*Except Northern Territory

2009 GALLI ESTATE ARTIGIANO CHARDONNAY - $29.95

A beautifully constructed and super value chardonnay from this seriously under-rated winery which produces high quality value-for-money wines across their entire range. A tightly focused, elegant and seamless example of the modern Australian chardonnay, it has so far amassed 4 TROPHIES, including THE HIGHLY PRESTIGIOUS TROPHIES FOR BEST WHITE WINE AND BEST CHARDONNAY AT THE 2011 ROYAL PERTH WINE SHOW - NEEDLESS TO SAY KNOCKING OFF THE BEST THAT MARGARET RIVER HAD TO OFFER!

"I've been a fan of the highly under-rated, but very refined, Craiglee Chardonnay from the Sunbury district for years. The Galli Artigiano is from the warmer Rockbank part of Sunbury, but it hints at the same refinement while offering a bit more winemaking complexity. Nectarine and grapefruit are wound together with subtle but enhancing oak spice and nuttiness, long and pure flavours with balancing acid freshness. Anybody who's wandered from chardonnay, and fresh explorers, should be seduced back by wines like this. Lovely!" Eat & Drink *****

"Pale, bright colour, takes all the elements of the La Famiglia, but hones and fines them on its very long and perfectly balanced palate, grapefruit and white flesh stone fruit in a near-invisible web of oak. Drink 2017." James Halliday - 94 points

Awards:
Trophy, Best White Wine - 2011 Royal Perth Wine Show
Trophy, Best Chardonnay - 2011 Royal Perth Wine Show
Trophy, Best White Wine - 2011 Ballarat Wine Show
Trophy, Best Chardonnay - 2011 Ballarat Wine Show
Top Gold Medal - 2011 Royal Perth Wine Show
Top Gold Medal - 2011 Ballarat Wine Show

2008 CELESTIAL BAY MARGARET RIVER CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $17.95

"Even beetter than the celebrated 2007 Celestial Bay Cabernet Sauvignon, the latest release 2008 is STUNNING VALUE - SIMPLY THE BEST VALUE CABERNET ON THE MARKET. You only have to smell this beauty to be seduced - powerful, ripe blackcurrant and cassis fruit pervade the senses, signalling its Margaret River origins clearly. The medium to full-bodied palate doesn't disappoint, simply bursting with sweet blackcurrant fruit and providing a lovely mix of cassis, cedar, earth and violets. The oak (as it should) plays a supporting role and the fruit is backed up by soft, fine, lingering tannins. An absolute steal for the price and can only get better with bottle age.

Review of 2007 Vintage:
"Crimson-purple; excellent varietal character on bouquet and palate alike, the fruit picked at perfect ripeness; has abundant blackcurrant and cassis fruit, with a touch of black olive on the finish; the tannins are ripe, the oak well integrated. Screwcap.14% alc. Drink Now - 2022." James Halliday - 94 points

2011 ECHO MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - $14.50

A gorgeous sauvignon blancfrom one of Marlborough's elite wineries. Unfortunately I can't name the winery, but suffice to say that such exalted New Zealand critics as Bob Campbell MW and Sue Courtney regard the winery as the country's top sauvignon blanc producer. The grapes for this wine are sourced from high quality vineyards in the Rapaura, Awatere, Waihopai and Omaka Valleys of Marlborough.

A spotlessly clean and fresh bouquet of tropical fruits, fresh gooseberry and passionfruit. Beautifully balanced, elegant, harmonious palate with fresh, vibrant and concentrated passionfruit, gooseberry, guava and lime flavours. Finishes long, lingering crisp and clean thanks to the fresh acidity that lingers on the tongue. Outstanding value.

"Juicy and lively, this is an instantly appealing Sauvignon showing lifted aromas of stone fruit, lime zest and subtle capsicum. The palate is well fruited and rounded with lovely fruit weight and bright acidity leading to a succulent finish. Great value for money, offering plenty of youthful fruit flavours." Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Awards:
Gold Medal - 2012 New Zealand Royal Easter Show

2010 ASTROLABE DISCOVERY AWATERE SAUVIGNON BLANC - $29.95

A limited release by this label that has acquired cult status. From the Awatere Valley in Marlborough, this is a much more complex wine than its cheaper sibling (the standard Malborough Voyage sauvignon blanc), with stunning purity and fruit expression and a different level of structure and class; and a very, very long finish. This is simply Marlborough at its absolute zenith.

Bob Campbell's HIGEST POINTED NZ SAUVIGNON BLANC FROM THE 2010 VINTAGE: "Astrolabe earns my vote for being New Zealand's leading Sauvignon Blanc maker. This is the best of four Sauvignon Blanc labels that include two wines from Kekerengu… This is an intensely flavoured wine with the classic Awatere characters of tomato leaf, green capsicum, nettle, mineral and gooseberry. It has reasonably solid acidity but that is balanced by a tiny amount of residual sugar and the net effect is pleasantly dry." Bob Campbell MW, Gourmet Traveller Wine - 95 points

"The Astrolabe wines have found their way to the stars under the navigation of Simon Waghorn, one of this country's most able winemakers. With winemaking experience stretching over three decades with large and boutique producers, Simon has made Astrolabe one of the most respected labels from Marlborough.

Very pale, youthful straw-yellow colour, this has a beautifully pure nose of minerals, English gooseberries, nettles and steel that is classical Awatere Valley in expression. The aromas are fresh and tight, and promise to release more interest. Dry on palate,the fruit depth and richness provide lusciousness, but the crisp acidity provides perfect cut and tension. Bright, fine, concentrated minerally-earthy, steel and gooseberry flavours are the feature and form a very long finish. This archetype Awatere Sauvignon Blanc will keep and drink well, especially with shellfish, over the next 2+ years. Fruit from the Burtergill and Trelawne vineyards in the Awatere Valley, cool-fermented to 13.5% alc. and 3.5 g/L rs." Raymond Chan - 19.5 points out of 20

"Powerful aromatics are like a tropical fruit medley infused with tangy citrus and the flavours are bracingly fresh and deliciously juicy, crammed with passionfruit and peach with a zesty citrus undercurrent that adds vibrancy and tang to the lasting finish. Tomato stalk notes balance the fruity sweetness. 13.5% alc." Sue Courtney, www.wineoftheweek.com

2008 MATAHIWI PINOT NOIR - $19.95

Matahiwi is in NZ's Wairarapa region, just north of the renowned Pinot Noir producing district of Martinborough. Their 2008 pinot noir is absolutely delicious and is the best pinot that I've tried at around the $20 mark. Bright colour; fragrant plum, black cherry and spice aromas; pure sweet varietal fruit on a the medium-bodied, silky palate with good length and intensity; supple and smooth in the mouth. Outstanding value. To quote Jane Macquitty (The Times Online) on the 2004 Matahiwi pinot: "this gorgeous, leafy, game and spice-laden red that will give Burgundians nightmares."

"The 2008 vintage has strong drink-young appeal. Bright ruby, with a floral bouquet, it is vibrantly fruity, with good depth of fresh cherry and plum flavours, a subtle twist of oak, gentle tannins and a well-rounded finish." Michael Cooper, Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010

2009 SONS OF EDEN 'KENNEDY' GRENACHE SHIRAZ MOUVEDRE - $21.95

Previous vintages of this classic Barossa Valley blend have won big accolades from critics and customers alike - the 2007 winning the Trophy for best GSM blend at the Borossa Wine Show and receiving 96 points from James Halliday. I think the latest release 2009 is every bit as good, if not better, than its predecessors. A blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Shiraz and 15% Mourvedre; the Grenache fruit is the 'soul' of this blend and is from an exceptionally low yielding 50+ year-old Vineyard that was originally planted by the Kennedy Family, the shiraz is from 15 year-old vines in the Seppeltsfield sub-region and the Mourvedre from 50+ year-old vines in the Tanunda sub-region. A superb wine with a rich, gently ripe bouquet, with sweet, deep berry fruit; a silky smooth palate with lovely line and flow, exuding a rich array of black cherry and dark blackberry fruit; beautifully handled oak and soft tannins; absolutely seamless with a long, lingering finish. Outstanding value, everything one could possibly want in this classic Barossa Valley blend.

"An open-knit style that shies away from more obvious fruit characters seen in many similar blends with relatively restrained fruit showing earthy, blackberry aromas. Supple and earthy on the palate with some well-managed tannins, this is a wine that will drink well over the next five years." Gourmet Traveller Wine - One to Try

"One of my top picks among the hundreds of new small wineries coming out of Australia, it specializes in wines that manage to build grace and harmony into those ripe, opulent Aussie flavors… The Sons of Eden wines all strike me as exceptionally supple and smooth." Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator

2010 CAVE DE BEBLENHEIM PINOT GRIS RÉSERVE PARTICULIÈRE - $24.95

Ideally situated in the village of Beblenheim, the co-operative was formed in 1952 and has its own production area of 250 ha with growers in and around the villages of Beblenheim, Mittelwihr, Riquewihr and Zellenberg. There are many co-operatives throughout Alsace producing correct day to day wines, however Caves du Beblenheim stands out amongst them with it's very modern winery with the latest technology - pneumatic presses, temperature controlled fermentation vats and undoubtedly much higher aims of quality. The key issue to quality Alsace wine is yields, with all the growers of Caves du Beblenheim dedicated to lower yields, with the resulting wines exhibiting pure varietal character and the Alsace terroir.

The 2010 Cave de Beblenheim Pinot Gris is a wonderfully seductive example of the genre. The nose is lifted, with fragrant floral notes; the palate is pure and focussed, with long and spicy pear nuances. While not as rich as many from Alsace (a positive in my mind), the wine is impeccably made, feminine and beguiling, has great line and length with a lovely backbone of refreshing acidity. Outstanding value.

2009 GEORGES BLOCK 1 CLARE VALLEY SHIRAZ - $18.95

This sensational single vineyard shiraz from their five acre Block 1 planting is a wine of immense power that showcases the exemplary winemaking skills of David O'Leary. David has snared a Jimmy Watson Trophy and twice been named International Red Wine Maker of the Year.

The multi-layered and elegant bouquet shows abundant blackberry fruit, spice and high quality oak. The full flavoured palate is an exercise in controlled generosity; long, intense, lingering black fruit flavours, with all of the flavours promised by the bouquet, the French oak perfectly judged. Finishing with fine, long grain tannins and fresh acidity, the wine has lovely texture and silky mouthfeel to boot.

ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING VALUE

2006 CHALK HILL McLAREN VALE SHIRAZ - $18.95

Chalk Hill are producing immaculate wines across the board under French winemaker Emmanuelle Requin-Bekkers. Having studied in Marseilles and Montpellier, and having worked in many of France's regions including Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Langue-doc Roussillon and the smaller appellations of Bandol and Sancerre, it is no wonder she has taken this producer's wines to a different level.

Wow, what a wonderful wine for under $20! A group of us had this wine over dinner recently - in a masked line-up of pretty handy wines - and it was unanimously voted the wine of the night. An archetypal generous McLaren Vale Shiraz from a great vintage with masses of dense, sweet, potent fruit beautifully interwoven with spice and quality oak on an intense and long palate. Lovely balance, structure and mouthfeel. Succulent, cuddly and soft, a must for lovers of big shiraz. Back-up the truck.

"'Dense; chock-full of brambly dark juicy fruits and layers of spice and vanilla' won this wine an enthusiastic score from Loiuse, while Tom liked its chocolate notes and 'juicy, uncomplicated' style. Andrew praised its 'coffee and prune' scents and 'earthy, balanced, tangy palate with complexity and depth.'" The Adelaide Review Hot 100

2009 CHATEAU MAGNEAU BLANC (GRAVES) - $24.95

Chateau Magneau Blanc is a delicious Graves white comprising 45% Sauvignon, 40% Sémillon and 15% Muscadelle from 25 year old vines. Quite exotic nose of citrus elements over white floral fruits; richly expressive palate displaying lovely acidity, minerality and structure and very good length; a fine, classic white Graves.

"The whites produced at this cru are particularly good, they are stylish and well made with plenty of fruit.' David Peppercorn MW

"Chateau Magneau Blanc is very attractive with aromas of white peach, abundant fruit and good acidity." Stepehen Brook, The Complete Bordeaux

"Fine scents of exotic fruits (mango, passion fruit), of yellow peach, brooms and toasted bread escape from its pale gold hue enlightened by delicate straw yellow tints. Pure and racy, the pleasure is confirmed in the aromatic extension of the bouquet. Well balanced between roundness and vividness, it has a remarkable volume. This Graves reflects all the typicity of its terroir and it is perfectly vinified. Full, round and silky, with just enough nervousness, the white 2009 "cuvée principale" obtains a star." Hachette, The French Wine Bible

"A very successful, eco-friendly wine." Le Revue du Vin de France - 90 points

Floral, white fruits, pineapple, intense and vigorous in mouth." Le Pointe, French Wine Guide