20 flavour-packed wines for $35 (or less)

After Friday’s post about $100+ Champagne, today I want to highlight how much wine you can get for $35 or more.

This collection has a simple motive – purely flavoursome wines that I’ve enjoyed that weigh in with a retail price of $35.

Easy!

Bugalugs by Tim Smith Shiraz 2023

The entry point to Tim’s range but no lightweight. What a wine for $30. Such excellent colour in this juicy, black and red fruited, medium weight Barossa Shiraz. I feel like it’s what I always say, but the texture of Tim’s wines is so pleasurable – soft, plush, round but not sweet. Delightful. This has mulberry, dark plum, a layer of vanilla bean and soft tannins. Generous of heart and spirit, without ever feeling harsh, thisi doesn’t have the depth of the top Tim Smith wines, but for $30 it’s a no-brainer.

Best drinking: now and for at least five years. 17.7/20, 92/100. 14%, $30.

Castel Firmian Pinot Grigio 2023

Some of the Castel Firmian wines are a bit industrial, but this is rock-solid Italian Grigio. Chalky pear juice, in the Grigio way, with a long (for Grigio) palate. This has grip and power, a chunkier style of Grigio with some ambition (and can be found for sub $25) even if it is a little clumsy.

Best drinking: now. 17/20, 90/100. 12.5%, $35.

Chapel Hill The Parson Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

This is far too good for $18. Proper McLaren Vale Cabernet, with spearmint, leafy berries, grippy minty tannins, a bit of black mulchy spice. Oh yeah, this is way too serious for the dollars. Gruff, even – a black hearty wine of impact (and a bargain).

Best drinking: over the next five years (easy). 17.5/20, 91/100. 14.5%, $18.

First Foot Forward Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

From the Tokar Estate Vineyard, and it’s a classy Yarra Cabernet for very fair dollars. Black texta, cedar, and a bit of eucalypt. It suggests it’s going to be dark and rich, but it’s leaner and more svelte than it should be for 14% without sacrificing darkness and depth. Indeed, there is moody, minty dark fruit shades and acres of sticky tannins. There’s a slight doughnut through the middle, but it is unquestionably quality.

Best drinking: over the next decade. 17.7/20, 92/100. 14%, $32.

First Foot Forward Pet Nat 2023

Fun, Yarra Valley Shiraz-based Pet Nat. Like a dark rosé on the colour chart and has some flavour. It has low fizz, juicy, creamy froth, and ripe fruit, and it has a sweet and perky style that is like a modern off-dry rosé (and bright) rather than any full cloud nattty style. Just a little tannic grip, otherwise an ocean of raspberry fruit. Pretty fun, even if it’s a slightly confected sort of thing.

Best drinking: now. 17/20, 90/100. 12.5%, $30

Gundog Estate Hunter’s Semillon 2024

Made with an eye on early drinking, which is a good thing for Hunter Semillon. A bit shy at first, but classic green apple fruit and doesn’t lack generosity. That’s the appeal – a good crunch of green apple juice fruit. It’s frisky, maybe a bit simple, but has a nice drinking appeal, all refreshing green apple as it slips on through. Good open, modern Hunter Sem.

Best drinking: good now. 17.5/20, 91/100. 11%, $32.

Harewood Estate Cabernet Merlot 2021

Gee these Harewood reds have a shitload of oomph for well-priced Great Southern gear. This Cab Merlot is raw, a bit choc/coconut oaky, warm, with this fudgey and minty contrast. A shitload of wine. Thickset and a bit sour and chunky but has so much punchy flavour. Intensity gets this a silver for sure, and the price is just unreal.

Best drinking: now, and will still be kicking in a decade (although might dry out). 17/20, 90/100. 14.5%, $20

Harewood Estate Cabernet Shiraz 2019

Another syrupy, forward and ripe red, with hedgerow varietal black Cabernet flavour, a black bitterness, chocolatey oak and grippy tannins. Unsubtle, but what a hit of flavour.

Best drinking: now and whenever. 17/20, 90/100. 14.5%, $20.

Harewood Estate Pinot Noir 2023

Denmark fruit for this release and a correct coppery ruby colour. Ripe cherries, sappy, bitter tannins, lots of luscious macerated cherry fruit and a bit of heat, with a sweet oak seam in there too. It’s a bit syrupy at the edges but with a big character and plush. Yes, there is a drying, leathery, bitter edge, but the trade-off is flavour volume.

Best drinking: now before it dries out. 17.5/20, 91/100. 14%, $35.

Hewitson Ned & Henry Shiraz 2022

Instant appeal in this round Barossan red. Great boysenberry red colour. Soft, gummy, plummy Shiraz fruit is like a constant flow of juiciness. There are little tannins in sight, and that silken, very juicy flow is not exactly savoury, but the appeal and plump, plummy intensity are undoubted. Some Viognier in there? Sure tastes like it with that glossy purple fruit.

Best drinking: nowish. 17/20, 90/100. 13.5%, $35.

Howard Park Great Southern Riesling 2023

The question with Howard Park Riesling is largely down to when you drink it (I like it younger FWIW). This is a slightly forward release, with waxy tangy lemon fruit, just a little whisper of toast, cooked lime and some floral. A little petro in there. It tastes ripe and with punchy acidity too. It is a bit full and sweet and sour but has good intensity. Solid drinking, if not a superstar release.

Best drinking: now (for me). 17.5/20, 91/100. 12%, $35

Jaya SGM 2022

Jaya is the more affordable Barossa blend from Sanjay of Gambit wines. Corey Ryan makes the wines and they’re stupidly well priced. This Barossan GSM has 15% whole bunches and is far too smart for $25 odd dollars. Luscious choc plum fruit, warm run and raisin plump concentration, a nice chocolatey grainy texture and expansive flavours. Just a bit skinnier and warm to finish but so much Barossan flavour and character. Underpriced.

Best drinking: now and no hurry – five years will be fine. 17.7/20, 92/100. 14%, $25.

Kyneton Ridge Cabernet Shiraz 2022

This is listed as Macedon fruit, but tastes about as far from the Macedon delicate mode as you can imagine. More Bendigo, which sort of makes sense. Very ripe, purple fruit loaded, luscious red with low tannin. Purple jubes aplenty. Not exactly refined, but again, volume knob up is very high.

Best drinking: nowish. 17.5/20, 91/100. 14%, $30.

Kyneton Ridge Heathcote Shiraz 2022

An even bigger wine. Purple coloured, and has that impenetrable density of Heathcote Shiraz. Plush fruit and sweet oak make this a very sweet red, and arguably not much beyond the huge jammy intensity. Although, that’s also the MO here – impact and fruit, which definitely has a place.

Best drinking: nowish, no hurry. 17.5/20, 91/100. 15.1%, $35.

Lambrook Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Fresh and super varietal Adelaide Hills Sauv Blanc for fair dollars. Fresh grassy nettle and passionfruit jumps out of the glass, then a herbal, passiongruit palate of crisp grassy fruit. Expressive, then a bit lean to finish, but the whole package offers lots of Hills Sauv character.

Best drinking: now. 17/20, 90/100. 12%, $25.

Lambrook Shiraz 2023

Glossy, floral, mid-weight Adelaide Hills Shiraz with a lively perfume. Viognier in here? Lithe, light tannins, a little dandelion floral spiciness and then fragrant blue fruits. It is a little light to finish, but what a lovely, gentle and delicious wine.

Best drinking: nowish. 17.5/20, 91/100. 14.5%, $27.

Silkwood Estate The Bowers Shiraz 2020

Pemberton Shiraz. Mulchy and quirky secondary style with pointy acidity, leaf litter, black earth and drying tannins. It’s medium-bodied, not unsubstantial and very savoury in a black earth kind of way. Fractionally bitter, it has a black, savoury charm that isn’t necessarily easy but entirely substantial. Great value too.

Best drinking: nowish. 17/20, 90/100. 13.5%, $25

Silkwood Estate The Walcott Malbec 2019

Pemberton Malbec now. So fresh for its age and station. Classic mulberry, luscious chocolate oak, oak tannins, and pithy and a bit oaky, but this has chew and substance. It’s more composed than you’d expect underneath. Pretty handy, mid-weight tannic chocolatey Malbec.

Best drinking: nowish. 17.7/20, 92/100. 13.2%, $35

Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Ahh Tahbilk Cabernet. You can just taste the red earth in this red too – a rich, minty, darkly earthen, classic Tahbilk Cab. Choc eucalyptus, a little sour and leafy but plenty of dark berry fruit. There’s a bit of a doughnut on the palate, and the oak fills in the holes of a pretty black and drying palate, but such concentration. A good vintage for this iconic cellar filler.

Best drinking: now or in three decades. These wines live forever. 17.5/20, 91/100. 14%, $22.95

Tahbilk Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2021

Glossy jubey smooth and round style that is super approachable and simple jubey flavour. A little red earth and tannic play with oak highlights. It’s a fun round wine, if a bit black, jubey and simple (especially for Tahbilk).

Best drinking: over the next five years. 17/20, 90/100. 14%, $28.95.