Imported wine, despite playing a cameo role at Cloudwine, sometimes turns out to be the undisputed star.  Case in point is this wine from Spain, which is a wonderful blend of Tempranillo (80%) and Shiraz (20%).  While it’s easy to find imported wine, it’s hard to find good value imported wine, but in terms of quality, this is equal to any wine we have in the shop.   It sits alongside Gran Sasso Montepulciano and the One Tree Paddock Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Elefante’s palate weight is excellent; with the addition of shiraz, it can hold its own against any wine.  Then we have the length; it certainly doesn’t play second fiddle.  And the price?  This could be a $20 wine, but you know what?  It’s not, it’s $10.  Ten lazy dollars.  As Molly Meldrum says, do yourself a favour.  Go out and buy it. 

Here are what the critics are saying:
No one loves Australian wine more than I do, but some new imports are seriously challenging my loyalty. Twenty years ago if you wanted to drink some authentic Italian or Spanish plonk down under, you had to spend a lot of money or put up with a rubbish drop. No anymore. In the past 10 years a feast of quality wines has arrived from Europe – often prices in the mid-$20s – and livened up our drinking choices. As good as these wines are, though, finding them outside of fancy restaurants has been difficult. This explains this year’s stampede for Italy’s Gran Sasso Montepulciano d’Aruzzo 2008 ($9.99). The price was right and you could buy it in bottle shops. Now I have found another ripper, a Spanish beauty called Elefante Tempranillo Shiraz 2009 ($12.99). Not only is it a seriously interesting drink, but the value for money is astonishing. 90 Points, Campbell Mattinson, Sunday Magazine

The bold red label of this young red encapsulates the verve of modern Spain. From the unyielding plains of Castilla, it has a ripe, intense nose reminiscent of dark berry jam, dry spices, sunburnt earth and vanilla. It tastes intense, ripe and liquorice-like but not heavy, with hearty flavours and balanced fine tannins. 4 Four Stars; Ralph Kyte Powell, The Age

Expressive. Generous. Appealing. Lots of ticks in lots of boxes. It smells and tastes of musk, boysenberry, rich ripe cherries, earth and cedarwood. Very dry, chalky, sour-edged finish – in a positive sense. I could drink a lot of this wine. It has shape, structure, generosity and, even, personality. For $12. Rated : 90 Points.  Campbell Mattinson, The Winefront.

Spain (and neighboring Portugal for that matter) is producing some terrific wines that fly under the mainstream radar. This is a thoroughly modern red blend from the Castilla region with lots of smart, bright fruit and some impressive earthiness as well. It's a ripe, full-bodied wine that has some appealling berry flavours tempered by good tannin structure. The label is as bold as the contents of the bottle and what is amazing is the price: at $12.99 this puts a lot of domestic reds to shame. Windsor Dobbin