McWilliams

1877 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2005 ($85)

This is blended from fruit taken from Heathcote, Hilltops and Coonawarra. It is an elegant style wine packed with dark spicy fruits, spices and blackcurrant. There’s a grainy earthiness and plenty of hefty tannins adding some structure. Quite edgy substantial oak. This is a wine for the cellar.

Score:95/100
Cellar:15 years

Forester Estate

Alicante 2008 ($35 cellar door only)

Something a little different from Margaret River. It's just a gorgeous soft fleshy drink with supple tannins, subtle oak and deep inky vibrant fruit flavour. If you don't like this you should take a hike. It’s rustic and earthy and fun with every slurp.

Score:92/100
Cellar: Drink it now

Hay Shed Hill

Block 2 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

May well be the best Cabernet yet from this vineyard. A very powerful and concentrated Cabernet with ripe tannins and ample cedary oak worked into the thick dense fruit. Elegant and poised. It's a wine with great structure and potential to age.

Score: 95/100
Cellar: 15 years
New Release May 2010

Zontes Footstep

Canto Di Lago Langhorne Creek Sangiovese Barbera ($16)

Big earthy aromas on the nose with some touches of spice and licorice. The palate is remarkably soft and generous with some nice fruit intensity. Sweet fruit in the middle with a nice dusty earthy finish. Nice wine with food. Quite generous.

Score: 86/100
Cellar: 3 years
New Release May 2010

Wirra Wirra

Church Block Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot 2008 ($23)

Ripe plump and juicy blended red under this well established brand. Warm and generous mouth feel with stacks of lush chocolate and ripe raisiny fruit. Good use of oak with some ripe tannins in support. Shorter term wine.

Score:89/100
Cellar:5 years
New Release May 2010

Vasse Felix

Classic Dry White Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2009

A lively and punchy fruit driven blend of these two varieties. The vintage produced fruit that combines delicacy with intensity and this is captured here perfectly. A little splash of lime juice lifts the finish with that sustaining acid a feature.

Score:90/100
Cellar:3 years
New Release May 2010

Wynns

Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2008 ($20)

You have to like this for the price. What a cracker. Rich luxurious dark red and black fruits on the nose with substantial oak married perfectly into the equation. The palate is soft and silky smooth with excellent textured created by fine grained tannins, integrated oak and perfectly ripe fruit. A beauty.

Score: 92/100
Cellar: 4 years
New Release May 2010

Tscharke Wines

Girl Talk Barossa Valley Savagnin 2009 ($21)

The variety previously known as Albarino until someone discovered it wasn't. It's a fresh and crisp current drinking wine ideal for current quaffing. The palate has some generosity held together with a crisp acidity. Easy drinking wine.

Score:88/100
Cellar:2 years
New Release May 2010

Rickety Gate Wines

Great Southern Riesling 2003 ($30)

A special wine showing the strength of Riesling in this region. Lovely toasty citrus aromas with a still zingy lively palate showing some subtle development. Mineral slaty acid is sustained and long. Still has plenty of time ahead of it. Go to the website.

Score:95/100
Cellar:8 years
New Release May 2010

Hay Shed Hill Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($25

Nose is pure essence of Margaret River. Lots of black currant with a touch of black olive. Has a minty overlay and tight fine tannins and lovely subtle fine grained oak. Classy expression this more towards medium body. Sensational value.

Score: 92/100 Cellar: 7 years
New Release May 2010

Gladstones

Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($72)

One of the finest Margaret River Cabernets and still only a pup with many years ahead of it. It’s incredibly concentrated with masses of thick unctuous fruit building layer upon layer of structure with ripe firm tannins and substantial oak, in support. A powerhouse with poise.

Score:96/100
Cellar:10 years

Rosily

Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($23)

A gold medal winner at the 2009 Margaret River Wine Show. Elegance and style captured perfectly with the distinctive regional mix of sinewy tannins, length black currant and black olive fruit and some nice savoury French oak. Impressive long finish and a structure that seems to sum up what was a very good vintage throughout Margaret River.

Score:92/100
Cellar:7 years
New Release May 2010

Rosily

Margaret River Chardonnay 2009 ($23)

These guys have stepped into a new league with their Chardonnays in recent times. This one from seven different clones including three Burgundians is the most complex and intriguing of any yet released. It has a fine structure in keeping with the vintage, ample firepower on the palate and a lingering precise finish.

Score:93/100
Cellar:7 years
New Release May 2010

Wirra Wirra

Original Blend McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz 2008 ($23)

This is a lovely expression of Grenache and Shiraz. Has lifted floral notes on the nose and a medium weight palate that carries beautiful fruit sweetness. This was the original blend for Church Block. Excellent current drinking wine.

Score:90/100
Cellar:3 years
New Release May 2010

Watershed

Senses Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($24)

Another superb Sav Blanc from this excellent producer. The wine is half fermented in new and one year old French oak. This results in a wine of complexity and palate texture. This is finer and with a longer more precise palate profile than the previous vintage. Excellent palate depth and intensity while retaining the delicacy of the year.

Score: 94/100
Cellar: 5 years
New Release May 2010

d'Arenberg

The Cenosilicaphobic Cat McLaren Vale 2007 ($30)

Another rather intriguing name from the fertile crazy mind of Chester Osborn. The thing is that this is a rather interesting wine made from Cinsault a variety that has been around at d'Arenberg since the late 50s and Sagrantino a more recent addition. It's rustic and intense with wonderful structure and presentation. A dusty dry finish makes for excellent drinking.

Score:91/100
Cellar: 5 years
New Release May 2010

Zontes Footstep

The Lake Doctor Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2008 ($16)

An impressive Shiraz from Langhorne Creek with plenty of spicy stone fruit opulence on the nose and palate. Has a lush sweet fruit palate with a nice balancing oak. The tannins are ripe and soft. Great value drinking here.

Score:90/100
Cellar: 4 years
New Releases May 2010

Tim Adams

Tim Adams Clare Valley Riesling 2009 ($24)

One of the finest Riesling made in the Clare region. Typical of this excellent year with quite low alcohol. The nose of slaty wet pebbles and lime with a palate of searing acidity made for longer term cellaring. Lip smacking mouth puckering crunchy Riesling.

Score:92/100
Cellar:10 years
New Release May 2010

Zontes Footstep

Violet Beauregard Langhorne Creek Malbec 2009 ($16)

Big rich and lush blueberry mix with vanillin oak. Lovely rich fruit with a soft generosity. Plenty of sweet ripe fruit with soft supple tannins, rounded and supple flavours. It's an eminently drinkable wine with tonnes of fruit flavours.

Score: 88/100
Cellar: 3 years
New Release May 2010