If you're looking for an affordable wine but not willing to compromise on value, we've crafted a list of our top picks that have reached a highly recommended or outstanding silver medal rating (90+ points)! The following wines demonstrate great quality, style and character – worthy of a spot in anyone's cellar.
2021 Bellarmine Riesling
Emanating lifted white blossom, lemon zest, lime sherbet and subtle green apple. A palate that’s pure and delicate citrus with lively chalky linear acidity, ending with a crisp, clean finish. Pairs nicely with a variety of seafood, spicy Asian cuisine, blue cheese, goat’s cheese and pork belly.Halliday tasting note: "Fruit from a single vineyard of 20+yo vines. Fermented in stainless steel. More powerful than it initially appears – the acidity really is the engine room in this cool vintage." – Erin Larkin.
Pemberton, WA | RRP $27 | Drink to 2033 | Find out more.
2020 Rosabrook “Lamarque” Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
Embodying citrus, grassy, gooseberry, flinty notes with a light French oak character. There is also a saline acid thread woven throughout all aspects of the fruit. Aromatic, with a textured palate and a crisp fine acid finish.Margaret River, WA | RRP $28 | Drink to 2024 | Find out more.
2021 Nikola Estate Regional Rose
This pure and plump wine celebrates flavours typical to the region, dominated by cherry, pomegranate, finely ground pepper, fennel flower and red apples. There is a spice character as well, hinting at star anise or za’atar through the finish.Geographe, WA | RRP $30 | Drink to 2024 | Find out more.
2021 O'Leary Walker Watervale Riesling
Offering a quintessential citrus with hints of wild fennel spice palate and an intense lime and lemon verbena bouquet. Its electric acid line works alongside its purity of fruit and balance, with a long persistent finish. Pairs nicely with seafood.
Halliday tasting note: "A long, cool ferment over 2 weeks. This is awesome. Such density of flavour on the palate; mouth-coating intensity – it's almost painful." – Erin Larkin.
Clare Valley, SA | RRP $25 | Drink to 2031 | Find out more.
2020 Balgownie Estate Viognier
A balanced viognier with a citrus, orange blossom, white peach and apricot skin nose. Showcasing flavours of apricot stone fruit, cashew nut and a small herbaceous influence. A bright and natural acidity, levelled with ripe powdery tannins with along, persistent finish. Depth in the mid-palate. Enjoy with roasted, free range chicken.
Halliday tasting note: "Hand-picked fruit, lightly crushed to vats, 48 hours' cold soak, pressed to mainly older barriques, wild-yeast fermentation, minimal sulphur, aged on lees for 10 months, lightly fined. Allows viognier some free expression, without heading into the grape's rich, unctuous side. Balance is the key here." – Jeni Port.
Bendigo, VIC | RRP $35 | Drink to 2026 | Find out more.
2021 Aphelion Wines Welkin Nero d'Avola
Pure fruited aromas of red current and spicy plum through the palate with fresh acidity. This lively and vibrant wine has a slight rasp of powdery tannin and a herbaceous element, offering a good palate length. The bright, juicy red berry characters are soft yet supportive of the tannins, providing a good structure and mouthfeel.
Halliday tasting note: "Damn, this is delicious! A perfect poise between an early acid-driven harvest window and a juicy succulence. Drink in very large drafts!" – Ned Goodwin MW
McLaren Vale, SA | RRP $28 | Drink to 2025 | Find out more.
2020 Chapel Hill 'Small Batch #01' Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
The three quintessential McLaren Vale varieties meld together, crafting a wine with balance and a textured mouthfeel. Enjoy flavours of kirsch, bergamot, violet, tapenade, anise, clove and white pepper. Finishes nicely with a fine tannic exactitude and good salty length.
Halliday tasting note: "An experimental range for the cellar door. The typical Southern Rhône blend, albeit, with a bit more twine, spice and savoury fruit than the typical Australian rendition." – Ned Goodwin MW.
McLaren Vale, SA | RRP $28 | Drink to 2024 | Find out more.
2016 Topper's Mountain Nebbiolo
Halliday tasting note: "I have followed the evolution of this cuvée for a time, enjoying the small shifts in style and most of all, the better tannin management and concentration that seem to have come with lower yields and better vineyard supervision. A bit hot, but make no mistake: it IS inimitably nebbiolo. Good nebbiolo, too." – Ned Goodwin MW.
New England, NSW | RRP $45 | Drink to 2026 | Find out more.
*This article was produced by Halliday Wine Companion in partnership with the featured wineries.
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