Écusson Grande Cidre de Normandie Brut 750ml – $10 – ˜˜˜***

Well, I wouldn’t call it brut – medium-dry maybe. Colour of weak black tea. Softly fizzy in the mouth with a winey appley nose. Ripe autumnal flavours. A soft and rich style of cider – moreish.

Brown Brothers Prosecco Extra Dry NV – $18 – ˜˜˜***

King Valley, Victoria. A light nose of pears and peaches. The palate is clean, flavoursome and mid-dry with a hint of citrus at the finish.

Clover Hill Méthode Traditionnelle 2006 – up to $47 – ˜˜˜˜****

Pipers River, Tasmania. Chardonnay 57%, pinot noir 36%, pinot meunier 7%. Aged on lees three years. Lemon tart, porcini mushrooms and bread oven nose. Light and crisp in the mouth, multi-layered with brioche, citrus zest and new season apricots on the palate. A mouth-watering aperitif style.

Moss Wood Chardonnay 2009 – $57 – ˜˜˜˜****

Margaret River, Western Australia. Translucent pale gold. Ripe stone fruits, marmalade, and biscuity oak bouquet. Dry, full flavours of limes, nectarines, and savoury oakiness over an infrastructure of forward citric acid.

Dimension Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon NV 2 litre cask $15 – ˜˜**

Rarely do you see Coonawarra Cabernet in a cask. For a cask red this is a generous style, showing lots of blackberry type fruit and a warmth of (14.5%) alcohol. Very good value for everyday drinking. Add a bit of ice if the weather is hot.

Penfolds Rawson’s Retreat Merlot 2010 – $6.20 – ˜˜**

Mid-crimson in colour. Light oaky nose, with hints of summer berries and mocha. Smooth medium-weighted palate with lots of fruitiness. Good dinner wine.

Paul Mas Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – under $10 – ˜˜**

Pays d’Oc, France. Bright crimson, hint of purple. Warm nose of summer berries and restrained wood. Medium-weighted, dryish style with pleasing tannic astringency and more of the red berry fruit. Very good value dinner wine. I should add that sometimes these inexpensive French imports just don’t coupe le moutarde,* as the French like to say. This one definitely does. *Trans.: “trim the moustache.”

Angove Nine Vines Shiraz Viognier 2009 – up to $14 – ˜˜**

Medium ruby hues. Blackberries and some floral notes on the nose. Full-flavoured red shows blackberry conserve aspects in the mouth and soft tannins leading to a firm food-suiting finish.

Ratings

*****˜˜˜˜˜ – outstanding

****˜˜˜˜ – classy

***˜˜˜ – first-rate

**˜˜ – good stuff

* – commercial

Prices in Australian dollars.