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Best Buy Wines (June/July 2008): $20 and under

2007 West Cape Howe Tempranillo, Western Australia, A$19/NZ$27
I first tasted this wine out of barrel at the winery near Denmark in WA’s Great Southern. Then, as now, it really impressed me with its deep purple, juicy fruit flavours and succulence, balanced by typical, fine, savoury tempranillo tannins. But at the time I remember thinking it was a little one-dimensional, a touch simple. Before bottling, winemaker Gavin Berry and his team blended in a splash of spicy Great Southern shiraz, and this has lifted the wine beautifully, adding delicious spicy complexity and length. MA

2006 Hardys Oomoo Shiraz, McLaren Vale, A$17.50/NZ$27.50
Since the 2001 vintage, this shiraz has arguably been Australia’s most consistent red under $20 (under $15 until this year). The wine has a fleshy succulence and a ripe, sweet blackberry pastille flavour with some chocolatey mocha notes typical of the region. In 2006, it also has some savoury, black olive notes and is robust, with substantial ripe, supple tannins. Approachable while young, it needs a hearty steak or roast beef dish to taste its best.  PF

2004 Geoff Merrill Cabernet Shiraz, McLaren Vale, A$18.50
The reds from South Australia’s 2004 vintage continue to shine, as this fabulous “quality for dollar” cabernet blend clearly demonstrates. It’s mostly cabernet sauvignon, with just 12 per cent shiraz adding spice and juiciness to the blend. Naturally, the overriding characters are of cabernet, with blackcurrant and olive flavours and hints of mint, nutmeg and cedar. Dense and savoury, this classic Australian red blend is a great example of Geoff Merrill’s craft and philosophy; subtle and stylish are apt descriptors.  PB

2005 Hirsch Hill Estate Merlot, Yarra Valley, A$19
This new label springs from the Hirsch family’s horse stud with a vineyard in the Dixons Creek area, and the wines are made by local contractors. This wine is soft and cherry/raspberry-flavoured, nicely ripe and easy to drink – just as merlot should be but so seldom is. There are walnutty, oak-derived aromas as well, and the palate has a mix of berry and herbal flavours with good depth, underscored by cleansing tannins. It’s very well priced and probably best drunk within five or six years.  HH

2007 Black Ridge Old Vine Gewürztraminer, Central Otago, NZ$20
I’ve always regarded gewürztraminer as the best wine to come out of this slightly eccentric winery in the Alexandra district of Central Otago. I expected great things when I received this bottle of “old vine” gewürztraminer that’s been produced to celebrate the vines’ planting. The wine is great, the best example of Central Otago gewürztraminer I’ve tasted. It’s an intense, moderately sweet drop with wonderfully pure Turkish delight characters.  BC

2007 Tahbilk Marsanne, Nagambie Lakes, A$15/NZ$17
Tahbilk’s traditional unwooded marsanne has a huge following and a long-established reputation for its cellaring qualities. This is the finest release for three years, with its makers introducing elements of chalkiness and texture to enhance its varietal qualities. Typically perfumed, with a citrusy, honeysuckle-like scent above a whiff of mineral, it delivers a surprisingly intense and persistent core of spicy flavour, finishing clean and savoury. A finely crafted wine which should cellar better than most.  JO