Medium purple hue. Ripe blackberry & black cherry with hints of fresh tobacco. Upfront, it is all juicy and dark fruited - ripe plum, tangy blueberry with a touch of ribena sweetness - but to follow, a hint of smoky cured meatiness and fine chalky tannin serve to make the finish savoury yet muy refrescante. Fermented in open stainless steel vats on skins for 14 days. Gentle pressing off skins via airbag press. The brainchild of Guy Anderson and Thierry Boudinaud, Fat Bastard Wines came into being via an exclamation, "Now that is what you call a Fat Bastard!" The comment came in response to a barrel of experimental Chardonnay that Thierry had left on lees for an extended maturation. Both Guy and Thierry felt that the wines had to be shared with the world, and so Fat Bastard Wines was born. Now, the pair work with wineries and vineyards from all over the world, sourcing fruit and juice from a myriad different regions and countries. But one factor remains the same: they make unapologetically full-bodied wines, packed with flavour and vibrancy.

Ripe and generous, the leafy, minty characters of Cabernet are complemented by the softness and plummy fruit coming from the Merlot. A nice touch of sweet oak completes the picture.

This Clare Valley Cabernet from Taylors shows ample varietal blackcurrant flavour seasoned with some attractive sweet oak. The tannins are firm but nicely in balance.

The Brand's Laira Blockers Cabernet is a Coonawarra red with classic varietal definition. The nose shows cedar, red berry and tobacco notes. The palate is rich, long and beautifully texturally structured. A multi-award winner, the Blockers can be enjoyed now or cellared in the medium term.

This De Bortoli Cabernet Merlot blend combines rich, dark berry from the Cabernet's flavour with soft, plumy Merlot. An ideal accompaniment to pasta, veal or pork.

This WA winery continues to impress with its well-crafted value for money wines. This Cabernet blend has ripe berry fruit characters enhanced by toasty oak and balanced with fine-grained tannins.

Penfolds Maxs Cabernet Sauvignon is a regional blend that gives the wine a fuller more intense mouthfeel. It has rich blackcurrant and toffee-apple like aromas on the nose, followed by dense savoury varietal fruits on the palate. Tannins are firm with subtle oaks leading to a long finish.

A recent addition to the Petaluma stable, the Petaluma of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is a great example of modern Australian winemaking when let to mingle with traditional wine estate and aged vineyards. Notes of dark chocolate, mocha, espresso and forest floor sit alongside bold blackcurrant fruit and cedar nuances. The finish is long and sustained.

De Bortoli has the ability to produce wines that offer supreme value for money. This classic Australian blend shows delicious sweet dark fruits and soft, lingering tannin.

An iconic Australian blend and one of the most popular wines from Penfolds' Koonunga Hill range, this Shiraz Cabernet offers exceptional value. The wine is loaded with raspberry, mulberry and redcurrant are supported by a whisper of grainny tannins and well integrated oak backbone.