2008 Pepperjack Shiraz

Sometimes I wonder if the big companies get overlooked, just because they're big. Here is a classic Barossa shiraz produced by Fosters at a fair price: there's heaps of vanillin oak providing a fragrant lift as well as a frame for the rich, ripe, concentrated plummy, mulberry fruit. It is soft and creamy and has a plush texture which makes it very easy to drink, especially given its gentle, silky tannins.

Cost: $ 24.95

Wide availability in all Australian states.

Reviewed: 23 October 2009

2004 Pewsey Vale 'The Contours' Riesling

Splurging on riesling allows you to drink one of the greatest examples of the variety made in Australia without breaking the bank. It's released as a five year old wine and is sourced from the picturesque Eden Valley vineyard of Pewsey Vale with its dramatic contoured vines. Here, with the 2004 'The Contours' you have a mature riesling in its prime. It still shows plenty of youthful zest, paradoxically with some mellow softness and ever-so gentle toastiness in the mid-palate. Expect intense and pure lime juice flavours with lemongrass notes before a crisp, dry, zesty finish that excites and lingers.

Cost: $ 27.95

Winemaker: Louisa Rose

Limited availability in all Australian states. www.pewseyvale.com

Reviewed: 18 September 2009

2008 Joseph 'La Magia' Botrytis Riesling Traminer

Joe Grilli has been making stickies for ages using whatever grape varieties he has at his disposal - so there's no recognisable line that you can follow. They've invariable been very fine wines and delicious. This is the first year Joe has used riesling from his vineyard at coolish Clarendon at 250 metres, as well as his other McLaren Vale vineyards. It's blended with botrytised traminer from Coonawarra. The 2008 'La Magia' has intense, ripe sweet fruit that shows apricot and honey flavours, power and a clean, crisp finish that lingers.

Cost: $ 25 (375ml)

Winemaker: Joe Grilli

Limited availability in all Australian states. www.primoestate.com.au

Reviewed: 14 August 2009

2007 Luke Lambert Reserve Syrah

Luke Lambert has achieved a great deal in his short career. Most importantly, he is one of a group of bright young Yarra Valley winemakers who are turning the region into a hot bed of experimentation and innovation. He started making syrah and nebbiolo in his garage at Yarra Glen in 2004 and now leases three single hectare blocks (one of nebbiolo at Heathcote, another in the Yarra and one of syrah in the Yarra) and is specialising in these varieties. Like all his wines, the 2007 Syrah has no new oak, is fermented naturally, given extended maceration and neither fined nor filtered. I love the wine: it has a brooding, briary character on the nose with an array of complex aromas. On the palate it is dense, deep and ultra-concentrated, more savoury than fruity, complex and brambly. Its velvety texture and the balance between fruit and fine, ripe tannins give it an approachability though it will benefit from time in the bottle.

Cost: $ 65

Winemaker: Luke Lambert

Cellar door, mailing list, restaurants. Ask about it. www.lukelambertwines.com.au

At the moment they are also available at:

Randall's

186 Bridport St

Albert Park VIC 3206

St Jude's Cellars

389 - 391 Brunswick St

Fitzroy 3065

Reviewed: 10 July 2009

2005 Evans & Tate The Reserve Shiraz

This is a superstar. It was my favourite red at the Sydney International Top 100 where I gave it a perfect 10 in the food and wine matching section of the competition. It won the trophy for Best Medium Bodied Dry Red. My comments there were 'spicy, cassis, blackberry, mulberry characters. A succulent wine with lovely balance and ripe fine tannins. With the lamb dish, it was finer, more elegant and even better balanced.' I've seen it more recently in a major tasting and once again gave it a gold medal. Here I noted its ultra-concentration, balance between substantial oak and tannins and the intensity of its fruit flavours and the seamless integration of those elements. I would prefer to give it some time to mature (say five to ten years with the right cellaring) but it does drink well now with the right food. At the Sydney International, it was paired with Jacqui Mason's Herb-crusted lamb tenderloins with gratin of courgettes - delicious.

Cost: $
45

Reviewed: 12 June 2009