The Taltarni vineyards lie north-west of Melbourne and extend to 280 acres. The name Taltarni originates from the Aboriginal for red earth, of which the vineyard consists. The temperate climate there, of long, sunny days and cool nights, differs only slightly from that of Bordeaux and the discovery of Taltarni followed many years of research by the Portets. Dominique Portet, the winemaker, is a Bordelais and from a family associated with wine for many generations. His father was regisseur at Chateau Lafite for 25 years. Hence the wines are superbly balanced, with a typical French bias.

Although growing Chardonnay, Taltarni do not bottle it as a varietal but prefer to use it for blending, principally in their excellent range of sparkling wines. From this selection we have chosen to list Brut Tache. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, palely tinted by a touch of the red Malbec grape it is partridge eye in colour. Amazingly clean and fresh on the nose and palate, with a lovely fine mousse, it makes a superb aperitif.

The red and white Fiddleback Terrace are both produced from a blend of grape varieties. The white comprises Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, which produces a beautifully bright, pale-coloured wine. The leafy Sauvignon dominates the nose with touches of cassis aromas. Very clean, crisp on the palate with vibrant, zingy acidity, it is great with shellfish.

The red is produced from Cabernet Sauvignon with approximately 30% Merlot, making it full of soft, rich fruit, very rounded on the palate and marvellous value for money.