Dalfarras 2005 Shiraz Viognier

General: I became of a fan of Dalfarras when I took my only bottle of their 2007 Pinot Gris/Viognier to a bbq and had to share a great bottle. I picked this up last week which is unusual given its age

Varieties: Shiraz, Viognier

Region/G.I.: Goulburn Valley/Nagambie Lakes (Vic)

Alcohol: 14.0%

Bouquet: Dark plum and a little savoury - something like rich Christmas cake, with a hint of vanilla

Flavour: Rich fruit with some black pepper and some vanilla in the tail. Good tannins remain and good length. Quite enjoyable.

Points: 84

Notes: $11.95 (215 Kc) from one of the big liquor discounting chains here. Great value and I will have to grab another couple of bottles as I am sure this will be a crowd pleaser.

Penley Estate 2007 Shiraz

General: From my "Ultimate Shiraz Mix" from the wine club

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast, Coonawarra

Alcohol: 15.0%

Bouquet: First locorice, then dark-flesh plum followed by some vanilla. Dense.

Flavour: Not as complex as the nose suggests. Good medium length with smooth, silky tannins. Online reviews mention pepper but I did not detect any.

Points: 83

Notes: Special price of $11.26 (202 Kc) as part of a case. An enjoyable wine. Plenty more Shiraz to try, provided it stays cool.

Peter Lehmann. 2010 Riesling

General: After buying, I realised that Peter Lehmann Wines are part of The Hess Collection. We visited The Hess Collection at Mount Veeder, where we saw really old Shiraz vines.

Variety: Riesling

Region/G.I.: Barossa, Eden Valley

Alcohol: 11.0%

Bouquet: White flowers with secondary aromas of ripe lemon

Flavour: Medium dry with very good length. Lemon at the fore with some sourness in the tail. Very nice.

Points: 83

Notes: At $11.00 (198 Kc) it's a bargain.

Dopff au Moulin. 2008 Pinot Blanc

General: The first Alsatian wine in a long time

Variety: Pinot Blanc

Region: Alsace

Alcohol: 12.5%

Bouquet: Aged bottle aroma (surprising, given the age) with secondary, lighter, lemon, lime and possibly candied pineapple aromas

Flavour: Good length and lovely acidity. Although there was lemon and lime, there was also a certain sourness (kysela) that gave it a bottle aged flavour. Very enjoyable.

Points: 84

Notes: At $13.00 (234 Kc) it is a bargain. Would like to try a few more.

Greg Norman. 2008 Cabernet Merlot

General: Found this in the clearance bin at the big retail chain when I went to buy the Petaluma Chardonnay. It was a cool day for us, the start of autumn so I thought I'd give this a go.

Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Region/G.I.: Limestone Coast (SA)

Alcohol: 14.5%

Bouquet: Robust and brambly. Some oak there as well. The fruit lurks beneath and I had difficulty to name it.

Flavour: When tasted a few minutes after opening, all I could taste was incredible tannins. However, given half an hour for me to get dinner underway, I could then appreciate a nice, medium length wine with silky tannins. Some plum and spice in the flavour profile as well. A bit of a surprise.

Points: 82

Notes: For $9.90 (178 Kc) this is very enjoyable - a real quaffer/ Tuesday night pizza wine as you sometimes read. I presume it is normally priced higher.

Yalumba. 2008 Riesling

General: This was my Friday (4th March) finish to the week

Variety: Riesling

Region/G.I.: Barossa

Alcohol: 12.0%

Bouquet: Ripe. Some green apple and lime in the nose

Flavour: Good length. Body is medium which is not surprising given the density of the nose. Nice acidity in the tail.

Points: 82

Notes: At $8.35 (150 Kc) it's great value for what you get

Stoneleigh 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

General: The last of Sav Blancs I bought for summer tasting

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough

Alcohol: 13.0%

Bouquet: Lovely and pungent. Very ripe fruit (gooseberry)

Flavour: Excellent. Fruit as per nose to start with lemon zest in the mix. Nice and crisp. Surprisingly good length which distinguishes it from a lot of other Sav Blancs on the market

Points: 83

Notes: About $16.00 (288 Kc). One of the better Sav Blancs tried this summer.