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Description
- 2025 William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir
- 2024 Brash Higgins CINS Cinsault
- 2024 Fighting Gully Road Sangiovese
- 2022 Cantina di Negrar Valpolicella Superior DOC
- 2024 Tim Smith Wines MGS
- 2023 Nick O'Leary Shiraz
2025 William Downie Cathedral Pinot Noir
William Downie is a bonafide star of the Gippsland wine movement, having garnered his expertise from Burgundy and Australian icons like Bass Phillips and De Bortoli.
The 2025 Cathedral is Downie’s best yet made by a seriously good vintage and a smart blend of sites that came together just right.
King Valley leads the charge (70%), backed by parcels from the Yarra (20%) and Upper Goulburn (10%). It’s a darker, more spiced expression this year - plum, black cherry, pomegranate molasses and a flicker of poached pear, all tied together with some gentle grip and savoury spice. Mace, five spice, crushed rock - it’s got more going on than you’d expect for a wine at this price point.
Still, it’s not a brooder. The structure’s there, but it drinks with ease. As always, it’s bottled unfined and unfiltered. Call it serious Pinot for not-so-serious moments. An absolute bargain, this sits somewhere between glou-glou and serious sipper.
91 points
"Easy access style, yet with some sophisticated restraint and coolness to. An attractive drink and a bargain for the bucks."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2024 Brash Higgins CINS Cinsault
While Shiraz and Grenache usually hog the spotlight in McLaren Vale, Brad Hickey has carved out a serious following for his Cinsault. Sourced from the neighbouring Lennon Vineyard - where vines were grafted onto old Semillon roots back in 2013 - this 2024 release continues his pursuit of fresher, brighter reds.
The vintage threw a few curveballs with early wind and rain, but a dry finish to the season allowed the fruit to land in a perfect spot. Brad used wild fermentation and about 20% whole bunches to build texture, resting the wine in old French puncheons for ten months. It’s a hands-off approach that preserves the variety's natural energy.
In the glass, it’s beautifully translucent and light on its feet. You get a real hit of juicy red stone fruit and cherry, lifted by a zesty citrus note - think tangerine skin or peel. There’s a savoury, spicy undercurrent running through it, almost like baking spice and white pepper, but it remains super fresh. At just 12% alcohol, it’s vibrant and medium-bodied, making it a prime candidate for a quick chill in the fridge.
92 points
"The general feel is goodness and easy drinking, a finer boned cinsault with faint game meat and dried rose petal notes lending charm. A nice thing to sip on."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2024 Fighting Gully Road Sangiovese
There are few viticulturalists in Australia that get Sangiovese right. It's a difficult nut to crack, it seems. Well, here's one that's inspired by the fantastic wines of Chianti, and hits the nail square on.
Mark Walpole works the Aquila Audax Vineyard in Beechworth with an eye only for quality. This Sangiovese comes from the upper exposed slopes of the vineyard, vines planted on shale and metamorphic rock.
With the skilled hands of winemaker Adrian Rodda doing all the right things in the winery, the Fighting Gully Road Sangiovese comes out with classic varietal character and offers excellent value for those who enjoy the savoury, grippy drinking experience that this variety can give.
"Mark Walpole loves sangiovese and the feeling is reciprocated... Potential? You bet!"
- Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion)
2022 Cantina di Negrar Valpolicella Superior DOC
When you talk about the Veneto, you have to talk about Cantina di Negrar. This historic cooperative has been a driving force in the region for decades, and this 2022 Superiore is a perfect example of why. It’s a wine that sticks to the traditional script rather than trying to be something it’s not.
Sourced from the heart of the Valpolicella Classica zone, the vines sit on dry terraces between 250 and 450 metres above sea level. The growers here work hard to tame the vigorous volcanic and clay soils, using aggressive pruning to keep yields low and quality high.
It drinks like classic Valpol - aromas of cherry, plum and violet, backed by a crack of black pepper. On the palate, it’s fresh and medium-bodied - avoiding the heaviness of its Amarone cousins - with a savoury finish that keeps it lively. Whether it’s wood-fired pizza, a board of cured meats, this is a perfect match.
2024 Tim Smith Wines MGS
Tim Smith has a soft spot for the Rhône, but his wines are pure Barossa at heart - generous, structured and built with drinkability first and foremost at the front of mind. The MGS flips the classic GSM blend on its head, putting Mataro (aka Mourvèdre) in charge, backed up by Grenache and Shiraz.
The result is a dark, savoury red with great depth and shape - more earth and spice than fruit bomb. You get that Mataro broodiness sitting over bright Grenache fruit and Shiraz flesh, all tied together with excellent balance.
The 2024 vintage is fresh and quite bright for the style, with a bit more lift than usual thanks to a cooler growing season. It’s a wine that works just as well with a mid-week quaffer as it does on the table at Christmas. At around thirty bucks, it’s one of the best-value reds coming out of the Barossa right now.
It's a cracker of a wine, full of energy, dark berries and spice. It'll also stand the test of time in the cellar, if you can resist the urge to drink it now.
96 points
"Find me a better red at this price. I dare you."
- Nick Ryan (The Australian)
2023 Nick O'Leary Shiraz
Nick O'Leary produces some of the best Shiraz in Canberra and with a trophy cabinet that is stacked to the brim for different Shiraz' of his over the years, it's clearly not just us that think that.
It shows beautifully as a young red, full of volume and character. This is a lovely style of Shiraz for Nick, with all the weight and beautiful texture that Canberra Shiraz is known for.
Tremendous value!
Customer Reviews
| Price Bracket | $30 or Less |
| Size | 3 |
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