Last year we commented that Australian wineries, racked by drought and falling quantities, were having to rethink their positions. Since then the major companies have continued to suffer big drops in sales in the UK, and with that a lowering of their general awareness in the mind wine of the drinker.

Well, we want to shout out to you that the smaller guys, those concentrating on quality and individuality, are still there, alive and kicking and featuring very much in this list! Put up against their European rivals they are excellent value, and you only need to taste them to see just how elegant, restrained, harmonious and balanced these wines are. Gary Farr, a singular winemaker makes his eponymous By Farr wines at Bannockburn, west of Melbourne, but tasting them you could be in Burgundy were it not for the heat. With a bit of age behind them, now his wines are starting to show that they are true, world-class players. Two hours north of Melbourne is Bendigo and the Sutton Grange Winery, whose vineyards are all planted on the warmer eastern side of Mount Alexander. French winemaker Gilles Lapalus believes in a biodynamic approach, and creates his very structured Fairbank wines aimed at partnering food, while the high tannin levels in the reds lets them age well too. Further on into the interior lies the Murray River where you will find Mildura, slap bang in the middle of the hot Murray Darling vineyards. Both the Lyrebird and Sunnycliff ranges are sourced here, made by the Wingara Wine Company. Round the corner, the Zilzie Winery at Redcliffs is just 6 km from Wingara. Andrew Forbes’ wines are unashamedly modern, with the Viognier and Merlot 23 giving you loads of easy, gluggable drinking.

Trentham Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult grape ‘Down Under’, comes from Anthony Murphy at Mildura while his Willandra Shiraz is particularly impressive for the price. These are great wines from a modest man who does not seek world domination. Moving west to Adelaide, temperatures in McLaren Vale, just to the south, are cooled by the nearby ocean, helping Coriole make their less familiar but delicious Semillon and Sangiovese.

Due East, the Adelaide Hills also provide a perfect situation for vines, with a temperate climate, plenty of rain and cool nights and warm days. The area is particularly good for Sauvignon Blanc: Bird In Hand makes an excellent example blended with Semillon as ‘Two in the Bush’. Winemaker Andrew Nugent learned his craft at Penfolds, and aims to make, “Good solid wines with a freshness of fruit. Simple really.” A little further north and you are into the famous Barossa Valley. Rockford Winery, found here, is the most unusual place making wine in Australia today, in fact the winery should be a museum of old winemaking machinery! There’s a 200-year-old de-stalking machine here, as well as the venerable and the ancient basket press (that lends its name to Basket Press Shiraz). Kaesler by contrast is a more modern ‘boutique’ winery, boasting a rare underground cellar. You could be in a french chai, surrounded by a wonderful array of oak barrels, small steel tanks and state-of-the-art equipment. The wines are obviously Barossa in style, bold but with silk, power and structure, and winemaker Reid Bosworth stamps his mark with a Southern Rhône blend, Stonehorse, while his whites use old-vine Riesling and Viognier. These are bold, characterful whites too, not for the faint-hearted. Further north again is the Clare Valley where Mitchells grow on four sites in its western hills. Watervale, their largest vineyard, is set on exposed eastern slopes, so ferocious in winter it bears the nickname ‘Alcatraz’. However it is the perfect setting for Riesling, and Mitchells Watervale Riesling is one of the finest. Their Sevenhill vineyard works better for Cabernet, and the famous Peppertree Shiraz comes from a third site at slightly higher altitude. Jane and Andrew Mitchell surprisingly do not irrigate, and get vineyard balance from biodynamic viticulture, making their own compost from old pressings, manure and cardboard. Watch their wines get better with every vintage.

East of Adelaide is Langhorne Creek, and the Brothers in Arms Winery. They have some tremendous old Shiraz, powerful and concentrated, with structure that is helped by a cooling breeze from Lake Alexandrina (known as the ‘Lake Doctor’) which lowers the temperature, extending the growing period for the vines and allowing more complexity in the wine. It’s a showpiece number and a great favourite at Tanners tastings.

One hundred and fifty miles south-west of Adelaide is the relatively newly developed area of Limestone Coast, which sits as its name suggests on the ocean edge. Heartland Wines is run by the talented and much talked about Ben Glaetzer, a bit of a maverick, who has made his mark with some obscure varieties, notably his blend of Dolcetto and Lagrein, a wine you have to try.

Three hours south of Perth you are into the Margaret River wine area, 100 km long and 15 km wide. This is a varied region that has an English countryside feel to it, and you can be sweating in sweltering Melbourne or Adelaide, while in Margaret River the sun can disappear for weeks! Palandri is based here, but source much of their fruit from the Franklin River area. Their good, everyday Solora wines are at fair prices, with the important balance and refinement that it is so important to find in your glass. Finally David Hohnen who was responsible for establishing Cloudy Bay and Cape Mentelle, has teamed up with Murray McHenry in the Margaret River. His white blend of Sauvignon and Semillon is as good as we’ve seen in recent years, with superb character and flavour, while the new Three Amigos is a friendly, mellow red, very easy to drink. Possibly the most evocative name in Australia is the Hunter Valley, a mere two hours north of Sydney. It brings to mind zippy, structured wines which age tremendously well, particularly Semillon and Shiraz (once known here as Hermitage). Andrew Margan is yet another self-effacing winemaker, a thinker and just the sort of fellow we like to follow. His range has increased over recent times simply because we, and you, like every wine he produces. While Margan Shiraz and his Saignée Rosé are built to last, Andrew has diversified into Orange, due west of Sydney, where he has developed his House of Certain Views Shiraz and Chardonnay, yet another pair of stylish and accessible wines in our range.

Adrian Patterson