2023 Bleasdale Second Innings Malbec, Langhorne Creek

Malbec this good at this price, really, it doesn’t get any better. Although if Bleasdale doesn’t do great malbec, then no one does. At first, it appears all upfront fruit – black and satsuma plums, blackcurrants – but then savoury notes come through all spiced to the max with pepper, sumac and licorice, some roasted red capsicum, too. There are plentiful tannins, ripe and stretchy across the fuller-bodied palate, and it finishes convincingly. Distinctively and pleasingly varietal as much as an imprint of place and producer. Drink 202-2033.

95 points Special Value Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au August 2025

Gold at the 2024 Melbourne Royal Wine Awards

Gold at the 2024 Perth Royal Wine Awards

Gold at the 2024 Royal Hobart Wine Show

Bleasdale has been part of Langhorne Creek since 1850, one of Australia’s great old family names, and the region’s warm days and cooling lake influence have long made it a natural fit for Malbec. Second Innings is exactly the kind of wine that reminds you how much value still exists in Australian reds, generous, full of flavour and ridiculously easy to enjoy without taking itself too seriously.

The 2023 jumps straight out of the glass with blackberry, plum and dark cherry, wrapped in violet, cocoa and a dusting of spice. There’s plenty of fruit here, but it keeps a nice sense of freshness rather than heading into heavy territory.

It rolls across the palate with a smooth, juicy feel, dark fruit sitting front and centre while soft tannins keep everything relaxed and approachable. A little hint of mocha and spice builds through the finish, giving it more personality than the price might suggest.

This is where it absolutely shines, proper comfort food territory. Smoky barbecue ribs, loaded burgers or slow cooked brisket all work beautifully, but it’s just as good with mushroom tacos, charred corn with chilli butter or a black bean and roasted pumpkin enchilada. It’s the sort of red that works when the food is messy and the table is loud.

Drink it now while all that fruit and energy are front and centre.

There’s an honesty to wines like this, no pretence, no overthinking, just delicious drinking and brilliant value from one of Australia’s most underrated regions.