A savoury, spicy Shiraz from Margaret River offering lively flavours of dark cherry, plum and pepper. Medium bodied and seamless in texture, it is a great drink now style with finesse.

Back in 2017 I was intrigued to see if my theory about certain varieties from warm-climate dry-grown vineyards are ideal for light-bodied red wines, even to be enjoyed with a bit of a chill on it! That ended up being one of my most successful wines, so in 2022 I made my fourth wine from Nero d’Avola grown by the Chalmers family at their Merbein vineyard. Fruit was hand-picked then transported in a refrigerated truck and delivered to the winery the next day. It was de-stemmed and sat on skins for only five days which accounted for the majority of fermentation. Once pressed it completed its fermentation in a stainless-steel tank, then was transferred to mature French oak puncheons (500L). After spending six months in barrel the wine was racked and blended, then bottled in November 2022.

Made from Nero d'Avola, a native grape of Sicily. The vineyards that produced this well crafted red are in the Belice area on the western side of the island. A portion of the fruit is treated very carefully during picking and transportation so as not to break the skins. The bunches are than laid out and dried for 30 days. They are then gently destemmed and crushed, and fermentation takes place. This wine is then added back to the normally fermented portion. The combination of two wines provides great intensity, complexity and interest. The wine has an incredibly intense nose featuring black pepper and spices. The palate offers layers and layers of fruit with bursts of dark berry fruit, excellent balance and complexity, with a soft, lingering finish.

Pioneer of the Coonawarra region, John Riddoch, lends his name to the highway that dissects the famous 'terra rossa' dominated region which is home to some of Australia's premier red wine vineyards. The fruit for this evocative Shiraz is sourced from some of these vineyards and is aged in a combination of French and American oak for 18 months to develop increased complexity. Exuding plum and red fruit aromas with just a tiny hint of oak that supports the rich textured palate. Perfect for enjoying today or for careful medium term cellaring.

John Riddoch is not only a famous name in the region of Coonawarra, but an important figure in the Australian wine industry. His pioneering spirit and love of the region has been translated into this bottle of rich and smooth Coonawarra Merlot. Aromas and flavours of ripe plums, dense blueberry and a fine grain tannin structure to support. A welcome return from a highly regarded wine name that won't disappoint if opened today or cellared for the short to medium term.

Krondorf is a name synonymous with the Barossa Valley with a long and prestigious history. Beginning life with the establishment of the Glenview winery back in the 1850s, Krondorf was reinvigorated by Grant Burge in 1978 and today has gone on to become one of the country's most awarded wineries. The Shiraz is a class-A, born and bred, full-bodied Barossa red. Bright garnet in colour with a vibrant nose of mulberry and hints of sweet strawberry. In balance tannin and acid balance along with a superb long length make this Barossan a wonderful value-for-money buy.

The gravelly soils and sunny climate of Hawkes Bay are producing some of New Zealand's most exciting reds. This classy Merlot from Oyster Bay shows soft spicy varietal flavours such as, juicy plums and ripe dark fruits. Accompanied by well intergraded oak and subtle tannins, making this wine one of the easier matching to food.

Produced from Nero d'Avola and dried Nero d'Avola grapes grown on the best sites in western Sicily. The grapes are dried in two historical ways, depending on their origin. Some grapes are left to hang and dehydrate on the vine while others are hand harvested and left to dry on racks for 15 days. The wine is vinified in a very gentle way allowing the wine to display both intensity of flavour and early approachability. The lavish fruit flavours of damson, black cherries and black currants match very well with rich meat based sauces.

Leconfield regularly produce fine full flavoured Shiraz. This release from McLaren Vale shows spicy berry-like varietal character with some minty-chocolately regional hints balanced tannins and well judged oak.

Deep purple in colour, this Merlot has an attractive nose of ripe red berries and cassis. The palate is soft and generous with plenty of sweet, juicy flavours. Great drinking and a great price!