Rockridge wines from the Clare Valley. Not a label I was intimately familiar with and the website is, like a good Clare Valley Riesling, quite austere. Let the wines speak for themselves, eh?

Rockridge Shiraz, Clare Valley, 2013

Dense inky purple. Plush plum jam, nice sprinkle of white pepper. Crushed ants and choc/mint freshness. Full weight, sandy tannin structure and plenty of plummy fruit. A little heat from the alcohol with a sweet raspberry finish. Basic and gets you there, like a good Toyota Corolla.

RRP: $14.99

Alc: 14.5%

Rockridge, Cellar Selection Shiraz, Clare Valley, 2013

Sourced from single vineyard “Rock Ridge,” giving rise to the label name. Opaque and bruise purple. Like the little brother: plenty of sweet plum flesh and skin, crushed ants and choc/mint, but with more depth and an earthy sweet rhubarb. Big and brash, with full drying tannins. Plums and dark raspberry sweet fruit fall away to savoury gritty finish. All structure and oaky wood for the moment, needs a bit of time.

RRP: $17.99

Alc: 15%

Wines samples courtesy of Rockridge Wines