BANROCK STATION RESERVE PINOT NOIR CHARDONNAY NV
MULTI REGIONAL
RRP $9.99
A serious contender for best value bubbles in the country. Fresh as a daisy, smells include lemon, green apple, pear and fresh white bread, while the palate is soft, citrusy, long and dry. Spotless production ensures bubbles are fine without being gassy while balanced acidity is enough to spark appetites and keep the good times flowing.
YALUMBA Y SERIES RIESLING 2009
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
RRP$8.55
On the value for money front, Yalumba consistently stuff and enormous amount of both style and substance into their wines. The Y Series range is a brilliant illustration of this, and the Riesling – drawn from Barossa and Eden Valley fruit – is a cracker. Expect a wine packed with pure lemon/lime citrus fruit, spice and biscuit notes, while in the mouth the wine is broad and limey with enough acidity and a bone-dry finish.
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MONTES SAUVIGNON BLANC 2008
CASABALNCA VALLEY, CHILE
RRP $8.90
Sauv Blanc fans looking for a cheap fix should look no further than this ridiculously cheap example from he cool of Chile’s Casablanca Valley. Oozing smells of split pea, green herb, guava, and gooseberry, expect a tight and racy palate where a mouthful of ripe tropical fruit is nicely balanced by zippy acidity and a clean dry finish.
LA PLANCHELIERE CABERNET D’ANJOU 2008
LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE
RRP $9.99
This delicious summery rose from France’s Loire Valley is primed for outdoor eating, and possibly the best thing you could drink alongside all number of sweet, sour, salty and spicy Thai salads. From 100% Cabernet Franc, expect a nose crammed with raspberry, red apple and dried herb smells, while a fresh fruity palate gives way to crunchy acidity and a long clean finish that pulls up just this side of dry.
PETER LEHMANN SEMILLON 2009
BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
RRP$9.45
While the market is flooded with a raft of ho-hum pinot grigio, lovers of simple, crisp and fruity dry whites would be crazy not to stop at this consistently great value example from the team at Peter Lehmann. Expect a nose packed with lifted lemon zest and green apple character, while in the mouth it’s bright, squeaky-clean, beautifully balanced and dry.
JACOBS CREEK SHIRAZ ROSE 2009
MULTI REGIONAL, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
RRP$6.45
Despite the fact that it’s made by the mega-load, quality has not been sidelined in the production of this great dry rose. If you haven’t tasted these wines recently, you should definitely give them another look. This is terrific dry rosé – perhaps the best all rounder on the market – and packs a bright and bouncy nose full of raspberry, cherry and musk. In your mouth it’s bright, zippy and fresh as a daisy.
SANTA JULIA ORGANICA MALBEC 2008
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
RRP $9.99
Argentina’s Andes Mountains are the base for some of the highest altitude vineyards planted anywhere. Here position, exposure and plenty of sunshine hours translate into wines of incredible depth and richness. Expect masses of dark sun drenched fruit, leather and spice on the nose, while a wave lush and ripe dark fruit, spicy new oak, and a wash of dry grippy will greet you on the palate.
PENFOLDS KOONUNGA HILL SHIRAZ CABERNET 2008
MULTI REGIONAL, AUSTRALIA
RRP $10.99
It might be 99c the wrong side of $10, but in the thirty-or-so-years since Penfolds introduced us to Koonunga Hill, the brand has since grown to become the measuring stick for keenly priced reds everywhere. A near equal parts split of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon styled around fruit from the South Australian districts of Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra among others, this wine remains beautifully fruited, sparingly oaked and a great staring point for what Penfolds do incredibly well.
INNOCENT BYSTANDER MOSCATO 2009 – 375ml
MUTLI REGIONAL, VICTORIA
RRP $9.99
We’re all for wines that make you smile, and no single wine style has
the ability to do that quite like Moscato. Innocent Bystander is just one of the many great local examples of this fresh summery style native to Italy’s North West. Fermented under pressure until its just 5% alcohol, expect smells of fresh grape juice, ripe pear and juicy red apples, while in your mouth it’s super-fresh, a little bit sweet, and ever so slightly fizzy.
CHATEAU REYNELLA 16 YO RARE OLD TAWNY NV – 375ml
MCLAREN VALE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
RRP $9.99
This Chateau Reynella half bottle from heaven is little short jaw-dropping value for money, and hands down our pick of the bunch. Copper mahogany in colour expect a lush nose of Christmas cake, dried fig, spice and spirit, while the palate is soft and cloying with nice heat, plenty of sweet spicy fruit, and a finish that pulls up toasty and dry.
