Merlot has become popular because it offers a softness of texture while still providing ripe, plummy flavours. Wolf Blass come to the party here with an an easy drinking, fruity style of dry red.

McLaren Vale reds are known for generosity of fruit. Red Knot Cabernet, with it's cassis, dark berried characters and a lingering finish, has the added bonus of being terrific value for money.

This soft and luscious merlot from South Australia has a lovely nose of berries and dried fruit. An easy drinking fruity red with Merlot's classic supple feel. Super smooth on the finish for those who like their reds easy on the palate.

Amelia Park, although a recent player in the Margaret River Wine scene, have made an astonishing impact. Jeremy Gordon takes a hands on approach to all things at his winery and the results are for everyone to see. Already a multi award-winner, the Amelia Park Cabernet Merlot is a seamless wine that is wonderfully medium-bodied with a fine acid backbone that simply sings from beginning to end.

A typically elegant Yarra Cabernet. The nose shows cassis and blackberry aromas with subtle cedary oak and the palate has a silky mouthfeel with sweet berry flavours and a lovely lingering finish.

Leconfield's Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship of Leconfield and a classic Coonawarra Cabernet. Blackcurrant aromas are combined with cedary oak and the palate is laden with sweet berry fruit balanced by fine lingering tannins. Paul Gordon has taken this classic beauty to even greater heights in recent years as its award history can attest.

Te Mata make some sublime Bordeaux style red wines and we've been blessed in recent years with some outstanding vintages. This years release has wonderful floral aromas with intense blackberry, currant and dark plum flavours lead to a rich supple palate with a sustained finish.

TE MATA ESTATE Coleraine. Cepage may include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

A cherry bon-bon on the nose, Estate Vineyards Gamay Noir entices with fresh raspberry, juicy strawberry and sweet, red, toffee-apple. Cherry-red with a vibrant purple edge, gamays soft tannins give the palate moreish balance and weight. Flecks of aniseed and baking spices run through to the long finish. Delicious with depth, sippable with substance, has character and charm, as well as oodles of red fruit freshness and immediate appeal. 'Delightfully refreshing red, with crisp flavours of strawberry, violet, raspberry, cherry and a bit of rosemary. Lighter in body and tannin, it's dry with a pleasant, crisp finish.' - Darren Oleksyn, Calgary Herald, April 2018

Church Road is one of the oldest wineries in New Zealand. Led by legendary winemaker Tom McDonald, they were one of the first to craft exceptional Bordeaux-style red wine in Hawkes Bay. Today, they still maintain Toms vision of quality and craft in all the wines they make. Church Roads commitment to centuries-old winemaking techniques using French oak wine vats and French oak barriques remains undiminished. The winery is celebrating Tom McDonalds vision and legacy with the Church Road McDonald Series, complex, textural wines that are a fitting tribute to a legend whose influence is still felt today. This is a serious, multidimensional Merlot. The heart of this wine is its dense, brooding plum and dark berry fruit. This is complimented by lifted aromas reminiscent of roses, cedar, sandalwood and warm spice, while the oak delivers underlying dark chocolate and savoury notes. The palate is rich, weighty and long driven by a firm yet fine-grained tannin structure.