Finally a group project where all members pull their weight: this blend of Cab Franc, Merlot and Cabernet was born of conditions that allowed for all three grapes to be harvested on the same day. And hey, when a field blend begs to be made in that way, you can't say no. Fermented in two portions, the first handpicked and fermented as 100% whole bunches. The second half fermented as whole berries, with gentle pump overs daily. Blackcurrant jelly, aniseed, pink peppercorn spice. Plenty of pep and primo acid, this is a drop to remember.

Combining Semillon and friends, this wine is named for a delightfully wicked feline friend named Lulu, a regular at Darlinghurst’s Darlo Bar. Made fabulously fresh, this is a playfully easy-going skinsy wine designed for knocking back with mates — wherever you decide your ‘bar’ is today. Yours or mine?

The Eden Valley is basically the garden of Eden but with more great wine and fewer naked people strolling about. South Australia's Riesling mecca, and Andrew has done great things with what was a sterling vintage in 2023. Bright and a little green, forward on fruit. Scented with citrus and promising all the acid your Riesling-lover's heart could desire.

From our friends at Barossa’s Palmetto Wine Co. comes a Pinot Noir that absolutely nails the brief. Vegan friendly and friendly on the wallet too, rejoice in a relaxed mix of fresh red cherry and black pepper, soft tannin and lifted acidity. A solid all-rounder fit to gain approval from all the friendship group’s palates.

Richard and Malcolm Leask have been farming McLaren Vale for over forty years, but the Breakneck Creek Chenin is brand new — first crop from a block regenerated in 2023, on the eastern escarpment of the Vale tucked into the foothills above the Gulf. Whole-bunch pressed, long cold ferment in tank, 20% in old oak. Apple, guava, salted lime, ginger, beeswax. Crisp and fleshy, briny and chalky underneath. Chenin finding its feet in a new postcode. Exciting times.

What's light and red and yum all over? This. The Mezzanine Light Red sees the A-team at Edenflo pulling together a few of SA's big-shot wine regions, a minimal intervention mingling of the state's all-stars in one beautiful bottle. Young and bright, incorrigibly fresh. Plush with pomegranates, cranberry zip and soft, smokey complexity. You'll be tempted to guzzle, but there's lees-influenced nuance well worth savouring. Presumably so-named as it's on another level.

"An imaginary state of absurd over-optimism"—that's Cloud Cuckoo Land, and once upon a time, you'd have had to live there full-time to think Riverland-grown Mediterranean varieties could yield as refined and textural a drop as this. Low intervention, high quality, and as irresistible a blend of Greco and Zibibbo as you can envision. Almond blossom, quince and ripe pears, cut through with citrus pith to balance. A joy to drink, optimism optional.

First crop from Breakneck Creek, a block on the eastern escarpment of McLaren Vale regenerated in 2023, tucked into the foothills above the Gulf. The Tinto is Shiraz made the way the name suggests — Spanish for red, and all the joy that implies. Nouveau-ish in style, slurpy and dark-fruited. Elderflower, purple fruit, cocoa, herbs and pepper keeping it honest. Fine tannin underneath, not a bruiser. Chill it slightly, don’t overthink it.

This is not a club sandwich, but it’s got layers. Bitter herbs, perfumed Bergamot, and a crisp splash of Prosecco—stacked up like your taste buds ordered the deluxe. "I like my spritzes with a slice of citrus and lemon verbena" "So do I!" Well, let's form a club then. You’ve had a club sandwich, now try a Club Spritz. No crusts, all flavour.

Love a more modern take on Coonawarra Shiraz, ie. medium of bod and maximum of flavour. Still dark fruited and very ripe, but less brooding, more lifted spice aromas and a little sour cherry. Incense and pot pourri, cinnamon, cardamom and black tea. The 2021 vintage was a relatively mild one, more or less a vigneron's wet dream, one of high yields at exceptional quality. And haven't they grabbed it and run with it: a whole bunch ferment for fullest flavour and velvety, layered tannins. Ready to enjoy, today, tomorrow, any time.

This hand crafted drop from Langhorne Creek fruit puts a new spin on a timeless style. Its velvety texture with a blackberry and cherry backbone complemented by soft spice elements, like cinnamon and clove, make for a very smooth and bright glass - time after time. Food wine, couch wine, beach wine, bonfire wine. You do you.

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains has spent most of its life making sweet, perfumed things — Beaumes-de-Venise, Rivesaltes, all of it sticky and luscious. The Leasks have other ideas.  Bottled crisp and bone dry, bracingly so. Grapefruit, purple flowers, lemon zest, and bitter tonic. Saline and zippy underneath, a lick of talc and sea spray on the finish. Everything the grape is known for — the florals, the aromatics, the exoticism — but stripped of the sweetness and recast as something sharp and coastal. Petit by name only.

This newest X range release cranks with rhubarb, cherry ripe, chai spice, and a hearty kick of acid. To call it a pizza wine would be a cop out - but my, what a combo. Whether it’s pizza box plates or truffle tagliolini, it’s certainly deserving of your next Alfresco Italian dinner party.

Montepulciano is a central Italian’s idea of a big night out — deep colour, robust tannins, that ferrous, bloody edge that makes you want something substantial in front of you. The Leasks planted it on Sand Road because the warm maritime climate of the Vale fits like a glove. First 100% varietal release from the property. Blackberry tart, iodine, rosemary, dark chocolate. Grainy tannins with real grip, bright acidity keeping it from going heavy. Not a shy wine. Doesn’t pretend to be.

Get ready for a very special Cabernet Sauvignon. With its deep, rich colour and complex aroma, this wine is a nod to the classic Cabernet of the past with a modern twist. Bold notes of blue fruits, dried herbs and perfectly structured tannins for a silky smooth mouthfeel. Why settle for ordinary when you can experience something very special?

Mencía is Iberian by birth, Galician to be precise — the grape behind Bierzo and Ribeira Sacra, built for granite soils and Atlantic air. Richard Leask planted it on Sand Road in 2021 because it suits the Vale’s warmth and barely drinks any water. Smart farming and good instincts in equal measure. Twelve days gentle extraction, eight months in neutral oak, nothing heavy-handed. The result is floral and pulpy — raspberry pastille, a little spice, pomegranate and cherry cola, pithy tannins with a fine seam of acid keeping it honest.

Alpha Box & Dice newest iteration of the ever favoured Tarot Rosé has hand-picked Grenache sitting very pretty. Everything we want in a rosé, a gentle pressing on this McLaren Flat fruit has wondrous notes at play. Delicate fruit notes, fine boned acidity and a little mineral flare on the dry finish. Dare we even say a little savoury lean? Crunchy red apples, fresh strawberries, soft blossoms and salinity. Slurpability is high.

To be Franc, outrageously good. Sweet red apples on the nose, a confection of cranberry juice and Hubba Bubba. A little tangy, a little zesty. When Coonawarra Cabernet Franc is kept in its light-medium bodied sweet spot (the result of a cooler than usual ripening period in the 2023 vintage), it unlocks a new level of spice and flavour. Pink peppercorns and star anise. Supple and satisfying, with velvety tannins to round things out. THis'll be a banger come aperitivo hour; begs for small plates and finger food.

Delicious, but different. This is not your father's long-cellared, stiff upper-lip, tidal-wave of tannin Shiraz. This is a softly fruited, silk glove of a Shiraz, with old-vine fruit co-fermented with a little Zibibbo for an end product that's fresh, approachable and, well, gorgeous. Ripe stone-fruit, strawberry syrup and cracked black pepper take centre stage. Drink to enjoy.