Your quest for the best sub-$20 Merlot is over. One of McLaren Vale's most explosive producers of the past 10-15 years is offered here on an silver platter. Everything you love about Merlot in one bottle; luscious black fruits with soft cuddly tannins and hints of spiced coffee.

Tintara are not only a historic winery in South Australia, they are also embracing modern winemaking techniques to produce flavoursome and full-bodied Shiraz like this beauty from McLaren Vale. Displaying concentrated flavours of dark forest fruits, plum and cocoa to complement the sweet vanilla oak. Fine grained tannin carries the balance of this luscious McLaren red which gives the palate a rich and even persistence.

The Black Chook is another fantastic 'big fruit' style from Ben Riggs. The nose is complex with aromas of black cherries and violets and the palate is rich and spicy with great mouth feel and excellent length.

Part of Two Hands super-premium, single vineyard range, this classic McLaren Shiraz style has nuanced blueberry, mocha and spice characters. Always made to be plush, rich and smooth, the Lily's Garden never seems to be void of any complexity though. Super long length and superb tannin structure also help the McLaren Vale beauty truly sing.

A bold McLaren Vale Shiraz showing voluptuous blackberry and plum flavours with hints of coffee and chocolate. Rich and satisfying, it can be enjoyed now or cellared for more complexity.

Grenache has always been a cornerstone of d'Arenberg's red wines and this is one of the benchmarks of the variety. Produced from old low yielding vines it is a wine of great character and intensity. Showing none of the sickly confectionery characters that can plague this variety, it's all about elegant, savoury spice.

From two small vineyards that stood out for their ability to capture true McLaren Vale chocolate, spices and an amazing depth of red fruits and blackberry.

Pirramimma Stock's Hill McLaren Vale Cabernet is deep brick red in colour with lifted fruit on the nose. The palate shows excellent blackcurrant varietal flavour with well integrated American oak. A great wine for the price.

Planted in the late 19th century, the High Trellis vineyard was the first d'Arenberg vineyard to be trained above knee height. For the past four decades, a Cabernet Sauvignon has been produced from the vineyard to critical acclaim, even winning the Jimmy Watson trophy in 1969. Something that d'Arry reminds current winemaker, and son, Chester about often!

Deep and meaty in its expression, a fleshy and red cedar-like undertone lines the typically velvety texture. Sandown Cabernet Sauvignon by Clarendon Hills.