Quick under $20 red wine shootout

Quick under $20 red wine shootout

There’s too few ‘good value’ wines here on Australian Wine Review, a situation that needs addressing. 

Hence why I quickly pulled together this lineup of sub $20 reds.

It’s a slightly odd bunch, but representative of what is currently out there in retail land…

As ever, Dom Torzi’s Longhop label continues to kick goals, with loads of charisma at very fair prices.

Roasted meat and ripe red fruit – quite ripe, but retains a smidgen of black pepper earth. It’s Great Southen alright, which is great to see for the price. Ripe and flattering, grainy palate has a wide expanse of coffeed, grainy red fruit and slightly gruff. drying tannin. A little warm and clumsy and lumpy (but aren’t so many Great Southern Shiraz) but really quite substantial for this price. 16.8/20, 89/100

Longhop Mt Lofty Ranges Shiraz 2012 14% $16

There’s an almost Langhorne Creek mintiness here, over a medium weight, sweet oak tipped palate that is simple, generous and ripe. Polish, but working off a light base, It’s all about that initial red fruit lick, with softness and very light tannins dissipating, yet not sweet at any time. Near perfect for the price point, though I want more concentration. 16/20, 87/100

Longhop Mt Lofty Ranges Shiraz 2013 14% $18

Up goes the price and up goes the concentration. Fitting the vintage this is thicker and richer wine with more heat and a quite expansive finish. Big, bold and thickly red fruited it packs in much for the dollars. Recommended. 16.8/20, 89/100

Nepenthe Adelaide Hills Tempranillo 2013 13.5% $19.99

Bright and licoricey. Not much weight or definition on the nose. Palate starts off with sweet, licoricey fruit promise but can’t resolve through the finish, ultimately looking sweet and sour, the acid and alcohol clashing through a palate missing concentration. Ordinary, without being bad. 15.8/20, 86/100

Barry Brothers by Jim Barry Clare Valley Shiraz Cabernet 2012 14% $20

Smells instantly of the Clare. Choc mint, thickly set and glycerol sweet red and black fruit with fruit grunt though softish tannins. Another wine that packs in much for the price, even complete with oak sweetness. Simple beast but does what it is meant to without any excess. Good. 16.8/20, 89/100