In 1991, Tahbilk husband and wife team of winemaker Alister Purbrick and artist Rosa Dal Farra decided to combine their talents to produce a range of alternative varietal wines showcased under Rosas boldest art works. Now widely known and made, these varieties validate the foresight Tahbilk had.

Upon much deliberation, our overall masked winner revealed a style and character that provided us with a fairly clear cut insight into the modern day advances of a region etched in history and tradition. Cosme Palacio consistently produces one of our favourite Riojas that always offers incredible value for money. Produced predominantly from Tempranillo grown in cool, relatively high altitude sites, this is modern Rioja that's bright and ready to go thanks to a touch of bottle age. It's medium bodied with fine tannins and juicy in the mouth. Black fruits dominate the flavour profile with some delicate cedar and earthy notes adding complexity to a delicious example from this much loved region.

This excellent Shiraz Grenache Tempranillo is a complex and vibrant wine displaying a deep crimson hue. The bouquet exhibits savoury and ripe berry fruit fragrances, while the rich and full flavoured palate ends in a textural tannin finish.

Sancho Garces pays homage to King Sancho Garcés III el Mayor, king of the Kingdom of Pamplona between 1004 and 1035, who promoted the pilgrimage route of the Camino of Santiago, or Way of St. James, and built hospitals and lodging. Sancho Garces presents aromas of fresh fruit and liquorice. Soft tannins, very well-balanced and easy-drinking.

An authentic style of Tempranillo with well resolved tannins and great length of flavour. Some new American oak maturation has imparted a rich toasty vanillin oak note to balance the spicy cherry fruit and earthy flavours of the variety.

A great opportunity to try a Rose made from 100% hand-picked Tempranillo grapes from the heart of the Rioja Alta. The wine is fermented and aged for 5 months in French Oak Barrels, giving an exciting complexity and a nice body with unusual aromas that include red fruits like strawberry, raspberry, cherry and smoky notes as well as spices typical from French oak.In mouth it has a rich texture, it's rounded, with excellent acidity, structure and flavour leaving a long finish. All these qualities will improve with a period of bottle-ageing, so if you like saving your bottle for later, this is also your kind of wine.

Medium-bodied with seductive flavours of blueberries, cherries and dark plums. The French oak maturation provides subtle savoury, spice characters with a pleasing soft and silky texture to the mid palate. A long, persistent finish makes this a great wine for Spanish or games dishes.

Spain continues to inspire Australia with wines of character, tradition and freshness. These characters plus a little bit of passion and beauty can be tasted in this ripping Vino Tinto from Bodegas Borsao. Made from Tempranillo sourced from vineyards in northern Spain that have been producing quality Tempranillo for generations, this flavoursome red shows delicious cherry and plum flavours and it ideally matched with red meats and hard cheeses.