“Xanadu is all about creating expressive, regional wines of uncompromising quality.” – Halliday’s Wine Companion

Xanadu • \ZAN-uh-doo\ • noun. : an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place.

Hope you too are in an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place on this beautiful Friday. However, we must request that you interrupt the idyllic, exotic, or luxurious-ness for a minute…

Because a 95-point red under $20 has just landed in the warehouse.

How they do it remains an enigma, yet the premium Margaret River growing region, sitting at Australia’s Westernmost tip, seems to churn out wines that overdeliver in every meaning of the word.

Halliday’s Wine Companion announced the launch of a new frontier with fanfare, *“Margaret River is a place of spectacular beauty, where its residents are just as likely to surf before work – or during their lunch break – as they are to be involved in producing the region’s revered wine. That’s certainly the case for Xanadu winemakers Glenn Goodall and Brendan Carr, who are behind the winery’s newest range, Circa 77, which celebrates everything they love most about the region.

It’s no coincidence that a couple of years later, Halliday’s awarded Goodall with the 2023 Winemaker of the Year award. Cool, fresh aromas of black fruits, spearmint, and baking spices. Thick and creamy but kept firm by its impressive structure. Sappy dark berry flavors are delineated within an eye-opening pop of acidity. Finishes long, and gently grippy, with an umami-esque depth of deliciousness. As James said it’s “a perfect barbecue wine for sure” …and more, with an X-factor. All that for $19? Pinch me.

So do whatever you Xanadu (sorry, couldn’t help it) - but you better do it fast!

95 Points – James Halliday’s Wine Companion

“Up there as one of my fave go-to reds - it delivers. All thanks to it being spicy, juicy and tull of dark red plums, licorice and wood spice/oak. Really vibrant and pleasing as it’s savoury with puckering tannins and finishes convincingly. Now, it’s not about complexity, but there is detail. It’s a perfect barbecue wine for sure yet deserves its rating in context of its deliciousness matched to value.”