Welcome to the inaugural Spectator Australia Wine Club offer. This page will focus on the unprocurable wines, the small-volume award-winners, the emerging yet high-quality varieties and styles that the big supermarkets wine buyers are too risk-averse to touch.

There’ll also be some exclusive cellar release material. This is The Speccie, after all, and the wines that run in these pages are proper wines for proper people from proper postcodes, with a keen eye to QPR – quality price rapport.

Let’s get on with the first offer.

Dandelion Vineyards is the husband and wife team of Zar and Elena Brooks – a South Australian winemaking power couple who also, in the off-season, make wine in Spain and Italy. At home they concentrate on old vineyards in SA’s best wine regions. These are seriously structured wines, that speak of the vineyard, are not distorted by overt oak, and – surprise, surprise – are multi-award and trophy winning. I’ve handpicked the best wines they make and have brought some pressure to bear on very good prices (up to 35 per cent off), which wasn’t hard, as Mr Brooks turns out to be a long-time Speccie reader and, I think, wanted to feature on this page for sheer reasons of social vanity alone…

1. Dandelion Vineyards Enchanted Garden of the Eden Valley Riesling 2014 (375ml bottle), $9.52 by the dozen ($11.90 in a mixed case) down from $14.

A half bottle is a very useful thing, particularly when dining alone, or for elevenses. This riesling has more purity than colloidal silver, and is an even better alternative medical treatment. Tightly sprung lemon and lime and an underlying minerality. Use it with cold white meats that once flew or swam.

2. Dandelion Vineyards Twilight of the Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2014, $18.70 by the dozen ($23.38 in a mixed case) down from $27.50.

I shared a glass of this with a card-carrying chardonnay socialist the other day. He looked at me and said one word: ‘Chablis. Actually, that’s better than Chablis.’ Yes, that’s six words but it’s still pretty succinct. For a socialist. Texture is the thing here: it’s got a tense, taut linear acidity, with almond meal characters lurking below, for a subtle richness. Try it with any edible bivalve, or salade composée.

3. Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz 2013 (375ml bottle) $9.52 by the dozen ($11.90 in a mixed case) down from $14.

From a 90 year old vineyard off Gods Hill Road this is Barossan shiraz that – at this price – you will not see again. Grape prices for old vineyards have gone up 50 per cent this year. Here are plum pudding and the dark chocolate flavours typical of Barossa, but disciplined by Germanic tannins and an underlying spice. Some wurst and a half bottle of this would be a wonderful 11.59am luncheon.

4. Dandelion Vineyards Pride of the Fleurieu Peninsula Cabernet Sauvignon Museum Release 2010, $18.70 by the dozen ($23.38 in a mixed case) down from $27.50.

Fleurieu Peninsula is posh, pound-note way of saying Langhorne Creek. This vineyard overlooks Finniss River, west of Lake Alexandrina, and has been in the Brooks’ family for generations. The vineyard is hand-pruned by the elderly but lively family patriarch, underneath his beret. It (the wine) screams terroir, not to mention cassis, blueberry, and the sort of softened yet manly tannins that a 5 year old cabernet luxuriates in. It’s also offered for the same price as current 2014 vintage, so the cellaring is free. Roast Scotch Fillet with Madeira Sauce.

All wine under screwcap. Minimum order a case of 12; you can make up a sample dozen – three of each wine – when using the website to order. Delivery and insurance is free, of course.

Vinum Vitae.