ALL REDS <$40

Ray Jordan 92 points "A juicy and vibrant shiraz chock-full of plummy ripe fruit displaying a little spice and damp, earthy characters among the more perfumed exotic notes. The palate has a grainy texture with chalky tannins and a little oak balancing the medium weight fruit. The 30% new oak adds that little extra dab of spice on the finish. Best drinking now to 2028." WINERY NOTES: COLOUR Deep crimson with a purple hue NOSE Elegant perfumed bouquet of bramble fruits and savoury spice. PALATE The palate displays considerable fruit concentration of plum and dark berries. The fine ripe tannins are very well integrated with fruity and...

Wine Advocate 91 points. The entry-level red is the 2019 Románico, produced with Tinta de Toro (a.k.a. Tempranillo) from younger vines (10 to 25 or 30 years old, some of them grafted) in the villages of Valdefinjas and Toro. It fermented in a traditional way, foot trodden and with soft pumping overs, with indigenous yeasts selected from their own vineyards and matured in used French oak barrels for an average of six to eight months, as some wine is kept in stainless steel and other lots are aged in barrel for longer. This is primary and fruit-driven (black fruit), with purity and something floral; it's juicy and tender, with ripe,...

Rich aromas of blackberries, cassis, eucalyptus and dark chocolate follow through to a smooth palate that is both balanced and well-rounded with fine grained tannins.

Recognised globally as one of South Africa’s top five wine estates, Rustenberg is also one of the oldest in the Cape. In 1941 the Rustenberg Farm, which sits 6km north of Stellenbosch, was bought by Peter Barlow. Vineyards producing the grapes for Rustenberg wines climb the rich red slopes of the Simonsberg and Helderberg; a range of slopes and aspects allows site-specific plantings that enhance varietal characteristics. With a long and very proud history of producing exceptional wines, Rustenberg’s winemaking style is simple: produce quality wines true to the style of the estate and the brand. Named after a former Rustenberg...

Cannonau is the local Sardinian name for Grenache, where it has been grown for a thousand years. Colour: ruby red. Nose: elegant olfactory profile with aromas of red fruit, wild strawberries, aromatic herbs with a spicy note. Palate: rich, warm and intense, with soft tannins and moderate freshness. The finish is persistent. Foras means foreigner, in Sardinian language. On Sant’Antioco there are no Cannonau grapes, so this wine is produced with “foreigner” grapes coming from Sardinia.

This is an historic and unusual wine, made with 100% monica, a vine most likely introduced to Sardinia in the 11th century. Initially grown in the Alghero area, it then spread to the rest of the island thanks to the Camaldolese monks, who began to cultivate it near the convents (hmmmm). The vineyards are cultivated in the lower Sulcis, at sea level, on sandy soils. The vines are about 35 years old and are grown with a density of 4,000 plants per hectare. After the harvest, fermentation takes place in steel tanks at a controlled temperature for about 15 days. The wine matures for 12 months in French barriques and then a further 12 months in...

James Suckling 92 points. 1 Sep, 2022 – Focused and savory with fine, roasted Mediterranean herbs to the sweet strawberries, dried flowers, black raspberries and red dates. Pretty full-bodied with a dense palate, showing juicy yet elegant red berries. Drink or hold. WINERY NOTE: Sulcis 100% Carignano DOC Reserve. An extraordinarily complex wine made entirely from original rootstock 80 year old bush vines. 12 months refinement in French barriques then a further 12 months in bottle before release. This word in Sardinian language literally means”the sands” that is the soil where Carignano is cultivated in ungrafted vineyards...

James Suckling 91 points. 1 Sep, 2022 – Pretty intense strawberries, herbs and spices to the nose followed by a medium to full body on the palate with tightly wound tannins. Chewy and spicy. Drink or hold. WINERY NOTE: 100% Carignan from 35 year old vines on original rootstock. Matured for 12 months in French barriques then a further 12 months in bottle before release. Deep ruby ​​red, it expresses an intense and fine bouquet with fruity and balsamic notes of Mediterranean scrub. In the mouth it is fresh, with a fragrant fruit and a nice ripe tannic texture. Suitable for grilled or roasted red meats. Is Solus is a fountain of Roman...

100% Carignan from 80 year old bush vines. These old treasures are on original rootstock. The wine is matured in French barriques for 10 months then aged for a further 6 months in bottle before release. Rich ruby, garnet reflections. Red currants, raspberries and flower honey notes in beautiful interplay with elegant precious wood notes, cedar wood, supplemented by some peppery notes. Gentle start that gradually intensifies, redberry, reminiscent of cranberries and cherries; of good structure and juicy, velvet tannins; powerful and extremely aromatic to the characterful finale, which is accompanied by tobacco notes and smoke notes. Kanai is...

James Suckling 92 points. 1 Sep, 2022 – Racy and fruity with intense aromas of dried strawberries, plums, licorice and spices that follow through to a medium to full body with a mouthful of crushed strawberries, blackberries and a splash of white pepper. Tangy and vivacious with some firm tannins. Enjoy now. 100% Carignan from 35 year old viines on original rootstock. Matured in historic concrete vats, restoring the ancient technique of hundreds of years of wine production on the island. Colour: ruby red Nose: the wine has a fine bouquet, with aromas of red berries and warm mediterranean scrub scents. Palate: Remarkable structure,...

James Suckling 92 points. "Very pleasant notes of lightly spiced aronia berries and a hint of sous bois, following through to a medium body with lightly firm, well-integrated tannins and a long, bright finish, leaving an aftertaste of cherry dark chocolate. Serious Valpo and delicious. Drink now. (June 2021)." WINERY NOTE: Wine obtained from red grape varieties grown on the morainic hills of Valpolicella. The production method of this Valpolicella uses a traditional Veronese technique: the drying of the grapes. In reality it is a slight dehydration: the grapes, placed in crates for about a month, lose about 8-10% of their weight,...

Veronelli 91 points. WINERY NOTE: The wine is produced with typical grapes selected in the Venetian area: Corvina comes from the morainic hills of Valpolicella, Raboso comes from Oderzo (Treviso), and Refosco is selected in the Aquileia area. This wine is produced with a traditional Veronese technique: the drying of the grapes. In reality it is a partial drying: the grapes placed in the loft for about a month lose about 8-10% of their initial weight. In this way they are enriched in sugars, increase the dry extract, the ashes and the color of the wine. Wine with good tannic structure, in balance with alcohol, which gives it roundness: the...

To anyone that has met Kym Teusner and Mick Page, it would come as no surprise to discover that Teusner Wines was conceived over a few beers at the local pub. Scratching together a bit of cash, the fruit from an old Barossa vineyard found a new home and Teusner Wines came to life. Teusner’s philosophy comes down to two simple words. Righteous Pleasure. Let the righteous flavours found in the old Barossa vineyards take center stage in the wines and bring pleasure to those that put their hand in their pocket to buy them. It’s a simple approach, but one that has gained Teusner an army of fans and had the commentators and critics...

James Halliday 95 points. The flavours pop up like the plastic clowns at the Easter Show, either to be shot or stunned and lie flat at the end of the moving belt. There is a persistent tune with spicy/savoury/preserve flavours that works very well for me, even if left field. Drink to: 2035; Date Tasted: Sept 2019; Alcohol: 14.5%; Rating: 95 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion. The Barossa Valley vineyard landscape is remarkably diverse. Fortunate to have mates growing grapes all over this place, I’m able to make different wines showcasing many faces of Barossa Valley Shiraz. The Bilmore Shiraz is sourced...

Lovely expression of grenache. It has meat on its bones yet it remains delicate; everything here feels as though it's been etched into place. It tastes of red licorice and asphalt, twiggy spices and cedar, and at all times it's the Barossa and grenache doing the talking, oak in a supporting role only. It's another winner from the Teusner team. 94 points Campbell MW winecompanion.com.au.

VITICULTURE Sourced from a 1-hectare vineyard at Fijndraai in Stellenbosch on heavily de-composed granite soils and just 4 km from False Bay. The vineyard is North-West facing and managed by Chris Williams. Planted in 2005, the Foundry Grenache Noir 2020 is the fourth vintage. The vineyard is starting to come into its own in terms of quality and site expression. The vines are trellised which allows us to manage the canopy precisely to enhance fruit, complexity and balance. A small crop was ripened under the perfect conditions of 2020 and harvested at modest sugar levels, but at full flavour ripeness to ensure lower alcohol but...

VITICULTURE This is the first vintage from our own vineyards in the Voor Paardeberg, planted in 2000. The vineyards are planted on low vigour, well-drained, granitic origin soils. The vines are managed to retain a healthy balance between grape production and growth, and the crop was reduced to 5.5 tons per hectare. The mature vines are naturally low yielding, and all damaged or unripe grapes were removed before harvest. The fruit was uniformly ripe and was picked on the basis of analysis, taste and vine physiology. VINIFICATION The grapes were partially de-stemmed with approximately 40% remaining as whole bunches directly into custom-made...

Certified Biodynamic. James Halliday Wine Companion 92 points. Whole berry fermented as is the wont at this address, helping to facilitate the notable culture of minimal additions at the end of it all. Thereafter, 18 months in larger and smaller used French wood. This is delicious maritime cabernet Easy going, mind you. Far from a behemoth, or a wine than needs extensive cellaring. Sage and bay leaf notes, offsetting olive, blackcurrant and other dark fruits. The oak is well nestled, providing a framework rather than a forcefield. Long and succulent. Ned Goodwin MW Published 01 August 2020 COLOUR Deep ruby red BOUQUET Blackcurrant, a touch...

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The Real Review – 92 points “Intense cherry-red colour. Dark cherry and charry meat aromatics. Dark berries on entry, but then it becomes a distinctly savoury wine with dry earth, exotic spice and dried blood elements all filling the palate. The tannins are firm and granular as expected for the variety, they accentuate the savoury nature whilst creating drive and length. Time and/or food will reward you here” Stuart Knox. COLOUR Deep ruby red with purple hues BOUQUET Lush red berries with primary fruits at the fore and a hint of sweet paprika PALATE Summer red berries carry through. Supple fine-grain tannins and bright...

Sourced from three sites, predominantly estate grown young Grenache vines, and two Sangiovese vineyards in the Seaview district of McLaren Vale, ‘Beautiful View’. Certified organic. COLOUR Pale salmon with pink hues BOUQUET Watermelon, strawberry, rose petal and a hint of violet. PALATE Bone dry, crisp and elegant with more savory notes than the bouquet suggests. The fine texture lengthens a harmonious and glossy mouthfeel.    #hedonist

The Real Review – 91 points “Medium-intense ruby-red hue. Cherry, violets and African spice aromatics. Medium to full-bodied. Dark cherry, anise and bay leaf spices with a dry earth undertone. Good length with a firm tannic grip that dries it well. No rush to get into this wine.” Stuart Knox. COLOUR Light, bright cherry red BOUQUET A lifted nose displaying delicate spice of clove and nutmeg with some cherry notes at the fore. PALATE Satsuma plums and sour cherry set the tone for this crunchy and vibrant wine. Firm tannins and refreshing acidity, coupled with bright fruit round out this medium-bodied beauty.   #hedonist

Wine Advocate 91 points. The light red 2021 Tragolargo is a pure fruit-driven and young Monastrell from a vineyard on sandy and limestone soils in the Casa Balaguer property. It was picked early to preserve acidity and fermented with one-third full clusters and the rest uncrushed. In 2021 there was a heat wave that affected the whites, but they consider it a very good year for reds. It has 13.5% alcohol and a medium body, bottled unoaked, primary, young and fleshy. 25,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2022.  

Gary Walsh, The Wine Front , 94 points.. Dark cherries, black raspberry, liquorice and spice. Full of flavour, but less than full-bodied, chocolate, earth and spice, succulence and depth, fine almost brick dust tannin, a bit of a ‘mineral’ feel, and very good length. Something like black forest cake flavour in the aftertaste, and other things too, of course. What a bargain. Tasted: Oct 2019; Alcohol: 14.2%;Closure: Screwcap; Drink: 2019-2028+; Rated: 94 Points; Gary Walsh; The Wine Front. . James Halliday Wine Companion 93 points. Grenache 49%, shiraz 35%, mataro 16%. An even flow of berried flavour, immaculate balance, a bit...

Decanter Magazine....Top 10 Wines of Australia 2020. “Renowned for producing fine wines in Jerez, Pedro Ximènez (or PX) can really excel in other part of the world. Intense marmalade aromas with some sweet spice and dried figs. The palate is lusciously rich with some pure marmalade and dried figs characters, very long, sweet and rich finish but with a good freshness.” Decanter, Top 10 Australian Wines. This fortified Pedro Ximénez was made from grapes grown specifically for us by a number of traditional Barossa grape growers. Pedro Ximénez are amongst the last grape varieties to be harvested each vintage in...

Trophy, Best Rose, Brisbane Wine Show, 2024. Winery Note: THREE DECADES OF ROSÉ BRILLIANCE! Our 2024 vintage is our 30th release of our Turkey Flat Rose!  The 2024 vintage is a burst of fresh juicy summer fruits and mouth-watering flavours. Fragrant pink lady apples, white peach, raspberry, and floral citrus all leap out of the glass, with lively turkish delight and musk adding depth and spice.

All new oak barrels used (70% French/ 30% American). Quite extraordinary for a wine of such modest pricing. Decanter World Wine Awards 2023, Gold Medal and 95 points. "Leafy, black fruit, earth and leather aromas. The palate is juicy with rounded, ripe tannins and some firmness of oak at this stage. Has the potential to evolve gracefully. Long, elegat finish." Gold Medal, Brussels Concourse Mondial 2022. Gold Medal Mundus Vini 2022. Ageing: The wine has remained in French and American oak barrels for 12 months during which the traditional barrel-to-barrel transfer has proceeded every 6 months. Tasting: It shows cherry red with a...

Gold Medal, Brussels Concourse Mondiale 2022. Decanter World Wine awards 2023, Silver Medal, 91 points. Ageing: The wine takes 3 months in French and American oak barrels from which we obtain an excellent symbiosis of fruits and wood. Tasting: The wine is of cherry red with a scent of red fruits with wooden flavor. It tastes velvety, soft in the mouth with a persistent aftertaste.   #VAL

Tim Atkin MW 91 points. “Intense red colour with garnet edge Complex aroma, red fruits, wild herbs Roasted notes of coffee, black chocolate. Fresh, fruity, fleshy, tasty, round, complex, balanced, long and persistent in the mouth". Tempranillo 100%. From a selection of the Tempranillo harvested at optimal health and maturation in small 15 kg boxes. In the winery, a manual selection of bunches and destemming occurs and crushing without pressure. Produced by malolactic fermentation in the barrel and then an aging of 14 months in French and American oak barrels, 50% of which are 12 months old.