Description
The rise and rise of lower alcohol reds that are begging to be banged in the esky is one of the best modern developments in Australian wine.
From familiar varieties such as Pinot Noir and early-picked Grenache, to the explosive recent popularity of varieties like Pinot Meunier and Gamay, or creative blends that place style at a premium over traditional varietal characteristics - the world of light Aussie reds is one of the most exciting vinous wormholes you can fall down at the moment. Here's the pack to get you started!
- 2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
- 2023 Unico Zelo Jungle Jungle Dolcetto
- 2023 Mac Forbes EB86 Showdown #4 Pinot Gamay
- 2024 Stargazer Rada Pinot Meunier Pinot Noir
- 2023 Nick Spencer P.A.R. Gamay
- 2023 Dune Ain Salah Cinsault
2024 Garagiste Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir
Barney Flanders loves Pinot Noir, and every release of the value-packed Le Stagiaire Pinot Noir seems to out do the previous one. It has been one of the most popular wines in Different Drop history.
Winemaker Barney Flanders, known for his dedication to Pinot, blends fruit from several of his top vineyards, with Merricks North’s 30-year-old Dijon clones adding plushness and floral lift to the structured MV6 clones from Balnarring, Red Hill, and Merricks Grove.
Crafted with a gentle touch, this wine goes through wild fermentation with minimal whole bunches, 21 days on skins, and careful ageing in concrete, large foudre, and old oak barrels. It’s bottled unfined and unfiltered, keeping every bit of its savoury complexity and purity intact. The result is a beautifully balanced Pinot, layered with red berries, spice, and an earthy edge, all tied together by a refreshing mineral streak.
Simply put this wine represents the essence of Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir. Value for money wise, this is an Australian Pinot Noir star.
94 points
"Spicy, perfumed, complex. It has plenty of structure, juicy cherry flavour, bright but balanced acidity, and excellent length. A short note for an impressive wine. What else do you need to know? Oh, yes, it drinks a charm."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
2023 Unico Zelo Jungle Jungle Dolcetto
Unico Zelo’s Jungle Jungle is an irresistible red that celebrates Dolcetto’s lighter, juicy side while layering in unexpected depth and structure. This Clare Valley and Langhorne Creek blend showcases Brendan and Laura Carter’s knack for crafting approachable, vibrant wines perfectly suited to modern Australian tastes.
The fruit comes primarily from the Polish Hill River sub-region, with the addition of some stellar Langhorne Creek Dolcetto. These sites, rooted in shale and blue slate soils, bring a mix of bright, juicy blueberries and black cherry alongside earthy spice and herbal undertones. The winemaking is minimal intervention, letting the natural character of the fruit shine through while soft tannins provide the wine with a subtle framework.
On the palate, it’s a perfect balance of comfort and complexity. The plush fruit and aromatic lift make this a delightful match for casual dining, particularly dishes you can enjoy with your hands—think woodfired pizza or smoky BBQ. Pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes for extra freshness, and you’re in for a treat.
Jungle Jungle is quintessential Unico Zelo: thoughtful, fun, and deeply drinkable. A crowd-pleasing red with character to spare.
2023 Mac Forbes EB86 Showdown #4 Pinot Gamay
Pinot Noir & Gamay make for great bedfellows.
In Burgundy, these blended wines (Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains) are built for fresh, sometimes rustic, easy drinking, often consumed by the picking crews themselves during harvest.
This version by Mac Forbes and team is as fresh as a daisy. A little bit of whole-bunch, a little time in concrete, bottle young and bright. It's a light, juicy, could-be-bloody-brilliant-with-a-chill red that's perfect for knocking back in tumblers as the sun goes down.
2024 Stargazer Rada Pinot Meunier Pinot Noir
This is a delicious lighter styled red from the talented hands of Sam Connew.
Here, Sam blends Pinot Meunier from Pipers Brook with Pinot Noir from the Coal River Valley to give a summery red wine that can be enjoyed while the weather is warm.
There's sweetness from the lively Pinot Noir fruit, a touch of savouriness from the Meunier. It's packaged beautifully and ready to rip into.
If you like to have something that's red but crisp and crunchy in your glass, this is a fine choice.
2023 Nick Spencer P.A.R. Gamay
Nick Spencer is constantly exploring the possibilities of winemaking in the NSW High Country and with his latest experiment, this delightful little Gamay from Tumbarumba, he's onto another huge win.
The inspiration for this wine comes from a recent pilgrimage to Beaujolais, the birthplace of Gamay. This adventure inspired a shift in focus for Nick, away from Pinot Noir to Gamay, Nick believing this friendly red variety is better suited as a light red to 'warmer' cool-climate regions like Tumbarumba going forward.
As with all of the P.A.R. series wines, this was fermented and aged entirely in Nick's small grenade-like amphora, preserving the natural energy and verve of the variety without the influence of oak. It shows classic varietal signatures of sour cherries, strawberries, and a touch of spice. The palate is juicy and lively, with juicy cherry and cranberry notes, a silky texture, and refreshing acidity. It's the quintessential chillable red. For a frame of reference from Beaujolais - this would sit in the prettier mode ala Fleurie rather than the darker more brooding wines of crus like Morgon. But of course, it's entirely its own thing.
If you enjoy Pinot Noir, or any friskier, chillable style of red, you'll love Nick's Gamay. There were only 120 dozen made in total and it won't be available anywhere else outside of Nick's own members. So if you want to sample it, now's your chance!
"During our visit to Beaujolais, we witnessed firsthand the remarkable potential of Gamay... Intrigued by its versatility and charm, we made the deliberate decision to shift our focus from Pinot Noir to Gamay for future vintages."
- Nick Spencer
93 points
"Sarsaparilla, and so much of that, along with mint, cherry, cranberry and dried flowers. It’s medium-bodied, sappy, all the strawberry, spice and red cherry, fine sandy tannin, almond, cherry and again that cranberry crunch on a finish of good length. Frisky. Interesting. A very nice wine all up. Refreshing and good."
- Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
2023 Dune Ain Salah Cinsault
Made in only minuscule quantities, this single-varietal Cinsault from Dune is a wine to jump on quickly before it’s all gone.
Cinsault is a fascinating variety and one proving to be well-suited to the sunshine of the Vale. Easy to grow, light-bodied and full of bright red fruits - it's a name we're bound to see a lot more of.
This is a jubey, spicy, herbal, wildly delicious little red. Low alcohol and low tannin make it the perfect lunchtime option too, and it loves 20 minutes in the fridge!
Gulp gulp gulp!
Customer Reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 10 Total 4 star reviews: 2 Total 3 star reviews: 0 Total 2 star reviews: 0 Total 1 star reviews: 0
12 reviews
- ATAsh T.Verified Buyer13 seconds agoRated 5 out of 5 starsGreat pack - very smashable!
Great pack for summer. All great chilled and the perfect option for those that prefer red, but need something lighter for easy drinking by the pool, beach, balcony etc.
- KkbVerified Buyer2 months agoRated 5 out of 5 starsJuice!
A stunning pack of delicious reds primed to be tasted slightly chilled with good company in warm weather. A stonkingly good mix to entertain a crowd.
- RDRaymonda D.Verified Buyer4 months agoRated 5 out of 5 starsGood pack for chilled reds
Never had a bad one in the pack
| Price Bracket | $31 to $40 |
| Type | Red |
| Body | Light Bodied |
| Country | Australia |
| Size | 8 |
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