Red Wine Champions – Under $60

Red Wine Champions – Under $60, a premium collection of award-winning red wines offering outstanding value. Carefully selected from acclaimed wineries, each bottle has earned recognition for its quality, craftsmanship, and remarkable flavour—all for under $60 per bottle. From rich, full-bodied reds to smooth, elegant styles, this collection is perfect for entertaining, gifting, or stocking your cellar with proven favourites that overdeliver on value.

1 x Plantagenet "Aquitaine" Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 - Mt. Barker, Western Australia

94/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
93/100 Wine Pilot
Bronze - Mike Bennie, Halliday Wne Companion

5 Stars Winery - James Halliday

Ray Jordan, Wine Pilot "Deep dark secrets are lurking in this polished and impressive Cabernet. It was a vintage of challenges after a good start. Some late rain came via the end of a cyclone but those with courage to hold on were rewarded as the warm weather returned. Dark chocolate, blackcurrant and black olive all find their way into a complex aromatic mix. Tannins are firm and ripe, adding structure to the core, while the oak has been lapped up by the powerful fruit intensity."

Mike Bennie, Halliday Wne Companion "Scents of sea spray, dark choc-berry, bay leaf and cold fireplace. Flavours show dark choc-berry character, smoky spice, tobacco, a touch of licorice and salt bush."

James Suckling "A tasty cabernet that has subtle spice undertones to the fruit. Notes of currants, blueberries, nutmeg and orange peel follow through to a full-bodied, fleshy and juicy palate with ripe tannins."

James Suckling "This has attractive aromas of tobacco, black cherries, nutmeg and chocolate orange, with a dash of vanilla. Ripe and creamy, with a medium to full body and polished tannins. Delicious spice and citrus-zest notes on the long finish."

Western Australian winery, Plantagenent is acclaimed internationally for its consistently highly-awarded, quality wines produced from its five vineyards located in the cool climate region of the Great Southern. It is known for its highly aromatic riesling, tangy citrus-tinged chardonnay, exceptional Rhône-style shiraz and suberb cabernet sauvignon. The five estate vineyards are overseen by Chief Viticulturist Jordan Ellis whose philosophy is sustainability and remaining true to the terroir of the region.

The Real Review "Plantegent is a pioneer of the Great Southern region of Western Australia with vineyards first planted in 1986 and the first commercial winery established in the region. Celebrated for its rich heritage, the winery is owned the Lionel Samson family, the oldest family owned business in Western Australia established in Fremantle in 1829. Plantaganet has five vineyards in the Mount Barker sub region each with the unique characteristics, ancient soils and a cool maritime climate cretaing expressive wines of provenance, quality & prestige. "

James Halliday, Halliday Australian Wine Companion "Plantagenet has honed its flagship varieties into a distinct Great Southern wine style; a depth of lively flavour, seamless elegance and natural purity"

The Great Southern is emerging as a wine region of international significance and reputation. It is the largest wine growing region in Australia and is the second largest producer of grapes in Western Australia. It is a landscape of forested cliffs and resplendent mountain ranges, grazing pastures and towns steeped in history. The regional climate ranges from the coastal, maritime subregions of Albany and Denmark to the inland, continental subregions of Mount Barker, Porongurup and Frankland River. The predominant soils are similar to those of the Margaret River region - either lateritic gravelly sandy loams (marri country) or sandy loams deriving directly from granite and gneissic bedrocks. Near perfect conditions for grape growing has lured some of the most creative and talented winemakers to call this land their home and become part of its ancient story.

The region is known for commitment to be sustainable, and organic, and is attracting some of Australia’s best winemakers. In 2023 the region dominated the Halliday Wine Companion Awards with its Top Rated 2023 Rieslings winning 10 of the top 40 awards. Other varietals from the region also received exceptional ratings of 97, 96 & 95 points.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.

1 x Clos des Centenaires Grenache Vielles Vignes (Old Vines) Red (Organic) 2019 - Southern Rhône, France

15.5/20 La Revue du Vin de France

The Winemaker "Notes of raspberry, sweet spices and dry flowers. The palate is round and soft with a full bodied and smooth finish."

100% Grenache

Clos des Centenaires was founded Luc Baudet of Chateau Mas-Neuf fame, and Californian wine industry veteran, Jack Edwards who both share a passion for artisan wines and the terroir of France’s Southern Rhone.

Clos des Centenaires is a historic vineyard situated in Costieres de Nimes, close to the Mediterranean Sea. The vineyard boasts 70-year-old Grenache vines which are deeply rooted in the pebble stones overlooking the picturesque lakes of Petite Camargue. The vineyard also features Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, and Cinsault, and is known for producing unique, high-end, elegant wines of excellent value.

The vineyard soils are cultivated amongst natural grassland using shallow tillage methods and special attention is paid to the revitalization of vines (using annually prepared biodynamic compost). Inputs are limited to organically approved natural products.

Costieres de Nimes is the most southerly appellation of the Rhone wine region in southeastern France. The wines of the area are reputed to have been consumed by the Ancient Greeks and thus figure among the oldest known wines in the world. The Costieres de Nimes AOC covers an area between the towns of Nimes and Arles.

The Rhone Valley is one of France's key wine regions, and is divided neatly by a gap of about 25 miles (40km). Wines from the northern part of the valley tend to be Syrah-dominant (Hermitage and Cote Rotie being the most notable examples), while wines from the southern Rhone are more commonly blends, with Grenache playing a more dominant role. Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous example of a southern Rhone blend, but similar blends are found in wines from Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the regional Cotes du Rhone title.

Grenache is a red-wine grape grown extensively in France, Spain, Australia and the United States and is one of the most widely distributed grapes in the world. Grenache is the French name for the grape, but it has a number of synonyms. In Spain, where it is one of the country's flagship varieties, it is known as Garnacha, and on the island of Sardinia it has been known for centuries as Cannonau. In France, Grenache is most widely planted in the southern Rhone Valley and throughout both Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. It is most commonly found alongside Syrah and Mourvedre in the classic Southern Rhone Blend (notably in Cotes du Rhone wines), and is the main grape variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

1 x McHenry Hohnen Hazel's Vineyard BDX 2020 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia

94/100 The Wine Front
93/100 Erin Larkin (Halliday's Wine Companion)
93/100 Stuart Knox (The Real Review)
92/100 Decanter World Wine Awards
91/100 Wine Enthusiast

5 Star Winery - James Halliday

Halliday's Wine Companion Awards 2023 - Top Wineries of 2022 & 2023

53/37/10% malbec/cabernet sauvignon/petit verdot

Halliday Wine Companion, Erin Larkin "The malbec brings the purple fruit and the spice, the cabernet is responsible for the structure in the mouth, the supple tannins and the flash of pure cassis in the mouth. The petit verdot brings the violet, the depth and the darkness. All of it coming together in magnificent fashion in the glass. Very smart."

The Real Review, Stuart Knox "Almost opaque at the core, moving into a deep ruby-red at the rim. Mulberry, cedar wood and mint aromatics. Dark fruits fill the palate, then tangential lines of choc-mint and bresaola bring contrast and savoury complexity to the experience. It sits bold with equally drying tannins, making you take notice of its presence."

Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen, and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focus on crafting site expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.

Margaret River is one of the best known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined cabernet sauvignon and intensely citrusy chardonnay varieties, the region now produces high quality Semillon-Sauvignon blends and Shiraz.

Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.

A Bordeaux Blend is any combination of those grape varieties typically used to make the red wines of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon is widely accepted as a compulsory component of any Bordeaux Blend along with Merlot. In fact, the majority of Bordeaux Blend wines are often made exclusively from a blend of these two varieties. The remaining components are Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

1 x Corymbia Tempranillo Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon (Organic) 2016 - Swan Valley, Western Australia

95/100 Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
92/100 Wine Advocate

Organic

Mike Bernie (The Wine Front) "It is pitch-perfect, medium weight, highly perfumed, and shaped with beautifully ripe tannins. It’s delicious, but there is also a sense of detail and interest. The wine offers layers of red and blue fruits in perfume and palate, underpinned by savouriness."

Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate) "...it's a fruit-forward, mouthwatering bowl of mixed berries, including hints of blueberry, mulberry and raspberry. Yet while this medium to the full-bodied effort is open and soft, it's not unstructured, showing a core of resilient, ripe tannins and a long, juicy finish."

The Winemaker "A beautifully expressive aroma of Satsuma plums, black olives, rosewater and with a hint of aniseed. The wine tastes fresh and lively of pomegranate, cocoa, maraschino cherries and is complimented by Tempranillo’s characteristic coal dust tannin structure."

Gourmet Traveller Wine "The wines under the Corymbia label have been outstanding."

58% Tempranillo, 30% Malbec and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon

Gourmet Traveller Wine "Corymbia is one of the most exciting wine projects to emerge from Western Australia in a decade. The combination of a distinguished winemaking family, the reinvention of a much-maligned wine region, the unlocking of the potential of a mature vineyard and a general sense of creativity, have all contributed to a strong currency.

Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.Certified organic wines have been certified by Australian Certified Organic Standard (ACOS). 

Corymbia is the newish project of Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann family, of course, are generational wine producers in WA, with a history of iconic wines and vineyards. Rob, formerly working with Hardys, Cape Mentelle and Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley, has returned home and made a mark.

The family vineyard in Swan Valley is dry grown and organically farmed. While winemaking draws on the Manns’ suite of expertise and diversity of influences, it has been pared back for Corymbia, letting the fruit and character of the wines take the spotlight.

That Swan Valley has been put on a pedestal is wonderful, and a celebration of older vineyards, unique soil profile and a general sense of generational endeavor is exciting for the region. There’s an undercurrent of winemakers amplifying the region’s potential, but arguably Corymbia is the current totem."

Huon Hooke "The Mann family are winemaking royalty in Western Australia."

Corymbia is a new winery launched by one of the founding families of Western Australian wine. The Manns have grown grapes and made wine in the Swan Valley, Western Australia's oldest wine-growing region for over a century. Corymbia wines are critically acclaimed, organically-farmed, single-vineyard wines. Founder, Rob Mann is considered one of Australia's best contemporary winemakers. He was the senior winemaker at Hardy’s Tintara, and Cape Mentelle, where during his ten-year tenure the winery was twice awarded 'Australia's Producer of the Year' and Rob 'Australian Winemaker of the Year'. Prior to founding Corymbia he was Senior Winemaker at LVMH’s Newton Vineyard in the Napa Valley.

Swan Valley is a sub-region of the Swan District wine region just north of Perth, in Western Australia. The Swan District is Western Australia’s oldest wine region, having been planted by English settlers soon after their arrival in 1829. For almost 150 years it was the only significant wine-producing region in Western Australia and today it's also home to the state's largest winery. Some of Western Australia's finest wines are produced in the Swan Valley.

1 x Rocca delle Macie Chianti Classico Riserva Famiglia Zingarelli 2020 - Tuscany, Italy

93/100 Wine Spectator
92/100 Raffaele Vecchione, Wine Critics
92/100 Bacchus Magazine

Silver - Mundus Vini
Silver - London Wine Competition
Bronze - Decanter

Raffaele Vecchione, Wine Critics "Dark in the sensory profile showing notes of black prunes, blackberries, black tea leaves, chinotto and bergamot. Full bodied, soft tannins and a finale of medium smoothness."

Bacchus Magazine "This Chianti Classico Riserva is truly remarkable! For over 40 years, the Zingarelli family has been dedicated to crafting superb wines, paying meticulous attention to their vineyards and championing the Chianti Classico DOC. Founded in 1973 by the renowned Italian film producer Italo Zingarelli, Rocca delle Macìe is now managed by Italo’s son, Sergio, his wife Daniela, and their two children.To earn the "Riserva" designation, this wine must age in oak barrels for two years before resting in bottle for a minimum of six months prior to release. The result is a rich, intense, full-bodied, and complex Chianti Classico, exuding aromas of cherries, plums, blackcurrants, and spices, enhanced by woody notes. It is robust, long, and elegant on the palate, perfectly balanced and brimming with delightful freshness."

Wine Enthusiast "An almost fiery nose has black pepper, grilled meat, hot tar and graphite, with earthy notes of mushroom and wet leaves underneath. Black cherry and plum sit on top of dark chocolate on the palate, where a bite of astringency from orange pith lifts up the finish."

The Chianti region in Italy's Tuscany wine growing region is split between Chianti and Chianti Classico. Accordingly, two separate DOCG designations apply to wines from the Chianti region: the Chianti Classico DOCG for the heartland of Chianti, and Chianti DOCG for all other Chianti regions. (In 1984, the Chianti region was promoted from DOC to DOCG - Italy’s highest classification - and in 1996, Chianti Classico - the historic heartland of the region - DOCG was created, which gave autonomy to that region. In the last 20 years, a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.” The typical Chianti Classico wine is a ruby-red, Sangiovese-based wine with aromas of violets and cherries and a hint of earthy spice.

The Chianti DOCG designation covers wines from six Chianti sub-zones (Colli Pisane, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Montalbano and Rufina) as well as all other Chianti wines. The Chianti Classico DOCG is located in the very center of Tuscany, between Florence and Sienna."
"Tuscany is Italy's third most planted region (behind Sicily and Apulia) but it is eighth in terms of output, reflecting both the poor soil of Tuscany and deliberate efforts to limit yields and increase the quality in the wine. After Piedmont and the Veneto, Tuscany produces the third-highest volume of DOC/DOCG wines. More than 80% of the regions' production is in red wine, with the Sangiovese grape being Tuscany's' most prominent grape. Trebbiano is the leading white variety of the region.

The history of viticulture in Tuscany dates back to the Etruscans in the 8th century BC. From the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, monasteries were the main purveyors of wines in the region. As the aristocratic and merchant classes emerged, they inherited the share-cropping system of agriculture known as mezzadria. Many Tuscan landowners would turn their half of the grape harvest into wine that would be sold to merchants in Florence. Following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Tuscany returned to the rule of the Habsburgs. Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscan are Tuscany’s best known wines.

Sangiovese (or Nielluccio in Corsica), a dark-berried vine, is the most widely planted grape variety in Italy. Virtually synonymous with the red wines of Tuscany, and all the romanticism that goes with the territory, Sangiovese is the core constituent in some of the great names in Italian wine. Italy's love affair with Sangiovese – and indeed the world's – is generations old, though recent grapevine research suggests the variety is not as ancient as once thought.

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.

1 x Mas de Lavail Ego 2021 - Côtes Catalanes, France

91/100 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (2014 vintage)
17/20 Humburg Wine Side (2014 vintage)

2 Stars - Le Guide Hachette des Vins

Organic

Le Guide Hachette des Vins 2023 "With its deep, intense, purple color with black reflections, this wine imposes it from the outset. On the nose, it declines no less sustained aromas of black fruits, chocolate and Zan. An intensity extended by a creamy, smooth, rising and very elegant mouth, endowed with silky tannins and a long spicy finish. Already tasty, this dry maury is far from revealing everything".

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate "...a plush, creamy-textured marriage of cherries and chocolate. It's ripe, rich and warm but not inelegant, with a long, satisfying finish." (2014 vintage)

Humburg Wine Side "Pickled fruit, nutty and rosy. A lot of sun in the stomach with light barrique notes." (2014 vintage)

100% Grenache Noir

Organic wines are made from grapes grown without pesticides, following strict organic standards. Organic wines are produced in vineyards that do not use synthetic chemicals.

Mas de Lavail is a family-owned estate in the heart of the Maury Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, one of the oldest Appellations in the area of Roussillon, which was designated in 1936. The winery, Mas de Lavail was founded in 1999 with the purchase of the property by the Batlle family. The estate is situated in the heart of the MAURY Appellation, surrounded by the two ranges of the Corbières, on clay-limestone soil.

Part of their land stretches beneath the Cathar castle of Quéribus, resting on black schist soils. The name "Maury" derives from these black lands, known for their unique ability to retain the Sun's heat and release it to the vines during the cooler evenings. As a result, the Grenache and Carignan grapes show the estate's devotion to their terroir and winemaking craft which is evident in the exceptional wines they produce.

Organic agricultural practices are now at the forefront of the wine-growing approach to achieve full organic certification, alongside the preservation of existing biodiversity. Clearly, Grenache is the star here, as per the requirement of the Maury and newly designated Maury Sec AOCs, however, Syrah and Carignan (both Blanc and Noir) are far from just supporting acts, in fact producing stunning examples. Cropping is averaged at 29 HL per hectare across the domain, with the estate ranges at far less, and production levels of less than 10,000 cases annually point to grapes with exceptional concentration.

Maury is a small wine-producing village located in the Roussillon region of southern France. It is renowned for its sweet, fortified wines known as ""Vin Doux Naturel"" (VDN), which are made using the Grenache grape variety. Maury wines are often compared to the better-known Muscat-based VDNs from the nearby regions of Rivesaltes and Banyuls. Maury is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) and almost all wines are red, made from at least 75% Grenache noir (Garnacha). Other permitted grapes are Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Macabeu (Macabeo), Malvoisie du Roussillon (Tourbat), Syrah, Muscat and other local varieties. Although the grapes are different, they are used and marketed very much like port. It is made in the communes of Maury, Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, Lesquerde, Tautavel and Rasiguères. The AOC was granted in 1936.[3][4][5]

Maury is a ""vin doux naturel"" style created by adding fortifying spirits, such as brandy, to the wine in mid-fermentation. This halts the activities of the wine yeast leaving the wine with ""natural"" residual sugars. Maury is vinified in a manner similar to port, but initial aging is often conducted in large 25 liter glass jugs known as bonbonnes, les dames jeannes or demi-johns. The wines may also be aged in wood for up to 15 years. The resulting wines vary in depth and concentration.

Grenache is a red-wine grape grown extensively in France, Spain, Australia and the United States and is one of the most widely distributed grapes in the world. Grenache is the French name for the grape, but it has a number of synonyms. In Spain, where it is one of the country's flagship varieties, it is known as Garnacha, and on the island of Sardinia it has been known for centuries as Cannonau. In France, Grenache is most widely planted in the southern Rhone Valley and throughout both Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon. It is most commonly found alongside Syrah and Mourvedre in the classic Southern Rhone Blend (notably in Cotes du Rhone wines), and is the main grape variety in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.