Barossa Valley legend Ben Glaezer grew up in wine, his father Colin was winemaker at Seppelt, and his uncle is John Glaetzer, head winemaker at Wolf Blass for over 30 years. After graduating from Adelaide University’s Roseworthy campus, and a spell at Tyrrell’s, Ben went on to win a number of honours and titles as winemaker of Glaezer wines. The Heartland story began in the late 1990’s when Ben became excited about the outstanding quality of fruit being grown in some of South Australia’s lesser-known regions, in particular Langhorne Creek, where he explored thoroughly along with some winemaking friends. Today Heartland sources all of its fruit exclusively from Langhorne Creek and makes mainly red wines. Ben makes them 100km away at his state of the art Barossa Vintners winery in Tanunda. The Illicium name comes from Illicium Verum, the Latin name for Star Anise. This is a mix of Cabernet, single vineyard Shiraz and a little joyous, juicy Dolcetto. Together they have created a dense extremely fruity red layered with spice, cased in mellow oak.

For well-priced, approachable rich fruit Burgundy, you can rely on Mâcon Mancey, particularly those from the dedicated Bernard Moreau. He took over the family vineyard in 1982 and has since built it up to 8 hectares. He lovingly tends his rows of Chardonnay, Gamay and Pinot Noir vines, ensuring yields are kept low. Pinot Noir covers half his vineyards, on the slopes of Les Cras. The soil there produces wines with excellent structure and spicy fruit. Bernard understands the Pinot grape well, handling it gently and fermenting with natural yeasts to bring out the lovely fruit quality and only gentle tannins. With 10% aged in new oak, the rest in seasoned barrels, there is a complexity and structure to the pretty fruit. Excellent with white meats.

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95pt, Great Value Cassis and dark chocolate Margaret River Cab.from 5-Red-Star-rated Wise Wines, owned by Ron Wise and where Larry Cherubino is a consultant and works with an experienced team. “An elegant style that doesn’t forfeit flavour or depth to get there. Expect cassis, mulberries, lots of herbs, black olive and cedary oak infusing the more mid-weighted palate. Fine tannins match the acidity to lengthen the finish. 95pts, Great Value” (Jane Faulkner, The Halliday Wine Companion)... “a remarkably plush and polished Cabernet from this cooler vintage." (Ray Jordan)

95pt Great Value Adelaide Hills Shiraz – “an excellent example of what the Adelaide Hills can do with Shiraz… its “flavours reaching to all corners” (Halliday). From a cellar owned by Ben and Clare Anderson, with vineyards planted at 600m – wine quality and the panoramic views are very impressive. In The Halliday Wine Companion, Campbell Mattinson calls this 95pt 2022 Shiraz: "… both warm and rich, its flavours reaching to all corners, but then it's spicy and meaty too. It's an excellent example of what the Adelaide Hills can do with Shiraz. Sweet cherries, an array of roasted nut and deli meat characters, plum-filled depths and rounds of black pepper, cloves, anise and gum leaf. It's complex, full bodied, structured and moreish. 95pts. Great value.”

This smooth, polished Merlot-led star from hidden gem Château La Rose Bouquey offers juicy dark fruit, subtle spice and a lick of oak. A brilliant find for lovers of elegant French reds, perfect for roast dinners and cosy nights in. Crafted by the Bentenat family at their picturesque estate in Saint-Pey-d’Armens, this supple Right Bank red is everything you want in a Bordeaux. Winemaker David Bentenat draws on years of family know-how to coax out plush layers of ripe black cherry, damson and warming spice. A year in French oak brings polish and gentle complexity – think hints of cedar, mocha and tobacco leaf. Smooth, elegant and full of charm, it’s worth decanting and letting the flavours slowly unfurl alongside a roast lamb or a good wedge of Comté.