White and red wines

Norton Ridge Chardonnay California, USA 2021

A brand that benefits from coast-to-coast expertise, Norton Ridge was developed by wine buyers in New York who were, according to UK importer Propeller, “looking for benchmark, varietally correct Californian wines they could sell in their stores and restaurants”.

Price was also important, to enable them to compete with the “big brands they all knew and despised”.

According to the Top 100 judges, it’s a case of mission very much accomplished in the case of this “incredible value” unoaked Chardonnay.

“Attractive ripe tropical nose and a touch of white blossom,” they said. “Super clean, fruit singing; creamy texture. Ripe honeydew melon, citrus, blossom. Oak in the background, very much in check. Very nice finish.”

Propeller

RRP £14.95 ABV 13%

Matervini Viña Canota Malbec Los Chacayes

Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2017

Former Achaval Ferrer winemakers Santiago Achaval and Roberto Cipresso are the men behind the high-achieving Matervini, which the duo founded in 2008 with the avowed intention of producing Malbecs across a range of terroirs.

The Malbec for Viña Cantoa comes from a 5ha plot of seven-year-old vines in the Canota Valley, in the pre-Cordillera foothills of Las Heras, Mendoza, which is fermented in concrete vats and aged for 15 months in French oak barriques.

“This wine is alive,” the judges said. “There is so much going on: black fruit, earthy minerality, tomato leaf, violets, dancing acidity, the lot. A Malbec-worshipper’s holy grail.”

Ucopia Wines

RRP £59 ABV 14.5%

Moorooduc Estate

Robinson Pinot Noir

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia 2021

Moorooduc Estate celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, a good moment to reflect on the progress made in both the winery and the Mornington Peninsula more generally since Richard and Jill McIntyre set up shop in 1982. Both are now at the forefront of Australian Pinot Noir, with Moorooduc’s philosophy of minimal chemicals in the vineyard and winery paying off in wines such as this “memorable” single-vineyard bottling from a vineyard on the Old Moorooduc Road.

“So fragrant and pretty on the nose, with violets and roses and red berries,” the judges said. “On the palate it’s elegant to the max, with the finest tannins known to humanity.”

Vindependents

RRP £38.50 ABV 13.5%

Irvine Estate Old Vine Shiraz

Barossa Valley, Australia 2019

Few producers can claim a deeper connection to a region than the Miles family of Irvine Wines. Having planted their first Shiraz vines in the Barossa Valley in 1867, current, fourthgeneration vigneron Peter Miles can draw on more than 150 years of accumulated experience.

Miles now farms some 162ha in the Barossa, much of it planted to very old vines such as the Shiraz used for this Top 100-winning red, which has been aged for 18 months in 30% new French oak before resting for a further six months in bottle before release.

“Appealing nose with lots of savoury spice notes; liquorice, eucalyptus, black pepper, allspice and some cola. The palate is full of rich fruit with layers of spice. The finish is long and complex. A great example of Barossa Shiraz.”

Cachet Wine

RRP £41.99 ABV 14.5%

Dalrymple Vineyards Pinot Noir

Tasmania, Australia 2020

The Dalrymple story begins with one Dr Bertel Sundstrup, who uncovered this “perfect” cool-climate site in the Piper’s River region of Tasmania in 1987.

Since 2007, it’s been in the hands of the HillSmith family of Yalumba fame, and as you’d expect from one of Australia’s first families of wine, the constant TLC means the estate is regularly ranked among Australia’s best producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The flagship Pinot is a blend of parcels from Dalrymple’s Pipers River and Coal River Valley vineyards, with fruit from growers at Swansea and Ouse.

“As gorgeous to look at as it is to smell and taste,” the judges said. “Weaves together all the Pinot loveliness of red fruit, mushroom savouries and Asian spices. Good texture, too!”

Fells

RRP £32.99 ABV 13.5%

Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz

Barossa Valley, Australia 2019

Owned and run for six generations by the Lindner family, Langemeil is an historic Barossa producer that can trace its beginnings in the region to 1842.

Among other claims to fame, the family have what is believed to be the world’s oldest Shiraz vineyard, The Freedom, which was planted in 1843. Far from being stuck in the past, however, Langemeil produces a broad range of modern wines, among them this blend of premium fruit from the famous Valley Floor strip.

“Vanilla, milk chocolate and blackberries. Very appealing. Rich chocolate and black cherry on the palate. Lots of interest,” the judges said.

“Layers of flavour. Finishes clean and long. A good example of Barossa Shiraz and priced well. Customers would be happy with this.”

Berkmann Wine Cellars

RRP £24 ABV 14.5%

Henschke Keyneton Euphonium

Barossa Shiraz/Cabernet

Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc

Barossa Valley, Australia 2018

Wine number two in the Top 100 list for Aussie first-growth Henschke this year is a blend of Shiraz from up to 50-year-old vines in the Eden and Barossa Valleys, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from selected vineyards in both regions, some of which were planted by Cyril Henschke at his Eden Valley property in the 1960s.

“Beautiful, intense colour of crimson to violet,” the judges said. “Dark fruit and pepper on the nose, subtle oak and well integrated black fruit and spice flavours. Fine tannin and good acidity suggests ageability. Lovely!”

Liberty Wines

RRP £44.99 ABV 14.5%

Russell & Suitor Son of a Bull Pinot Noir

Tasmania, Australia 2022

Winemaker Alex Russell has had a long and fascinating career in Australian wine which has seen him develop a name for working with alternative varieties – a passion he still tends to at his projects in Riverland and Mildura.

Since 2019, however, he has turned his hand to cool-climate winemaking in the Pipers River region of Tasmania, with Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and, in this case, Pinot Noir, all in the mix.

“Great to see quality Pinot from Tasmania at this sort of price, in a style that has lots of appeal,” the judges said. “It’s a mid-weight wine with light tannins and crisp acidity giving plenty of lift to the raspberry and cherry fruit.”

Milestone Wines

RRP £17.99 ABV 14.5%