JM 1ST APPROACH

There’s impressive poached pear and fresh lemon fruit presence here, even a touch of baked apple and nutmeg, pulling into a nicely honed tail of cool Adelaide Hills acidity from this single vineyard in Charleston. One-third fermented in old French oak barriques helps to build its finely mineral texture, rounded out just a touch by residual sweetness on the finish. 92 points Tyson Tselzer

.... It is a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc (the proportions vary from year to year) with quite exceptional colour, and is absolutely full to the gills with juicy cassis blackcurrant fruit, fine, ripe tannins and quality French oak in abundance. It's way better than the 2009 and, indeed, one of the best 'The Blends' to date. 95 poins James Halliday

Made by the unflappable Javier Murua. Almost entirely tempranillo but co-fermented with a smidge of grenache. Sees a small portion of old French and American oak. Elegant yet characterful and then punchy through the finish. Has structure. Has a big dry finish. Licorice and cherry and twiggy sinewy almost-bitter notes. Chicory too. A grunty wine. Will be a handy drinking option through the cooler months. Like it. 90 points Winefront

Decent, quaffable pinot noir for under $20? It's almost impossible to find but this terrific value import from the south of France manages it ... “the best French Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy” .... It's on the riper side of the pinot spectrum, certainly no shrinking violet, but no brash bogan either. The (French) girl next door with smoothness, dark cherry fruit flavours, hints of earthiness and plenty of length. It can be found on special for as low as $15 but the RRP is $19.  Windsor Dobbin

Decent, quaffable pinot noir for under $20? It's almost impossible to find but this terrific value import from the south of France manages it ... “the best French Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy” .... It's on the riper side of the pinot spectrum, certainly no shrinking violet, but no brash bogan either. The (French) girl next door with smoothness, dark cherry fruit flavours, hints of earthiness and plenty of length. Windsor Dobbin

Medium crimson-purple; the plush red berry fruit and oak aromas lead into a multi-layered textural palate, with plum and more savoury fruit set within the subtle French and American oak in which the wine was matured. This is indeed a serious merlot at a laughable price. 92 points James Halliday Top 100 Wines

WOW, power and intensity from the west. From the area renowned for cabernet sauvignon, shiraz lives in the shadows, but should never be ignored. Earthy, tobacco and dark fruits give this wine a brooding intensity. Juicy blackberry and plum, coffee and dry, intensely gripping tannin add some real punch. Firm, youthful and very bold, this is attractive on many levels. This is worth finding. Value: Excellent Food: Roast beef Rating: 4/5 Tony Love

Franco d’Anna is a highly skilled and intuitive winemaker, in touch with the grapes from the moment they are formed, then picked, pressed and fermented and French oak matured. You either get the purity, balance and finesse of this wine, or you don’t.  James Halliday

I suspect that the mantle for “Australia’s Best Value White Wine” has been settled for the time being. What a sensation. ... Long, complex, giving and finessed to perfection. Meal, nectarine, and lime flavour before a spicy, slatey, stony finish. Hoddles Creek Estate is no longer a “new” story so there’s no call for surprise, but this still managed to bowl me over.  ... 95+ points WInefront.com.au