The name Watkins might be new to some, but their contributions to the wine industry have pre-dated many. In fact, they’ve been making the wines for many big name South Australian wineries for decades. Walk into their cellar door right on the border of McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills, and you’ll never want to leave. You'll be captured with their cellar reserve wines, the way that the plush fruit balanced so well with the savoury edges. There is no occasion that this wine doesn’t fit. Luckily for us, the same applies to the company of the Watkins family themselves. Cheers to you, legends!

This is one of Coonawarra's biggest icons - a family-owned winery that's been there since the beginning, and this Cabernet Merlot is the wine that made them famous in the first place. Built for the long haul but accessible from the get go, at this price it's a complete no-brainer! Grown on the region's famous terra rossa soil, this is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. Redcurrant and blackberry up front, backed by a parade of purple fruit; bilberry, plum and cassis, plus carob and dark chocolate. Baking spice, olive and rosemary sit alongside black cherry jam through the middle, with fine, powdery tannin holding the whole thing together. This is a wine you fall in love with instantly, and hard.

This is a real 'set-and-forget' type operator. A problem solver. A 'Mr Fix-it'. When you feel like a Cabernet, reach for this. Thirsty? This. Hungry? This. Tired? This. Bold, smooth, varietal and lively, this covers every conceivable base. This is a super varietal wine - everything about this screams cabernet sauvignon. Deep, pure fruit, both black and red, herbaceous and gorgeously interwoven with spicy oak characters. This is an absolute cracker, every day of the week. The kind of wine that can fully express its self with food or without. If this is your first time trying Langhorne Creek cabernet, welcome - time to find out what all the reviewers are fussing about.