Secret Cellar: Four premium red wines at, frankly, delicious prices

We all know the rules in life. Mostly you get what you pay for. If something’s too good to be true, it usually is. And very few lunches are free.

But every rule has the exception that proves it. A train will occasionally be waiting for you on the platform the day you’re running late. The person who found your cash-stuffed wallet will track you down to return it.

And a case of wine crammed with superlative reds from high-end Australian producers – that should cost $870 – is somehow discounted by more than 60 per cent for a limited time, and you’re one of the lucky insiders to be given the tip-off.

Regular readers will know this can only mean one thing: the first Secret Cellar of the year, when The Australian Wine Club offers premium wines at vastly reduced prices on the basis that you won’t know the identity of the wines until the box arrives at your front door.

This time around the four wines on offer sweep you across four wine regions and two states, a journey delivering a business-class experience at a Jetstar price.

The headline act is a shiraz from the Barossa’s Eden Valley that normally carries an RRP of $120. Rated 96 points by the Real Review and 95 points by the Halliday Wine Companion, this richly flavoured wine has won multiple gold medals.

Next comes a 2018 shiraz, this time from the Adelaide Hills and usually with a price tag of $70 – this one had 94 points bestowed upon it by James Halliday.

Finally there’s a pair of heavyweight numbers that usually cost $50 a bottle. A cabernet shiraz from Wrattonbully is rated 97 points by Master of Wine Andrew Caillard, and a luscious 93-point malbec from Hilltops in NSW.

The truth is that every producer here would, in an ideal world, prefer to sell their top-level wines at top-level prices.

But we don’t live in an ideal world, and estimates in December pointed to a wine glut of some 200 million litres in Australia, much of it red. Though trade with China has resumed after a three-year stand-off, exports are much lower than they used to be, and premium wines like those in our case have to find a new home.

That’s as much as we can tell you about these wines but you can be confident of the quality on offer.

As always, your insurance policy is another of life’s immutable rules – our guarantee that if you don’t like what you get sent, for whatever reason, we’ll refund your order. There are no exceptions to that rule.

Eden Valley Shiraz 2021

The ruby colour hints at the opulence to come, and the nose tells you this is a serious wine – coffee and chocolate upfront with earthy notes to complement the emerging plum and blueberry, even a touch of sweet liquorice. Then dive into a rich, velvety palate crammed with fruit, vanilla and chocolate, where the tannins make for a lovely mouthfeel but the freshness makes it moreishly sippable. 96 points, Real Review, 95 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 14.5% alc, RRP $120 a bottle.

SPECIALS $100 a bottle in any dozen, $28.99 a bottle in our Secret Cellar dozen.

Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2018

A familiar shiraz amalgam of dark berries and dark chocolate dominates from first sniff, with extra layers of star anise and vanilla emerging shyly. But there’s little that’s bashful about the plush palate, a well-judged acidity pointing up the richly ripe fruit and a wash of smooth, fine tannins guiding you towards a long, rewarding finish. 94 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 14.5% alc, RRP $70 a bottle.

SPECIALS $65.99 a bottle in any dozen, $28.99 a bottle in our Secret Cellar dozen.

Wrattonbully Cabernet Shiraz 2020

There’s depth straight away on the nose that comes from its age, a savouriness packed full of mature blackberry, blackcurrant and cedar notes that are cabernet sauvignon’s happy calling card. The fruits dominate the palate too, complemented by chocolate and aniseed notes, a touch of roasted nut and kept in line by firm but smooth tannins. 97 points, Andrew Caillard, MC; 96 points, Halliday Wine Companion; 96 points, Winepilot. 14% alc, RRP $50 a bottle.

SPECIALS $37.99 a bottle in any dozen, $28.99 a bottle in our Secret Cellar dozen.

Hilltops Malbec 2022

A deep purple meets the eye in the glass before you’re greeted by a nose dominated by dark fruits – think plum, black cherry and a touch of blueberry, sprinkled with black pepper and a splash of vanilla. The palate takes that up another level, adding mulberry to the chorus of berries but washing them in a crunchy acidity and firm, chalky tannins. Though the weight of this will reward time in the bottle, it matches nicely with a rump steak immediately. 93 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 14% alc, RRP $50 a bottle.

SPECIALS $39.99 a bottle in any dozen, $28.99 a bottle in our Secret Cellar dozen.

SECRET CELLAR DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $28.99 a bottle.SAVE $522.

Order by simply clicking the links to our online store or telephone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm AEST. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550. Stockhead is partnering with The Australian Wine Club on this offer.