2020 2023 Best Wines Under $50

Herbs, blue fruits and spice on the nose. Mulberries, blueberries, spice, dried herbs and black pepper on the palate. This is drink by itself friendly, food friendly and just generally friendly, but in a serious kinda way. Because there’s no mistaking this wine is both classy and very well put together. Learn More

There’s big, and there’s this – a huge Barossa Shiraz loaded with black fruits, vanilla and plenty of cedary oak. The fruits are blues and black and we also found dark chocolate, black pepper, spice and more. This is a helluva mouthful and worth cracking with something red and meaty. Learn More

A beautifully sweetly fruited McLaren Vale Shiraz designed for drinking any time over the next decade. We found rich black fruits, liquorice, spice and a little dark chocolate. This is an engaging and relatively easy to drink wine, with a powerful core of fruit, a long finish and fine tannins. Learn More

Carlos Serres is a bit of an OG - one of the few Rioja producers with a century of winemaking behind them. Carlos was actually named Charles, a French Winemaker who left Bordeaux, fed up with dealing with phylloxera riddled vineyards, landing in Spain. He founded the first winery in Rioja with export certification and applied French winemaking techniques to Rioja fruit. Pretty soon, there was a demand for Rioja in the rest of Europe and the US.

Carlos Serres Crianza is 100% Tempranillo and spends 14 months in a combo of French and American oak. Being 'Crianza', the wine has spent a year in barrel, and another on bottle prior to release. Typically aged in older oak, Crianza can have quite assertive tannins and fruit which is intense whilst retaining great freshness. This is a particularly good example, packed with red fruits, cherries, spice, oak and nervy acidity.

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Claymore have a habit of producing excellent Riesling and that habit is no danger here. Displaying everything you’d want in a young Riesling, lifted aromatics, crisp acidity and succulent lime. A silky palate that extends to a long dry finish just leaves you wanting more. Learn More

A tiny patch of 111 year old Eden Valley Vines produces this magical Riesling elixir. Explosive perfume and lime on the nose lead to a palate packed with intense fresh lime juice, brown lime and overall exceptional clarity and intensity of fruit. Learn More

Aromas of pear, citrus peel, preserve lemon, green apple and honeysuckle. Superb texture and depth of fruit underpinned with a gorgeous savoury salinity. Drink any time over the next 5 years. Learn More

Another utterly delicious, world-class Vermentino, reminiscent of the best examples produced in Corsica. The nose is perfumed, the palate medium bodied and textural, with tropical and citrus flavours on the palate leading to a mineral finish. A ripper. Learn More

An exceptionally vibrant and well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc. Aromatics of cut grass, passionfruit and snow pea tendrils lead to a palate laden with the same, plus grapefruit, kaffir lime and more. Length and intensity are superb and the texture invites you to pour a second glass. Learn More

An almost perfectly realized blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro, packed with red, blue and black fruits. There’s nutmeg, cocoa, plums, fig and a hint of coffee. Excellent palate weight and smoothness. A joy to drink! Learn More

More textural than your usual Clare Valley Riesling, this 2023 release is bright and limey on the nose and the palate shows citrus flavours of lemon and lime joined by Bickford brown lime, apple and nectarine. It is powerfully packed with fruit and finishes with refreshing acidity. Learn More

From an exceptional high altitude (440m) vineyard, this is magnificent. Apple, talcum powder, and honeydew melon on both the nose and a palate which offers a perfect balance between acid drive and texture. Length is exceptional. Learn More