Trent scored this wine: 90/100

Sangiovese from Australia with an eclectic label? Yes, and, if you try this, you may look for more of this grape from Oz. Here it is blended with a little Lagrein, which is a little known grape originally from the Trento-Alto Adige region in Italy. Full bodied and richly seasoned with dried fruits like prune and raisin, but it still has cedary dark plum, red currant, and cranberry as well. Grilled Italian sausage with lentils or shredded beef pappardelle with generous amounts of parmesan would be well matched. 4 stars out of 5

Trent scored this wine: 88/100

Washington state continues to impress with extremely good reds, especially from the Horse Heaven Hills region. Merlot is often overlooked in favour of the more popular varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon, but this one deserves your attention. It’s a big wine showing blackberry, cassis, blueberry, plum, and sweet coconut vanilla tinged with caramel and smoke. It would work well with steak or grilled sausage with mushrooms and BBQ sauce. 3.5 stars out of 5

Trent scored this wine: 90/100

If you ask about old vines in the wine world, all will all agree that they produce superior fruit that makes better-quality wine. Here we have an example from South West France. A blend with beautifully deep flavours, but dry, with full on sweet dried strawberry, blackberry, plum, cigar box, vanilla, and incense with a lingering finish. The robust nature allows it to go with equally robust foods like lamb, chorizo, or empanadas. 4 stars out of 5

Trent scored this wine: 91/100

An Australian Shiraz that will surprise you. From the cooler climate Adelaide Hills region, this is a leaner version that is reminiscent of a Northern Rhone Syrah from France. It’s a deeply coloured, dry, and intensely fruited blend of dark plum, berry jam, black and white pepper, smoked meat, and forest floor. This is an excellent take on Shiraz (Syrah) that begs for a rack of lamb dinner or hearty stew. 4+ stars out of 5

Trent scored this wine: 90/100

This lighter bodied red from Sicily will do the trick if you are looking for a versatile, food friendly red for your weekend dinner. The vineyards are on the volcanic soil on the slopes of Mount Etna and the grapes used are native to Sicily: Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. The resulting wine is firmly in the red fruit territory with tart red cherry and plum with some earth in the background. It reminds me more than a little of a Pinot Noir. Serve it with any of pasta dish with tomato sauce (rigatoni with braised pork is highly recommended). 4 stars out of 5