Michael McNamara & Roscoe Halligan - Bank Street

Tyrrells Belford Semillon 2004 SHELF PRICE: $27 $23
NATIONAL WINE SHOW THE SEMILLON TROPHY - 2007 AND OLDER VINTAGES

Vibrant green hue; pea pod and straw bouquet with a touch of lemon; the palate shows some generosity, and is approachable now, while still remaining tightly wound; beautifully precise on the finish.
JAMES HALLIDAY Australian Wine Companion

Hunter semillon is a national vinous treasure and when it's this good and this cheap it makes you wonder why more people don't drink the stuff. It's everything is should be, showing a lemon butter core couched in vibrant mouth-watering acidity and just starting to reveal a hint of toastiness. More than anything though the wine is impeccably balanced. MICHAEL MCNAMARA


Philip Rich - Bank Street

O'Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2009 SHELF PRICE: $19 $16.50

The annual releases of the O'Leary Walker Rieslings are benchmarks for quality, value for money and regional expression. This year's Polish Hill River wine is a little more floral and spicy, somewhat more elegant and restrained and less evolved than the Watervale version and will need a few more months to settle down and open up. The Watervale is just a touch more forward and is perhaps the better proposition for current drinking. PADDY KENDLER, Herald Sun



Magda Debiec - Bank Street

Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2008 SHELF PRICE: $28 $23

This Blanc is a blend of 55% Viognier with Rousanne, Marsanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc. Fresh and floral aromatics of orange blossom and white flowers, honey, stone fruit and tangerine. On the palate, fairly rich and creamy with apricot and white peach and some key lime. Solid acidity and minerality with a clean, polished finish. E. GUIGAL www.guigal .com

Michael Mcnamara - Bank Street

JP Schmitt Rittersberg Riesling 2007 SHELF PRICE: $45 $37


Schmitt's 07 Riesling is truly dry, ripe and interesting in flavour, and weight at only 12.5% alcohol. Lemon , apricot, and herb aromas lead to a sassy, bright, juicy palate. The finish is a bit lean, but I am tempted to add "blessedly so" because it is refreshingly saline, citric, and straight-as-an-arrow. DAVID SCHILDKNICHT

The thing I like most about these Schmitt rieslings is that they are uncompromisingly dry and show a great transparency of terroir. Many Alsatian rieslings these days carry excessive amounts of residual sugar and the wines come off heavy and fat. That's not the case here; absolutely pristine and pure riesling. MICHAEL MCNAMARA

Sebastian Zotti - Bank Street
Maison de Grand Esprit Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV SHELF PRICE: $30 $25

The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard only 15km south of the Aube region of Champagne in Burgundy. The base wine is 85% from 2007, 15% from '06 and '05; once tiraged, it spends 15 months on lees. A 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, it is entirely first press, and doesn't undergo malolactic fermentation. The result is a brilliantly fresh wine, with just a hint of brioche on the bouquet, the palate with excellent balance and length. Extraordinary value. JAMES HALLIDAY

Alex Wilcox - Bank Street

Foster e Rocco Sangiovese Rose 2008 SHELF PRICE: $30 $27

A Rose full of sweet summer berries and dried flowers gives way to a mineral, fresh palate with bright acidity and a clean snappy finish. Drink it with gooey burrata cheese and a few sclices of good prosciutto.
MATT SKINNER - 21 Wines for Summer The Sunday Life

Roscoe Halligan - Clarendon

Mount Langhi Cliff Edge Shiraz 05 SHELF PRICE: $26 $22

Sourced from the cooler climate of the Grampians region here in Victoria, this is a wine that has surprising fruit depth and concentration without being overdone. There is some classy oak evident on the nose but it is well handled and should pull back into the wine over the next few years. Somewhat grainy, ripe tannins provide the frame work for the rich berry fruit. The wine finishes reasonably long and juicy. At the price this is a standout. ROSCOE HALLIGAN PWS


Philip Rich - Bank Street

Altos Los Hormingas Malbec 2008 SHELF PRICE:

The entry level Malbec has always been a superb value and the 2007 Malbec is no exception. It gets three months of exposure to French and American oak interstaves prior to bottling. Medium crimson-coloured, it exhibits a smoky, spicy, black cherry bouquet. This leads to a medium to full-bodied wine with surprising depth and savoury fruit for its modest price. Forward and easygoing it will provide much pleasure over the next several years. It is an ideal barbecue wine.

Altos Las Hormigas was founded in 1995 by a group of Italian wine professionals led by enologist/winemaker Alberto Antonini. JAY MILLER www.erobertparker.com


Alex Wilcox - Bank Street

Mas du Guiot Rouge 2008 SHELF PRICE: $29 $20

This brilliant value Costieres du Nimes has been a perennial favourite for PWS customers. Not filtering the wine has also added an extra dimension of depth in aroma and flavour that transcends the quality of the previous vintages. The change in closure means it can't be called Costieres du Nimes - it is now just known as Mas du Guiot, Vins du Pays.

There is no better BBQ wine. Showing balanced dark plum fruits alongside some really nice iodine, nori roll nuance more common to Châteauneuf du Pape. It is medium-to-full-bodied and will keep for 3-5 years. In a word, delicious! ALEX WILCOX, PWS


Rory Craig - Bank Street

Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2008 SHELF PRICE: $30 $27

Dark Shiraz fruit, with blackberry, roasted meat and a gentle spice background; medium-bodied with serious intent, the tannins are ripe, the fruit juicy and the finish, long a savoury; lovely harmony.
JAMES HALLIDAY The Australian Wine Companion

We don't have anything like this in Dublin! RORY CRAIG, pws

Sebastian Zotti - Bank Street

Voyager Estate Girt By Sea Cab Sauv2007 SHELF PRICE: $22 $18.70

MARGARET RIVER WINE SHOW TROPHY BEST CABERENT SAUVIGNON PREDOMINANT BLEND

This is from an excellent vintage and it shows. It smells and tastes like a high quality regional cabernet. It doesn't have enormous power, but really that just makes it more drinkable. It tastes of gravel and blackcurrant, chocolate and mint, and all these robust, lip-smacking flavours form and flow beautifully through your mouth. Gorgeous drinking. CAMPBELL MATTINSON & GARY WALSH, The Big Red Wine Book


Sebastian Zotti & Myles Thompson - Bank Street

Maitre Renard Bourgogne Rouge 2007 SHELF PRICE: $30 $25