From the Riverina to Tasmania and on to Italy, here are some terrific bottles from $9-$70 that wine writer Winsor Dobbin suggests you have on your radar.
Winter warmer
Atze’s Corner 2021 Bachelor Shiraz
This is the perfect wine choice for a cold winter’s day – hopefully paired with a hearty casserole. The Atze’s Corner label is owned by the Kalleske family, who have grown grapes in the Barossa for generations. It is a typically powerful estate-grown shiraz but also has a swashbuckling sense of style. Open ferment and oak maturation add the grunt to a bigger red wine that is dark, inky, and very satisfying. Very well priced, too. $35.
Bargain buy
Two Monkeys 2023 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
If you are on a tight budget but want a flavoursome white wine to pair with fish and chips, or perhaps a Thai vegetable stir-fry, this one from the Riverina will certainly do the trick. It is fresh and zingy with some lively citrus and tropical fruit salad flavours on the palate, and it finishes with some brisk cleansing acidity. Serve well chilled and enjoy with anything from barbecued prawns to some fresh grilled fish in lemon butter sauce. It is a simple wine, certainly, but a lot of fun and good buying at just $9 a bottle.
Touch of class
Henschke 2023 Henry’s Seven
The Henschke family makes some of Australia’s finest wines, including the benchmark Hill of Grace Shiraz, which will set you back close to $1000 a bottle. But the Henschkes, perfectionist organic and biodynamic producers, also make some outstanding wines that are much more affordable. This lip-smacking blend of shiraz, grenache, mataro and viognier is a case in point. It has plenty of length and structure and would be an inspired choice for a winter dinner party. Older oak plays a support role. Seriously classy and a great buy for $40.
Tasmanian treat
Delamere 2023 Estate Chardonnay
Family-owned and -operated Delamere concentrates its efforts almost entirely on wines made from chardonnay and pinot noir – and is known as a premium sparkling producer. This is a brand-new release from the best blocks of its vineyards at Pipers River, north of Launceston. It you are looking for a spectacular chardonnay that you can enjoy now, or confidently cellar for 15 years or more, then this is worthy of your attention. A showcase cool-climate chardonnay, it is beautifully poised and impressively delicate. Poetry in a glass. $70.
Italian style
Mottura 2022 Negroamaro del Salento
The prices of quality wines imported from Italy have soared in recent years but the team at Sydney-based Single Vineyard Sellers seem to be able to source a wide range of affordable bottles from the far north to the deep south (where this comes from). Just 13% alcohol with an impressive balance between deep colours, bright fruit, and savoury characters, this would pair well with pizza and pasta dishes and would be an ideal selection to take to an Italian BYO. A nicely structured red from a winery that has been family owned for almost 100 years and made from vines that are up to 60 years old. The negroamaro grape is native to Puglia. Rustic drinking pleasure for $35.
Clare character
Mount Horrocks 2023 Cordon Cut Riesling
Australian wine drinkers rarely opt for a dessert wine. That is a real pity because wines like this stellar offering from the Clare Valley’s Stephanie Toole, who I have described in the past as a “riesling whisperer,” pairs not only with pastries and sweet desserts but also with pates, terrines, and cheese platters. This is exquisite – made when the canes that feed the fruit are cut, causing the fruit to concentrate. Floral, citrusy, limey, intense and impressively pure. $40 for 375ml.
See more of Winsor’s wine reviews at www.gourmetontheroad.com
