Bullets Before Cannonballs was featured in this week's Halliday Wine Companion's December Tasting Notes showcasing some of Australia's best alternative varieties and Halliday Promotion said...

"Australia's diverse wine country allows for the successful cultivation of many kinds of grapes. Varieties that were once exclusive to their European homes are now cropping up next to tried and true Aussie classics, with local producers championing alternative styles as the next big thing. These wines are food-friendly, bold, fresh, exciting and age-worthy – and they thrive in our native climate.

If you're looking to try something new but don't know where to start, we've rounded up a list of some of 2020's best new release and awarded styles – complete with drinking recommendations from the winemakers themselves."

Winemaker Ashley Ratcliff says: Making a wine using blends of different grape varieties allows for the creation of a style that is consistent from vintage to vintage. Our 2020 vintage blend of the Bullets Before Cannonballs is tempranillo dominant with lagrien, aglianico and shiraz – plus a splash of nero d’avola. This is a highly versatile wine that can dressed up and taken to any high end restaurant and perform at its best, or enjoyed at home with a bowl of pasta and friends.

The Mediterranean red varieties in this blend were hand-picked and then placed in a cool room immediately after harvest to preserve fruit quality. The aim of this was to allow the fruit flavours dominate – therefore only three year-old oak barrels were used to store this wine.