Seven wines that are $50 or under that deserve your attention

With spring in full-swing and the holiday season approaching, we know everyone will be looking for delicious, quality wine that won't break the bank.

From regions including Margaret River, the Yarra Valley, the Barossa Valley, Mudgee, the Hunter Valley and Bendigo we are highlighting seven bottles, all $50 or under, of cabernet sauvignon, rosé, a white blend, chardonnay, roussanne and fiano that have been crafted by Australian producers.

Whether you're looking for a holiday gift, your contribution to the potluck, a bottle to add to your cellar or a wine to crack open while you enjoy the sunshine, this list has great wines that we would recommend exploring. 

If you see one you're interested in, you can also shop directly via the links at the bottom of each review. 

Forester Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2024, Margaret River

No doubt time will be this wine’s friend; today, it is youthful and a tad raw. A vibrant dark red with mulberries, blackberries encased in dried herbs, wintergreen, baking spices and tapenade. It’s fuller bodied, with sweet fruit across the palate, an abundance of grainy tannins and perky acidity. This is very good. It will meld well in another year or so and be all the better for it. – Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion, 94 points 

RRP $39 | Drink to 2036 | 14.5% | Halliday profile | foresterestate.com.au | Shop this wine

Medhurst Estate Vineyard Rosé 2026, Yarra Valley

55/45% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz. Winner of Best Rosé at this year's Yarra Valley Wine Show for the second year running, a testament to Medhurst's current hot streak across the board. A pale, bright salmon-pink, perfumed with aromas of red fruit, lemon pith and floral notes. The palate is dry, discreet and perfectly balanced, finishing refreshing and long. – Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion, 96 points 

RRP $35 | Drink to 2028 | 12.9% | Halliday profile | medhurstwines.com.au | Shop this wine

Murray Street Vineyards Greenock Estate Marsanne Roussanne Viognier 2024, Barossa Valley

A lemon-charged blend of 80/17/3% marsanne/roussanne/viognier from a single block on the Greenock estate, barrel fermented, then racked to a single amphora for six months' maturation. Light straw with inviting notes of Meyer lemon, apple and grapefruit, hints of clover blossom, crushed stone, honeysuckle, a touch of creamed honey, ozone and clotted cream. Bottom line is this is just a delicious, harmonious wine, looking very composed, with inviting fruit and a fine, lacy acidity. – Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion, 95 points 

RRP $50 | Drink to 2036 | 12.6% | Halliday profile | murraystreet.com.au | Shop this wine

Saddler's Creek Wines Single Suitcase Fiano 2025, Hunter Valley

Fabulous from the first pour, with gentle florals, freshness and intensity, though without being overfruity. Palate breadth is the hallmark of this wine, making it a sensational pairing for food. Rock-solid winemaking by a pair of rising stars. – Toni Paterson, Halliday Wine Companion, 93 points 

RRP $40 | Drink to 2028 | 13% | Halliday profile | saddlerscreek.com | Shop this wine

TarraWarra Estate Estate Chardonnay 2025, Yarra Valley

Fermented and matured in 100% French oak puncheons, demi-muids and barriques (12% new). A bright green gold. Aromas of pear, orange zest, lemon curd and grilled nuts. Just as good on the intense, beautifully balanced and persistent palate. A lovely and well-priced effort that will continue to improve in the bottle over the next three to four years, at least. – Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion, 96 points 

RRP $40 | Drink to 2030 | 12.5% | Halliday profile | tarrawarra.com.au | Shop this wine

TOPO Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2024, Mudgee

From a single-vineyard site in Eurunderee with vines planted in 1979. The potential of this site should be on your radar. A heady witches' brew of blackberries and Gala apple skin. Creeping ivy, woodsy herbs and vanilla flecks. The palate is saturated with glistening fruit and a threaded tannin line. Pulled paper bark and ancho chillies. A wonderfully satisfying drink; watch this space. – Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion, 94 points 

RRP $50 | Drink to 2032 | 14.5% | Halliday profile | topowines.com.au | Shop this wine

Zazou Tout Schuss Roussanne 2025, Bendigo

Roussanne in its element: textural, savoury and complex. Izzy Zazou takes fruit from the Lome vineyard in Harcourt North, and it's a feast of aromas and flavours highlighting - as if necessary - that roussanne has arrived. Inviting aromas of quince, peach, spiced apple, honeysuckle, preserved lemon and almond nougat. The richness promised on the bouquet translates beautifully to the palate. It's warm hearted and runs creamy smooth in stone fruits, apple, citrus and almond cream, with a focus on a preserved lemon, earthy savoury bite amid well-handled phenolic grip. A complex, appealing partner for food if ever there was one. – Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion, 93 points 

RRP $35 | Drink to 2032 | 12.5% | Halliday profile | zazouwines.com | Shop this wine