Saracosa is inspired by the ‘Super Tuscans’ – a style first developed in the 1970s. These wines kickstarted the region’s renaissance and became some of the most exclusive and expensive in the world. Saracosa is from the Barbanera family estate, where half the vineyards are in the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG, and the remainder just beyond. In the 5-Star 2017 vintage Saracosa’s old vines delivered exceptional concentration. Dense, dark cherry and chocolatey tones make this a serious choice for pasta with pork ragù or bistecca alla fiorentina (steak with cannellini beans in tomato sauce).

Mark Lloyd of Coriole planted Sangiovese in his McLaren Vale vineyards in the mid 1980s and in 1999 he famously won the inaugural Australian Sangiovese Awards – a precursor to the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, where this delicious 2016 Sangiovese won Gold! It has beautiful bright spiced cherry and plum fruit, with a savoury touch of herbs and spice. It's a terrific food wine - try it with your best Italian pasta dish.

The talented team at Zonte’s Footstep are no strangers to accolades, winning a slew of awards and high scores every year across their portfolio. The Italian inspired Canto Di Lago is no exception, with multiple medal wins and a series of scores well into the 90s. At Zonte’s Footstep, they take the wines seriously, but always make room for fun, as the names and labels prove. This is surely a melody for your mouth. “Plenty to love here, and no need to dissect each variety's contribution, as the wine works cohesively in its own right. Part earthy and savoury, part dark plum and chocolate; with juicy, crunchy tart satsuma plum flavours and lip-smacking tannins that carry the flavours for quite some time... 94pts. Great Value” (Halliday Wine Companion, Tony Love). To 2026.