Tired of the same old varieties and want something a little bit different in your glass? Or ever find yourself staring at a wine list unsure what a Mourvedre (Moo-ved-erah) or a Sangiovese or a Gruner Veltliner (grew-ner velt-lee-ner) tastes like? We’ve got you covered with this selection of 4 unconventional varieties from 4 different producers that serves to highlight that something new does not have to be expensive. 

The StarDozen consists of the following:

3 bottles      Coulter Adelaide Sangiovese 2024
3 bottles      Yangarra McLaren Vale Mourvedre 2016
3 bottles      Gemtree Small Batch Fiano 2025
3 bottles      The Pawn Pawn Grüner Veltliner 2023

Coulter Adelaide Sangiovese 2024
This vintage sees a label change and, for those following the C2 Sangiovese, this wine is one and the same. New leather and both morello and black cherries form the cornerstones of the wine, with anise and licorice adding further complexity and interest. A slightly deeper expression this release with glossier and richer fruit. The tannins are supple and giving, a feat in its youth. Drink to: 2030; Date Tasted: January 2025; Alcohol: 14.5%; Rating: 94 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion

Yangarra McLaren Vale Mourvedre 2016
Matured for 10 months in used French oak. Normally this goes into the GSM, in exceptional years made as a single varietal. This is high quality mourvèdre, with luscious purple and black fruits with a markedly juicy palate and aftertaste. Drink to: 2031; Alcohol: 14.5%; Rating: 94 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion

Gemtree Small Batch Fiano 2025
This differs from the other Fiano in the stable that is made in tank, while here a fruit selection was raised in 3000L unlined concrete vat for six months with weekly stirring, then racked and returned for three months. This skipped a vintage while the winery transitioned under new ownership. It’s a welcome return. Savoury and saline, textural and pithy, refined and long. Lees have contributed a subtle creaminess and umami overtones. Wild apple, fennel pollen, citron, red apple skin, white miso, a pumice-like mineral note. It’s further evidence that fiano can make serious, elevated wines. Date: Dec 2025; Alcohol: 13%; Price: $38.00; Drink by: 2030; Rating: 96 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion

The Pawn Pawn Grüner Veltliner 2023
Austria's most significant white grape it is widely planted in the regions of Niederösterreich & Burgenland, but now has found a new world home all across the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. 

This wine has a delicate bouquet of grapefruits, lime and citrus pith with hints of ripe yellow nectarine & white pepper. palate Flavours of spice and bright green apple complement a somewhat textural wine with tightly woven acidity & a dry, refreshing mineral finish. This 'broadness' of acidity, livens your whole palate and enables food flavours to be superbly carried. A true food wine.