James Halliday's top 20 red wines under $40

Below you'll find James Halliday's top 20 red wines under $40. The 20 wines span pinot noir, shiraz and blends, grenache and blends, cabernet sauvignon and blends, and other reds like sangiovese, barbera, touriga nacional, mourvèdre, and mencía.

2022 Castle Rock Estate Porongurup Pinot Noir

This puts Castle Rock into the top echelon with those cool-climate regions in eastern Australia. The colour is superb, the bouquet and mouth-filling palate a symphony of strawberry and red cherry fruits, spices of every hue, and a peacock’s tail opening on the finish and aftertaste.
97 points | $40 | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2033 | Halliday profile | Castle Rock Estate

2022 Sidewood Estate Adelaide Hills Shiraz

Fashioned from 12 different, estate-grown clones, fermented in small batches and matured for 18 months in French oak (30% new). Black cherries are at the centre of this beautifully poised wine. It’s first class and at a derisory low price.
96 points | $26 | 14% alc. | Drink to 2042 | Halliday profile | Sidewood

2022 Paul Osicka Osicka Selection Heathcote Shiraz

The fruit for this full-bodied, black-fruited shiraz comes from different soils: red Cambrian or decomposed granite. It’s a no-nonsense wine, the drive as straight as a die, a touch sharpish now, but the overall balance gives confidence for the years to come.
95 points | $28 | 14.5% alc. | Drink to 2033 | Halliday profile | Paul Osicka Wines

2022 Syrahmi Demi Shiraz

This is a totally beautiful wine, as fresh as a spring day. It points the way for newcomers, be they winemakers or consumers. There’s nothing demi here, nothing left undone, nor overdone. There’s just enough edge to the pepper and the posy of fruits.
96 points | $33 | 13.2% alc. | Drink to 2032 | Halliday profile | Syrahmi

2021 Lake Breeze Bernoota Langhorne Creek Shiraz Cabernet

A 60/40% blend ex-40-year-old vines, the 2021 vintage playing its part. Open fermented for eight to 10 days, finished in American oak; matured for 20 months in American and French barriques. The wine is a flood of dark fruit pulsating through to the finish.
94 points | $22 | 14.5% alc. | Drink to 2031 | Halliday profile | Lake Breeze

2022 Chapel Hill The MV Bush Vine McLaren Vale Grenache

An evocative, indeed perfumed wine that speaks in a loud voice of its place in the world of grenache. One of the leaders in the bush-vine grenache game; this is a fragrant and superbly balanced wine, a melting pot of all things red.
96 points | $33 | 14% alc. | Drink to 2037 | Halliday profile | Chapel Hill

2022 Head Old Vine Barossa Grenache

Hand picked from 80-year-old Krondorf and 163-year-old Springton vines; foot-trodden, hand-plunged, matured in large-format oak. The bouquet is fragrant, with exotic spices showing the way, the palate juicy, laden with purple fruits. Silky tannins simply add to the flavour.
96 points | $40 | 14.5% alc. | Drink to 2029 | Halliday profile | HEAD Wines

2021 Chapel Hill The Parson McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre

Wow. Isn’t this a bargain? It’s juicy, it’s silky, it’s beautifully balanced. It’s so fresh on the finish. All three varieties have their say; it’s a house special, so watch for the 2022.
94 points | $18 | 14% alc. | Drink to 2031 | Halliday profile | Chapel Hill

2021 Charles Melton La Belle Mère Barossa GSM

A delicious rendition of a style that has blossomed over the past 10 to 20 years, here gaining an extra degree in an excellent vintage. Winemaker Charlie Melton has been a leader of the pack from the start and intends to keep it there.
96 points | $32 | 14.5% alc. | Drink to 2025 | Halliday profile | Charles Melton Wines

2021 Fraser Gallop Estate Wilyabrup Margaret River Cabernet Merlot

A hand-picked 59/28% blend (with small amounts of cabernet franc and petit verdot) of destemmed, whole berries, 10 to 14 days on skins; matured for nine months in used French barriques. It’s succulent and juicy, awash with cassis, soft tannins quietly holding the wine’s shape.
94 points | $30 | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2030 | Halliday profile | Fraser Gallop Estate

2021 Mike Press Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Estate-grown mature vines, a very good vintage, and the 25-year track record of Press come together to produce wines at rock-bottom prices. Here cassis and black cherry fruit, and integrated oak ex-18 months in French and American oak all glide along the palate.
92 points | $16 | 14.2% alc. | Drink to 2030 | Halliday profile | Mike Press Wines

2022 Forest Hill Vineyard Mount Barker Cabernet Sauvignon

This enchanting cabernet has been produced from a blend of sites on the estate vineyard, including a planting from 1975. It has a flawlessly rich palate with abundant blackcurrant fruit embraced by integrated French oak and ripe tannins.
96 points | $35 | 14% alc. | Drink to 2047 | Halliday profile | Forest Hill Vineyard

2021 Singlefile Single Vineyard Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon

Picked mid-April; cold soaked three days; post-ferment 14 days on skins; matured in French barriques (30% new, balance one to two years old). A high-quality wine at this price, everything in balance: cassis and a dressing of fine tannins.
96 points | $40 | 14.2% alc. | Drink to 2041 | Halliday profile | Singlefile Wines

2021 Bleasdale Vineyards Frank Potts Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec Petit Verdot Merlot Cabernet Franc

This is a 68/17/8/6/1% blend. A very complex wine that has no need of time, thanks to its balance, texture and length. It is an outstanding achievement and offers equally exceptional value for money.
97 points | $35 | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2041 | Halliday profile | Bleasdale Vineyards

2022 Pizzini Pietra Rossa King Valley Sangiovese

From three estate blocks; a warm ferment extracts colour and softens tannins; matured for 14 months in used Troncais oak. It is an irresistible sangiovese, with an ethereal play of sour through to crystallised cherry and Turkish delight; lingers long on the lips.
95 points | $29 | 13.8% alc. | Drink to 2030 | Halliday profile | Pizzini

2022 Ravensworth Regional Sangiovese

Don’t be put off by the light (and clear) colour, just revel in the perfumed red berries and flowers, and the mouth-watering, lipsmacking tension of the palate and incredibly long finish and aftertaste.
95 points | $32 | 13% alc. | Drink to 2032 | Halliday profile | Ravensworth

2022 Fighting Gully Road Beechworth Sangiovese

Includes 5% colorino, an old Chianti variety. The wine spent 28 days on skins, then matured in Italian-coopered large casks. Bright, clear crimson colour; it has a delicious sour cherry, raspberry and black pepper blend, the palate harmonious, juicy, and as fresh as a daisy.
96 points | $35 | 13.5% alc. | Drink to 2032 | Halliday profile | Fighting Gully Road

2021 Mordrelle Basket Press Langhorne Creek Barbera

Barbera is widely planted in Piedmont, but only has a toehold in Australia. Deep but bright crimson-purple hue. Comes from a single block. The expressive bouquet of dark berries and violets heralds a sumptuous, velvety and utterly satisfying palate, the finish and aftertaste fresh and alive.
96 points | $38 | 14% alc. | Drink to 2041 | Halliday profile | Mordrelle Wines

2022 DogRock Grampians Pyrenees Touriga Nacional

Harvested mid-April after a perfect lead-up to vintage, the only addition a touch of estate shiraz to bolster the mid-palate. The brilliant crimson hue tells its own tale of a fresh, spicy, red-berried light- to medium-bodied palate.
94 points | $30 | 12.5% alc. | Drink to 2027 | Halliday profile | DOGROCK

2023 Varney Mencia

A variety on the rise in Spain and Portugal. Bright colour; a haunting herbal/dark cupboard bouquet is swiftly dealt with by the medium- to full-bodied palate anchored by dusty tannins, and that Varney touch of freshness on the finish.
95 points | $36 | 13.7% alc. | Drink to 2038 | Halliday profile | Varney Wines

See the complete list of Top 100 wines.

James Halliday’s Top 100 features in The Weekend Australian Magazine.

Some wines in this year's selection also feature on this site with notes by other Tasting Team members – as reviewed for Halliday Wine Companion.