Picardy Carlos Serres Best Wines Under $50

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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A properly exceptional SBS from Picardy in Pemberton Western Australia. Three separate clones of SB are used, with 10% of the fruit whole bunch pressed and 2 different yeasts used to help build complexity. On opening it seems soft and delicate but as it airs, minerality, guava, lime, passionfruit and all manner of complexities emerge. This is a beautifully balanced delicious wine which will age well too. Learn More

If you are into Rhone wines, this is the Aussie Shiraz for you. Medium bodied with a slightly richer texture than we were expecting based on our experience of previous vintages. Pepper, spice, earth and florals here along with smoked meats, spice and plentiful tannins. Good now with a decant, should be a ripper in 5-10 years. Learn More