This complex and affordable Chianti Classico is a full bodied, ripe and powerful wine made from a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, each grape contributing depth, body and balance to the wine. 

This brand was traditionally produced by a well known cooperative with over 60 different grape growers contributing to the blend but the brand has now been acquired by Tenute Piccini, which employs the highly respected consultant oenologist, Riccardo Cotarella.

THE CHIANTI CLASSICO APPELLATION

Chianti Classico is the heart of the wider Chianti production zone and its wines are distinguished by a trademarked black rooster on their labels. The wines of Chianti Classico are higher in quality and noticeably so in taste than wines labelled Chianti, which come from a broader area in Tuscany. The wines taste better because the vines are planted on hillsides with a higher degree of  iron rich soils and a greater diurnal temperature range, which provides more powerful, riper fruit flavours, which are balanced by higher acidity thanks to the cooler night time temperatures. 

The Sangiovese grape must make up 80% of all wines labelled Chianti Classico compared to 70% Sangiovese for wines labelled Chianti. 

Chianti was first defined as a wine producing sub region within Tuscany in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III, whose wanted to protect the integrity of the wines and prevent fraud. The Chianti Classico Wine Consortium was formed in 1924 with the distinctive Black Rooster trademark chosen to feature on the labels. 

Dark and delicious Spanish blend of Tempranillo (85%) and Merlot (15%) made from grapes planted at high altitudes in the village of Moradillo de Roa. The hillside vineyards give depth and ripe fruit flavours to this dry, full bodied red, which has bright fresh fruit flavours, notes of spice and a smooth soft lush texture. 

Succulent dry white modelled on the great dry whites of Bordeaux. This classic and beautifully balanced, bone dry blend contains 44 % Sauvignon Blanc, 36 % Semillon, 11 % Clairette Blanche and 9% Chenin Blanc from South Africa's Western Cape.

What the critics say...

"There is no doubt that Duncan Savage is one of the best white wine winemakers in South Africa. His track record speaks for itself. Taming Sauvignon Blanc and more so, Semillon, from cool climate sites in the Cape, has revealed the real potential of these varietals in a blend to a whole new generation of winemakers and consumers. The 2015 however, must be Duncan's most anticipated wine with the vintage lauded as possibly the best ever in SA for white wines. A Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon based blend incorporates small amounts of Clairette Blanche and Chenin Blanc this year. This slightly bigger blend perhaps explains the wines broader aromatic profile. There is still the dusty lemon and herb spice, yellow grapefruit and lime peel freshness, but also extra notes of white pear, white pepper, white crunchy peaches and green apple zest. Once again, the pithy minerality of crushed gravel underpins both the nose and palate and there's an almost German, Pfalz-like strawberries and vanilla ice cream exotism in play. The palate is bold, intense and concentrated with pithy gravelly notes balanced by massive fruit concentration and length. The vintage's sublime quality is indeed standing up to be counted! Duncan has perfectly captured the essence of 2015's greatness. But the wine remains classical, measured, restrained and fresh and finally unlocks its hallmark lemon and pineapple pastille fruit character on the long, intense finish. This is a truly grand expression, a wine that will demand its place in your cellar. Could this be Duncan's greatest white expression to date?" Drink now to 2028+ (96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

From Artigiano Imports: A more complex and lifted take on Grasparossa, 7-Bio is made from certified organic hillside vineyards, where vine age can exceed 40 years — exceptional for this vigorous variety.

The wine maintains the intensity of the Tradizione bottling but layers in more structure and refinement: blackcurrant, plum skin, wild herbs, and a fine, persistent mousse. Dry but juicy.

Awarded best wine for quality-to-price in the sparkling category by Tre Bicchieri (2025), 7-Bio shows what Lambrusco can be when taken seriously — and grown with care.

This lovely dry Sauvignon Blanc has delicious bright fruit flavours and a French-Kiwi connection as it is made in the Loire Valley, France, by a family that also owns a winery in Marlborough. 

Flavours here are remarkably aromatic on the nose with floral and fruit aromas of citrus, apple and gooseberry aromas with hints of passionfruit on the palate.

This wine is a classic example of Sauternes. A decent amount of botrytis on the nose complements the ripe fruit and honeyed aromatics. Quince and citrus on the palate are met with a touch of oaky spice and balanced acidity. Great as an aperitif or a desert wine.

A darker shade of ruby. The nose has a slightly Mediterranean character rich in spices, vivacious and charming at the same time. Forest fruits and discreet oaky notes. When tasting, it is firm, still it has velvety texture. On the palate we can discover the dominating fruity character again along with some toasty notes, which contribute to the richness of flavours in the wine. A wine full of flavours with long aftertaste. Taste it with pleasure!

Violets, spice, chocolate and damson plum saturate the nose whilst the palate is rich and opulent giving loads of dark red fruits. The tannins give the wine plenty of structure, also providing longevity for many years to come. Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Franc at its peak. Drink now until 2030.

Delicate but powerful full bodied red made from Nebbiolo grown in the mountains in north west Italy. This is a stunning wine made in small volumes and imported in even lower volumes. 

If you love Italian wines, this is a must buy.

Spanish inspired, Australian made Tempranillo from the adventurous Chaffey Bros brand. This dry Aussie red is smooth, soft textured and tastes of ripe fruit flavours of red and dark plums, stewed and dried. It's made from two vineyards in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, one of them with 70+ years of vine age, which comes through in this wine's superb concentration of flavour - older vines are thought to deliver richer flavours. 

The inspiration for La Conquista comes from Spain's most famous red wine, Rioja, which is usually a blend. This is also a blend and uses the same grapes as found in Rioja - namely, Tempranillo with Grenache and Graciano (from the cooler Eden Valley) for support. 

The wine is named after the 1811 Battle of the Barrosa in Cadíz.

One of the Wairarapa's most deliciously succulent and bone dry whites with fabulous flinty flavours. This Sauvignon Blanc benefits from complexity gained from a little time in old oak on lees. It's made with grapes grown on Martinborough's majestic Te Muna Valley where Big Sky Wines is situated on the windswept plains on alluvial soils. 

Jeremy Corban and Katherine Jacobs founded Big Sky Wines in the Te Muna Valley, Martinborough, in 2005. They have since expanded their small vineyard, which is predominantly planted in Pinot Noir and also has a little Sauvignon Blanc, which they give extra textural complexity to with a little time in old oak on lees.

The first thing you will notice is the intense aroma of this wine with notes of citrus and tropical fruits. These flavours follow through on the palate, where the wild fermentation in barrel adds great weight and texture to the wine.

Te Mata Awatea is often described as a baby Coleraine and is one of Hawke's Bay's most iconic red wines. First made in 1982 as a classic blend of Bordeaux red grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Proportions vary each year and the wine was declassified in 2012 due to a cool vintage and the need to separate the two wines, Coleraine and Awatea. Both are excellent and both deliver robust classic reds for drinking now or cellaring for the long term. Awatea delivers excellent value for money for its consistently outstanding quality, great balance of dry spicy flavours and dark fruit forward approachability. 

Te Mata Estate is Hawke's Bay's oldest winery building and one of its oldest wineries; a family owned company with an eye on producing great New Zealand wines modelled on and inspired by the world's classic great wines.

Chillable reds are a fabulous new wine trend where softer styles of red winemaking lend themselves ideally to a light chilling. This is a great example from Chaffey Bros in Australia. It is a juicy little blend of Grenache and Mourvedre, made to satisfy red and white wine drinkers alike. This is a pale red wine with bright ruby colour and flavours of bold raspberries and ripe cherries. It's made to drink lightly chilled and works a treat in the hot Australian heat, the country in which it was made. It travels well too… Buy at least a bottle to enjoy on warm days and nights.