Valley, more often than not blended in various proportions and combinations. Though viognier was probably the last to appear in Australia, it’s now, perhaps, the best known of the three, both in its own right and as an adjunct to shiraz. Victoria’s Tahbilk put marsanne on the map single handedly. And roussanne, while hard to find has links going back to the earliest days of Yarra Valley grape growing. Yeringberg’s is a fine example. But easier to find is this subtle and lovely, partly oak fermented, version from the Foster’s-owned St Huberts.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Howard Park: Riesling 2007 $25; Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $25; Scotsdale/Leston Park Shirazes 2005 $40 and Cabernet Sauvignons 2005 $40; Cabernet Merlot 2004 $90
Behind Madfish, Howard Park’s wildly successful (and excellent) $15-$20-a-bottle second label, lies a rich winemaking culture, built on top-quality fruit from a number of Western Australian regions. Proprietor Jeff Burch showed the latest regional specialties – one of the strongest that I’ve seen from a single producer – on a tour through Canberra late last year.  The riesling comes from Mount Barker and Pongerups in the deep south; sauvignon blanc combines Pemberton and Margaret River material; the Scotsdale and Leston Vineyards are in Great Southern and Margaret River respectively; and the brilliant cabernet merlot is a Mount Barker Margaret River blend. These are exciting special occasion wines.

Mitchell Clare Valley Riesling 2007 $22 & Semillon 2006 $18
Andrew and Jane Mitchell’s Watervale 2007 is a fuller style riesling, perhaps influenced by a spontaneous fermentation. There’s real flavour concentration, a rich texture and a little bite to the finish. It was made in tiny quantities in 2007 – the forty-year-old vines yielded just 2.5 tonnes to the hectare – and tonnes of flavour to enjoy now. But the Mitchell’s real bargain is their delicious oak-fermented-and-matured semillon. It’s full and richly textured, with very attractive lemon-like varietal flavour and a dazzling freshness. It’s a style that the Clare does well but for some reason seems to have fallen out of fashion. See www.mitchellwines.com

Balgownie Estate Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2006 $22
Balgownie was a leading light of the late sixties/early seventies boutique winery boom. Proprietor Stuart Anderson established vines at Bendigo in 1969 and made magnificent reds, especially shiraz. After Anderson sold Balgownie it faded from view until becoming independent again in recent years. As well as the Bendigo wines it now makes a pretty exciting pinot using fruit from independent Yarra Valley growers – as it waits for its own vines there to mature. This is the first tasted and it’s a bargain.  It offers the seductive perfume, fine-boned structure, intense flavours and silky but substantial tannins of this wonderful variety. See www.balgownieestate.com.au

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008

Two Hands ‘Brilliant Disguise’ Barossa Moscato 2007 500ml $18
The Moscato d’Asti wines of Piedmont, Italy, have inspired a new use for white frontignac, one of the old workhorses of the Australian wine industry. The keynotes of those from Asti, and neighbouring provinces Cuneo and Alessandria (which also use the Asti appellation) is delicacy, freshness, low-alcohol (5.5 per cent), moderate sweetness and intense grapiness. Many Australian producers now emulate the style with considerable success, albeit with a slightly higher, but still modest, alcohol content. Two Hands, sourced from 80-100 year old vines, weighs in at 7 per cent alcohol. With its delicate muscat flavour, fruity sweetness and light spritz it makes a wonderful warm weather aperitif. See www.twohandswines.com

Le Pere Jules Poire de St Desir-de-Lisieux (Leon Desfrieches) 750ml  $16
Close your eyes and think, not of England, but of Normandy, just across the channel. This is fruit country. And what better way to preserve fruit than by making eau-de-vie or cider. Calvados and poire William are Normandy’s classic apple and pear brandies – offering, just like the region’s other fruit eau-de-vies, a teasing impression, or spirit, of the fruit that made them. Cider provides a more direct connection to the fruit flavour, and a drink more suited to our hot summer. This one’s as delicate, fresh and crisp as a just-ripe, just-picked pear, and offers a similar balance of sweet-fruit and tart acid. It’s just four per cent alcohol. (Sample purchased at 1st Choice, Philip).

Pear Tree Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $24.99
In 1993 brothers Matt and Chris Farrah established Campbell Liquor Discounts. In 2004–05 they developed the Pear Tree Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand – partly through the influence of winemaker Anthony Moore, an old mate of Matt’s from the AIS. And just in time for Christmas 2007, Matt and Chris took delivery of their first sauvignon blanc, sourced from the Pear Tree vineyard and local contract growers. Made by Craig Murphy, it’s a decent debut wine in the typically bracing, in-your-face Marlborough style. It’s available at the Farrah’s Campbell store and at Pangea, Tower, Milk and Honey and Debacle Restaurants and at selected bottles shops around Canberra.

Copyright © Chris Shanahan 2008