This is now the third iteration of this pack — and after the incredible response last year, we couldn’t resist bringing it back. Once again, we’ve had a heap of fun scanning the vinous landscape both here and abroad, shining a light on the very bright future of this ever-evolving industry.

As the name suggests, it’s all about celebrating the next generation of winemakers making their mark on the world of wine. Some have already earned their stripes at established family estates before stepping out on their own — breaking free to craft wines on their own terms. Others have returned to their roots after years abroad or interstate, bringing with them fresh ideas, new techniques, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Many have simply been swept up in the magic of winemaking — quitting day jobs, taking risks, and diving headfirst into a life among the vines. The results speak for themselves: expressive, individual, and utterly compelling wines that are a joy to drink.

The roster of talent (some young and some not so young) that just keeps growing, and while this pack highlights some of the names we’re most excited about, it barely scratches the surface of the next wave of winemakers rewriting the story of modern wine.

Enjoy!

PHIL & SARAH LEHMAN

SPECIAL VALUE - Pale in the glass with a flash of green and aromas of freshly squeezed lime, Bickford's lime cordial, green apple and grapefruit. Hints of mineral salts, Christmas lily, orange blossom, crushed quartz, clover, makrut lime, lemongrass and fresh lemon zest. Precise and mouth-wateringly sapid, it cuts a limey path across the palate with a gentle ache of umami and the most lovely minerally cadence. Great drinking. (95) DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion

Touched lightly, infused with prettiness, lemon and lime blossom, star jasmine, rubbed lavender note, pomelo, crushed slate with its flinty high tones, cool blanket of flavour, soft yet focused, with mint and ever so gentle texture dusted with almond meal in a stream of pure fruit. No rough edges, no worries, a beautiful wine with drive, youthful energy and a spring in its step. (94) KASIA SOBIESIAK, The Wine Front

Max & Me is a boutique wine label founded by Phil and Sarah Lehmann, located on their rugged and elevated Boongarrie Estate in the Eden Valley, Barossa Ranges. Phil Lehmann, hailing from a winemaking heritage (Peter Lehmans son) and refined by stints in Napa Valley, Burgundy and Stellenbosch, teams with Sarah (a former professional dancer turned viticulturalist) to craft small-batch, terroir-driven wines with minimal intervention. 

MATT KEOGHAN

This label was created as a means of helping out friends and family on a somewhat "profit share" model. The current state of the industry is quite dire and the worst hit are the primary producers or growers. Therefore we are helping make wines from some of our mates vineyards to recover what would have been dropped crops, as big companies are backing out of contracts with small growers all across South Australia. This also gives us an opportunity to play with some varieties and styles delivering wines at extremely affordable.

Matt was also assistant manager at the store for some time and we have always kept a close eye on him as traverses the ups and downs of a dynamic wine industry that is known for throwing curve-ball after curve-ball. Kudos to you Matt.

WALDO SMIT

Excellent flavour up front and then a long, dry finish. This is an easy wine to like, and to continue on with. Pineapple, pears, grapes, rust and spice notes before a dry, stoney close. Great value. Great style. Great drinking. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

A slightyly plusher yet still authentic version of Vermentino with a bit of Aussie generosity and flair. It has richness of fruit but blanced with crisp acidity, a subtle mineral streak and a little salty twang. Aged six to eight months on lees and handled oxidatively, it stays dry and lively, delivering something fresh, intriguing, and with real character.

Muto Wines is a family-run venture from the Smit family based in Tallarook, Victoria. With a name derived from the Latin muto (“to change”), the project centres on Mediterranean grape varieties grown in alternative Australian sites, minimal intervention winemaking, and sustainability front of mind. They source fruit from warm-climate regions (like the Murray-Darling) and aim for purity, texture and drinkability in every bottle. 

JORGE NAVASCUES

A fresh, gastronomic macabeo with lemon peel, pomelo and apple skin. Textured and quite bone dry, with a medium body, medium acidity and a fresh, pithy finish. Drink now. ZEKUN SHUAI, JamesSuckling.com

The 2022 Cutio Macabeo has more ripeness from the warm year, but the acidity and freshness were surprisingly high. This year, the white was completely unoaked. It was produced with grapes from Almonacid and matured in concrete with lees that were not stirred until bottling, for some 20 months. It has 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.2 and 6.4 grams of acidity. It's clean and precise with very good freshness, coming through as balanced and tasty, elegant and with a sapid, almost salty finish, with no room for sweetness at all. 12,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2024. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

Navascues is a family of winemakers in Aragón, Spain, led by Jorge Navascués and his father, Jesús Navascués. They are renowned for working with the Garnacha grape in the Cariñena region in particular but are leading a revolution reviving incredible old vineyards and nearly lost sites in Aragon. Blending traditional winemaking with modern techniques they produce highly-regarded wines. Jorge is a respected winemaker who also heads projects like his personal wine projects and is the head winemaker at Contino.  The Navascués family has a long history of winemaking in Aragón with Jorgea third-generation winemaker and a leading figure in Spanish oenology. This is the newest project from them and we like what we see. 

GIOVANNI CORREGGIA

Pear, apple, a white flower perfume, something a little like hay, and almonds. It’s a glossy wine but has a balanced attack of acidity, a slight lemon zest and almond bitterness, a pleasant and appropriate level of chalky grip, with a juicy finish of good length. Good. GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Small tweaks and incremental changes in vinification and winemaking have seen the wines improve every year. The quality across the board has always been top of their class and further cements this outstanding estate as one of the pre-eminent producers in the region. It would certainly be no stretch to call them a leading light in the heart and hearts of Roero.

This is another great rendition. A hint of tropical fruit that lends an almost riesling like element to the wine, along with a floral hint. There is a some lovely depth to the fruit and that bit of extra flesh show so nicely on this wine. Still fresh and zippy on the finish with a little phenolic grip that carries the orchard fruits into a long, gentle close. Yum!

Giovanni has taken over winemaking duties after the untimely death of his father Matteo more than a decade ago. He has slowly been learning the ropes and is now confidentaly leading the charge, and it shows. The wines are consistently excellent, and there is always something new or interesting they are trying in the winery so watch this space.

BEN JONES

Marsanne has a long history in Rutherglen and its growing partnership with roussanne bears fruit with this lovely aromatic, bright and textural example. As is now the Jones style, fruit is picked early to capture acid structure, which is then fleshed out in attractive spring blossom, honeysuckle, citrus and crunchy apple flavours with some mandarin orange and zest thrown in for that extra touch. It is delivered on a smooth, creamy palate. Looking and tasting mighty good! JENI PORT, winecompanion.com 

A quick meeting with Ben in-between sessions of WSET Diploma and a little tasting through his latest releases and we were thoroughly impressed. There was nothing in the line-up that wasn't great. A real talent here.

Jones Winery & Vineyard, rooted in Rutherglen since 1860, continues to evolve under the capable stewardship of sixth-generation winemaker Benjamin Jones, who joined full-time in 2023 after studying viticulture and enology and gaining experience with some of Australia’s top producers. He works alongside his aunt and uncle — winemaker Mandy Jones and viticulturalist Arthur Jones — bringing fresh ideas and a modern approach while honouring the family’s heritage of old-vine Shiraz, Durif and Muscat. The result is a dynamic blend of tradition and innovation, with wines that remain deeply grounded in the Rutherglen terroir yet speak a confident new voice. 

GREG CLACK & KATE HORSTMANN

Adelaide Hills Gamay from Woodside, 70% whole bunch with 21 days carbonic followed by 7 days open fermentation, balance a combination of whole bunch opens and destemmed opens - pressed straight to 500L French oak puncheons for 4 months maturation before bottling.

Bright, spicy, raspberrry coulis fruit, a touch of pepper spice and a lilting herbal hit. Super crunchy, bursting wtih red fruits, wild strawberry, plum and everything else smashed into a delectable fruit compote. Finishes with a little earthy, bracken that lends a something a little more serious to the palate without ever straying to far from the super-easy drinking it is. Yum. 

Greg Clack and Kate Horstmann launched XO Wine Co. in 2017, focusing on small-batch parcels that highlight bright fruit and a true sense of place. Their winemaking emphasizes subtle complexity through thoughtful fermentation and maturation, allowing each varietal to express its character naturally. Over the years, the XO range has expanded, showcasing the strengths of both the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. Today, the portfolio spans shiraz, grenache, pinot noir, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and riesling, alongside emerging stars like nebbiolo, gamay, barbera, fiano, tempranillo, and the more esoteric cortese, complemented by a lightly skinsy pinot gris and a chillable red blend of red varieties.

This is far from the first time we have included wines from XO in the monthly packs and there is a reason why - they are well made, they taste delicious and they are great value! 

JOSH PFEIFFER & NICK JUSTICE

This delivers a vibrant, medium-bodied expression of the varietal, full of bright red cherry and raspberry fruits layered with subtle spice and herbal, leafy notes. The palate is supple and juicy, framed by fine tannins and a fresh, energetic acidity that keeps the wine lively and approachable. Gentle oak influence adds depth without overshadowing the purity of fruit, making this a Grenache that’s expressive, balanced, and perfect for immediate enjoyment. 

Adventurous Souls is a wine project created by winemakers Josh Pfeiffer and Nick Justice that focuses on producing high-quality wines with a connection to nature and adventure. The project features wines from the Barossa Valley, made with minimal intervention from grapes grown across six vineyards. The brand is inspired by the two families' love for the outdoors. They are designed to be fun, easy-going yet characterful and a knod to terroir driven wines. They have nailed the brief here and have to note that this is the second time this wine has made it into the selection, all-be-it from a different vintage.

SIMON OSICKA

...These ‘Selection’ wines come from outside the estate, and posit another level of value and value add to the existing Osicka stable of wines. This wine feels like a red someone would drink in a tavern, taverna, bistro or trattoria – varietal, accessible, x-factor, deliciousness. Not quite the right label here but close enough. At $28 at full whack this is another gift from the Osicka family.

Red cherry, stewed and fresh, some pomegranate juice, a dash of woody spices, some blood orange, a lick of dark chocolate, a pinch of pepper. Tannins tumble in with a gruff but pleasing and somewhat light chew. A graphite mineral line lends detail and a lift. Acidity takes its cue from the blood orange. Pitch perfect. It sits at around medium weight, it’s chuggable and gluggable and damn good. (93) MIKE BENNIE, The Wine Front

Paul Osicka is a Czech-born vigneron who, after emigrating to Australia, established the Paul Osicka Wines winery in Graytown, Victoria, in 1955, notes Paul Osicka Wines. It is the longest-established wine producer in the Heathcote wine region. The estate-grown wines are now made by his son, Paul Osicka Jr., and grandson, Simon Osicka, who continues the family winemaking tradition with a focus on premium, estate-bottled wines, such as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

ANDY COPPARD & AGELA TOWNSEND

This is made without oak and is taken off skins swiftly to make an approachable style of shiraz. That said, and with lower alcohol, there’s still plenty of flavour punch, with comfortably dark fruits allied with bright, red-berried ones, some anise-like spice, mulchy forest floor, scrubby herbs and a tapenade saline thing carrying across the palate. It’s bright but deceptively complex, and a wine of character. MARCUS ELLIS, Halliday Wine Companion

We get both freshness and flavour here, all within a 12.6% alcohol package. Boysenberry, black cherry and iodine characters comes laced with raw (low level) cedar, sweet spice and earth. It all chugs along nicely, a kind of grainy, grippy aspect giving your palate something to hold onto. Nice one. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

NATHAN BROWN

This is how tempranillo should be done. This does not rely on juby, simple, tutty-fruity styling here but leans into a more serious version reminiscent of Ribera del Duero or great fresh Toro styles rather. Black raspberry, that hit of sweet spice, some ground pepper and a delicate hit of violet florals. The palate isn't huge but its tightly packed and scored with firm tannins that the black,plummy fruits hang off nicely. Looks Spanish in style but set with lovely punchy fruit too. 

Moppity Vineyard, Hilltops, NSW. The vineyard site sits at 600m altitude, just a stones throw from the township of Young. The cool climate region provides warm days and cool nights during the ripening period, which helps retain natural acids in the wine.Fermented for 12 days in open top fermenters, post fermentation rested on skins for a further 14 days prior to pressing, aged in a mix of 2 & 3 year old French oak for 10 months.

Founded by former restaurateur-turned-winemaker Nathan Brown in 2018, Linear Wines sources intriguing parcels of fruit across the Canberra District, Tumbarumba, Hilltops and Gundagai. His wines are small-batch with hand-worked vineyards, a focus on alternative varieties and a custom facility born from a converted helicopter hangar. Brown’s winemaking leans toward purity and site expression: cool ferments, minimal new oak and a confident, evolving style that reflects the region’s altitudes and soils.

CAROLINE & DELPHINE FREY

Wow! We have been a fan of this wine for a while, and the last few years have seen some excellent versions, but we think this might be the best yet. Of course, we probably said that last year, but honestly, we were all pretty blown away by the quality here, where an incredible energy and vibrancy has been melded with generous and giving warm fruit of the Rhone.

A melange of red berry fruit, fresh summer berries smashed together, spiked with pretty florals and peppery spice. There is an explosive delivery of fruit and freshness on the palate. Cool fruits, sweet and bursting with flavour. It drives down the middle of a palate like a race car delivering so much energy and verve. Pure and packed with character. One of the best value drops around.

The name "Parallèle 45" refers to the 45th parallel north, which passes through the Rhône Valley near Jaboulet's cellars in Tain-l'Hermitage

Paul Jaboulet Aîné, one of the Northern Rhône’s most iconic estates, has entered an exciting new chapter with the next generation at the helm. Caroline Frey, after years of guiding the estate, has begun stepping back, allowing her sister Delphine to take a more prominent leadership role. Delphine brings her own energy and vision to the wines, combining respect for the estate’s storied history with a fresh perspective on site expression and precision. Under her guidance, Jaboulet continues to produce benchmark Northern Rhône wines that are both elegant and expressive of their legendary terroirs