Dangerous Value Reds

Three grapes. One genuinely brilliant red wine. Shiraz brings the richness and depth. Grenache adds substance and a lifted red fruit quality. Tempranillo contributes structure and a savoury, earthy complexity that ties the whole thing together beautifully. Together they produce something greater than any of them could manage alone. Frankland River is the best place in WA for this kind of wine - cool enough for finesse, warm enough for generosity, and with a natural character that suits this particular trio of varieties perfectly. Fragrant red and black fruit on the nose, with cedar, tobacco and a forest floor earthiness that makes it genuinely intriguing. The palate is plush and medium-weighted, with red berry fruit, brown spice and dried herbs adding a savoury depth and a fanning, lacy tannin finish that lingers long and satisfyingly. Tertiary characters are already emerging - meaning this is in a lovely drinking spot right now, with plenty more to reveal over the coming years.

Drink by: 2030

The Black Pulp is exactly the kind of wine that makes Barossa cab so endlessly exciting. Rich, flavourful and unmistakably varietal - this is cabernet sauvignon doing what cabernet sauvignon does when it's grown somewhere warm enough to ripen properly and made by people who genuinely care about what they're doing. The Aulds have been growing vines in the Barossa since the mid-1800s. That's not just a heritage story - that's a dynasty. Sam and Jock are the latest chapter in a family legacy that stretches back further than most Australian wineries have even existed, and every bottle they make carries the weight of that history without ever taking itself too seriously. Blackcurrant, dark plum and a classic cabernet structure on the nose, with the depth and generosity of Barossa fruit coming through on a palate that's rich, satisfying and completely true to the variety. No pretence, no over-complication - just excellent Barossa Cab at a price that makes grabbing a case feel like the sensible and responsible thing to do.

Sometimes a wine doesn't need a complicated story. It just needs to be really, really good. And this one is really, really good. The tannins are soft and pillowy, the structure is perfectly pitched and the finish is long enough to keep you thinking about that first sip for hours. Cedar spice, mint, dusty cocoa and dried sage on the nose - savoury and completely inviting before you've even taken a sip. The palate opens up into ripe raspberry, red liquorice and baking spices, with chocolate undertones and a generosity of red fruit that makes it genuinely hard to put down. Balanced acidity, powdery tannins and an earthy depth that gives it character well beyond what you'd expect at this price. Crack one open tonight alongside something slow-cooked . Or tuck a few away for the next few years and let it develop into a whole different beast.