under $15

Xx. Rosemount Estate
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
Hunter Valley - New South Wales $12
Red summer fruit and soft tannins. Light but great value so it's best you take two bottles as it'll slip down faster than a nympho's knickers.

$15 - $22

X. AbbeyVale
2000 Cabernet/Merlot
Margaret River - Western Australia $20
Up front, savoury and a little fierce, but good value all the same. Somewhat intimidating, like Lara Flynn Boyle eyeballing you across a crowded room.

X. Baileys of Glenrowan
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon
Baileys - Victoria $17
Big, fat, ripe upfront fruit from a warm place. Get your fattest T-bone, cover it with butter and devour it naked with a glass of this.

XX. Orlando Wyndham
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon
Morris Rutherglen - Victoria $15.50
Tastes of blackcurrant, sweet fruit and fruit cake. Too good for pizza but not flash enough for the big night out, leaving it perfect for about 320 nights of the year.

$35 and Up

XXX. Primo Estate
1998 Cabernet Merlot
Joseph 'moda amarone' Coonawarra/McLaren Vale - South Australia $45
Cedar, leaf and black fruits pull together wonderfully and followed by a firm long finish. Like a good friend, this wine just keeps on giving.