This six-pack celebrates the next generation of winemakers, each pushing boundaries and crafting wines full of energy, personality, and place.

We start with two bright stars:  Aunt Alice ‘Night Sky’ Pinot Noir 2023 and Anderson & Marsh ‘Parell’ Tempranillo 2023. Aunt Alice is the work of Alice Davidson, who made the move from the Limestone Coast to Tasmania — and we’re very glad she did. Her Pinot is beautifully spiced and whole-bunch lifted, a pure and silky expression of Tassie fruit. Over in Beechworth, Jo Marsh and Eleana Anderson have joined forces to launch Anderson & Marsh, and their debut Tempranillo — a Gold and Runner-Up in the 2026 Halliday Wine Awards — shows exactly why these two are such a formidable duo.

Next, we span two geographical extremes and two Sams — Sam McPhee of Vino Volta in WA and Sam Renzaglia of Renzaglia Wines in the Central Ranges. Both are bringing detail, curiosity, and craft to varieties not traditionally championed in their regions. McPhee’s Grenache, from 65-year-old vines in the Darling Scarp, is bright, juicy, and deliciously textural, while Renzaglia’s Sangiovese is an effortlessly drinkable Hunter take on an Italian classic.

Finally, we finish with an international flourish: Envínate and Jérôme Coursodon. The four friends behind Envínate have become the face of the "New Spain" movement — minimal intervention, maximum expression — and their wines hum with tension and personality. In contrast, Coursodon’s St-Joseph ‘Silice’ 2021 continues a proud family legacy in the Northern Rhône, with Jérôme elevating tradition to thrilling new heights. Together, these two represent the past and future of European winemaking — both utterly compelling.

ALICE DAVIDSON

Tamar Valley pinot noir, clones 667, D5V12, D4V2, 50% whole-bunch pressed to French oak, 10% new for nine months. It's a pretty-smelling little thing. All raspberries, wild strawberries and red cherries, it is. Cut with fine spice, amaro herbs, dried meats, a touch of undergrowth, wildflowers and a touch of toasty oak. Spacious and detailed with fine, chalky tannin and a minerally cadence, it is great drinking. (93) DAVE BROOKES, Halliday Wine Companion

Tamar Valley. 50% whole bunch. 10% new oak.

Red cherry, fresh raspberry, pomegranate, a fair bit of stalky green capsicum whole bunch here, along with dried flowers and pimento. It’s light to medium-bodied, distinctly tight and frisky in character, a cool ‘mineral’ edge to acidity along with firm pumice stone tannin grip. Finish is sappy, blood orange and red fruits, and there’s no shortage of interest either, nor grainy tangy white pepper laden length. You have to like a fair bit of whole bunch in your Pinot to really dig it, though I think it finds balance within that more assertive/overt bunchy style. (93) GARY WALSH, The Wine Front

Aunt Alice is a dynamic Tasmanian wine label founded by winemaker Alice Davidson, who relocated the brand from the Limestone Coast to Tasmania in 2022. Since moving, Davidson has focused on crafting clean, expressive, and highly drinkable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, showcasing the purity and vibrancy of the island’s cool-climate regions. Her grapes are sourced primarily from the Tamar Valley, with additional parcels from other premium Tasmanian sites, chosen for their unique soils and microclimates. Committed to sustainability and thoughtful viticulture, Davidson balances experimentation with precision, producing wines that are approachable yet layered, reflecting both the terroir and her innovative winemaking style.

SAM MCPHEE

From a dry-grown 65yo bush-vine plot at the base of the Darling Scarp. Wild ferment with 20% whole bunches. A barrel selection. As with the Post Modern Seriousism Grenache, this is reductive upon opening. Superfine boned and taut, with layers of spice and acid, couched in a muscular framework. This is a more complete iteration of Swan Valley grenache, satisfying and complex in the mouth. There is salted heirloom tomato, blackberry bramble, black tea, jasmine tea pearls, raspberry compote and poached rhubarb. It has fennel and star anise and a multitude of other exotic spice characters, all of it united by a thread of bacon fat and blood laced throughout. Slam dunk. (95) ERIN LARKIN, Halliday Wine Companion

Old bush vines, in excess of 65 years. Gravel and sand. This is a medium-bodied grenache, bright and crunchy. As with other wines in the suite, it feels a little underdone; a little under-ripe, demanding an extra degree of alcohol to really shine. Yet clearly this is a stylistic choice and one that allows for easy swigging, best with a chill. Sour cherry, red pastille and a hint of dill to mescal from some whole-bunch inclusion, concluding with a gentle astringency across the pleasing finish. Drink now. Screw cap. NED GOODWIN MW, JamesSuckling.com

Vino Volta is an ambitious boutique producer nestled in the Swan Valley, Western Australia, founded by passionate vintner Sam McPhee. With a focus on premium old-vine heritage varieties and minimal intervention winemaking, the estate crafts wines that reflect the region’s warmth yet retain elegance and finesse. Their small-batch releases are already gaining attention for delivering serious quality—proof that Swan Valley can make compelling wines well beyond its historical reputation. 

LAURA RAMOS, JOSE MARTINEZ, ROBERTO SANTANA, & ALFONSO TORRENTE 

Ethereal and seductive, this is consistently one of the best entry-level wines of the region, showing aromas of red cherries, ash and dried hibiscus alongside a nervy herbal note and an underlying earthiness that enhances the wonderful complexity. The medium-bodied palate is carefully balanced with discreet structure and a delicate thread of fruit. Well-integrated tannins are subtle, focused yet silky. Whole-cluster fermentation. Drink or hold. (96) JACOB GARCIA-ANDRADE LLAMAS, JamesSuckling.com

The bottled 2023 Lousas Viñas de Aldea is perfumed, intoxicating and showy, with a floral note of dried rose petals that I also found in the Misturado from this same vintage. It's a blend of grapes, 80% Mencía and the rest a field blend of reds and whites, Brancellao, Merenzao, Alicante, Grao Negro, Mouratón, Jerez, Godello, etc., and zones, Amandi, Quiroga and Ribeiras del Sil with lots of gneiss and also slate and granite, depending on the plot. The grapes were picked between the first and 23rd of September, a very long harvest because of the rain. It fermented with 70% to 100% full clusters in concrete or plastic bins, and 30% of the volume remained in concrete and the rest matured in used barrels of different sizes, from 225 to 500 liters, for 11 months with lees and without racking. There's also a flinty smokiness that gives the wine a different twist. It's stunning and incredibly priced. There were 31,150 bottles and 329 magnums produced. It was bottled in November 2024. (95) LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate

Envínate is a collective of four Spanish winemakers who met while studying oenology in Alicante. They are known for creating authentic, terroir-driven wines from historic, Atlantic-influenced regions of Spain, particularly the Canary Islands and Ribeira Sacra. Their winemaking philosophy focuses on traditional, non-interventionist techniques to express the unique character of their vineyards. They are considered pioneers of the "New Spain" movement, revitalizing old vineyards using traditional methods like hand-harvesting, foot-treading, and fermentation with native yeasts. 

SAM RENZAGLIA

This is from the First Ridge Vineyard in Mudgee. It’s part of the “Central Ranges” range.

This is a beautiful sangiovese. It slips straight into the realm of ‘light but insistent’, which is a great way for any wine to be but especially for sangiovese. Mid red colour, fresh red-and-black cherry flavours, earth and spice notes, purple flower characters too. Peppercorns but as whispers. It’s the flow of fruit, the tension, and the filigreed tannin that really set this wine apart. It takes complexity in its stride, is beautifully structured, and tastes delicious. Win-win-win. (94) CAMPBELL MATTINSON, The Wine Front

Fruit is from the First Ridge vineyard in Mudgee. The site, planted in the late 1990s, sits around 520m above sea level on volcanic soils and is well suited to the variety. A touch of sediment, so decant if you see fit. Here we notice squashed strawberries, pomegranate and raspberry leaf. Some paprika spice and crumbly red dirt. Acidity leads the charge, with a solid frame of dusty tannins. It's assertive in its crunch and tantalising grip. Ideal for charcuterie board grazing. SHANTEH WALE, Halliday Wine Companion

Renzaglia Wines is a family-run estate based in O’Connell in the Central Ranges of New South Wales, originally established in 1997 when Mark and Sandy Renzaglia planted their first vines at Bella Luna. Today the winemaking baton has been passed to third-generation winemaker Sam Renzaglia, who is expanding the estate’s reach across the region with a clear focus on site, purity and minimal intervention. Sam works both with fruit from the family’s own vineyards and carefully selected grower blocks.

ELEANA ANDERSON & JO MARSH

The ultimate friends' wine project where half is made by Eleana Anderson at Mayford, half by Jo Marsh at Billy Button Wines, and the two halves are then blended. Superlative stuff! Gorgeous fruit, kudos to the growers, lays an elegant framework that bestows real class and complexity. Defines the grape in fine herbals, light florals, red and black berry fruits, earth and signature red licorice. A light layering of vanillin oak and fine tannins adds that extra tick of refinement. It's going to age well. (96) JENI PORT, Halliday Wine Companion 

This is a new project by two established legends of the region. The boutique winery founded by Eleana Anderson (Mayford) & Joe Marsh (Billy Button), whose meticulous approach and passion for the region’s terroir define the project. Focused on small-lot, hand-harvested fruit, Elean works closely with vineyard sites to ensure each wine expresses the unique characteristics of Beechworth’s cool-climate vineyards. The range reflects a careful balance of precision and elegance, with every release crafted to showcase purity, texture, and depth. With Elean at the helm, Anderson & Marsh has quickly established itself as one of Victoria’s most exciting emerging wineries. 

JEROME COURSODON

Younger syrah vines planted on schist and granite at the top of Mauves

The 2021 Saint Joseph Silice is also beautiful, with a round, supple, layered style that shines in the vintage. Black raspberries, spice box, dried flowers, and hints of violets give way to a medium-bodied, up-front, charming, layered 2021 that certainly stands out in the vintage. JEB DUNNUCK

Complex nose of black pepper, fresh sage and thyme with restrained wild blackberry fruit. Still tightly wound but with intense stony minerality, this is an exciting wine ... Long very straight, clean finish. Drink or hold. STUART PIGGOT

Tasted blind. Ripe fruits on the nose, blackcurrant, blackberry, gravel, tar and sweet spice. The palate is silky with supple tannins, sweet ripe fruit, grilled meat and good concentration of fruit. Ripe, structured and should age well. ALISTAIR COOPER MW

Domaine Coursodon is a fifth-generation family estate based in Mauves, at the heart of Saint-Joseph in the northern Rhône. Today, Jérôme Coursodon crafts expressive, terroir-driven wines from steep, granite-rich slopes, focusing solely on the Saint-Joseph appellation. His reds and whites are refined and pure, capturing both the power and elegance that define this storied region.