Excellent Langtons Classified. John Duval's aim with Plexus is to express the wide spectrum of red fruit flavours from Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre, but also provide structure with a seamless balance and long finish. A low percentage of new oak adds complexity without dominating the berry fruit. Grenache is sourced from old bush vines fifty to sixty years of age from the Stockwell, Light Pass and Krondorf regions. Mourvedre is collated from old bush vines, some over a century old, grown to precious little sites in the Light Pass and Krondorf regions.

The auspicious Shiraz vines at Hutton Vale can be proud of the most distinguished lineage, tracing their forebears through the illustrious Mt Edelstone property, back to the original James Busby clones, sired by Yalumba's Samuel Smith in the 1850s. The quality of fruit as it ripens on the vine really needs to be seen to be appreciated, tiny berries with supple leathery skins, open fermented and filled to a luxuriously high proportion of new oak hogsheads for two years maturation. Eden Valley Shiraz of the highest provenance, august yet elegant, resplendent and refined.

A block or two of tough, inhospitable soils on the Hutton Vale property were planted to Grenache in the 1960s. Growing conditions were so disfavourable that many of the vines failed and had to be replaced, a highly opportune setback which turned out to be a windfall, as the recalcitrant parcels were mistakenly planted with Mataro, the stylistic soulmate of Grenache. Fermented on skins for a week, followed by two years in seasoned and new French oak puncheons, loaded with red and black fruits, savouryness and licorice, a fine tannin line, supple and soft.

Ron Angas established the illustrious Mount Edelstone vineyard in 1912, the sacred site was eventually acquired by the Henschke family and has since been the source of the nation's most memorable vintages. Cuttings were taken from Mt Edelstone in the 1960s for replanting on Hutton Vale Farm. Cabernet Sauvignon arrived somewhat later, a single five acre block planted by John Angas to challenging soils which yield less than a tonne per acre. An exquisitely small batch Barossa Cabernet of marvelous intensity and the most profound provenance.

Excellent Langtons Classification. The icon wine of Houghton, from the elite Justin Vineyard at Frankland River, powerful and complex, crafted in dutiful honour of the late Jack Mann, father of Houghton Wines and sage of the Australian wine industry. Jack Mann contributed more to West Australian wine than any one else. He created styles, often way ahead of their time, yet insisted nature was the only true winemaker. From 1922 Mann made fifty one consecutive vintages at Houghton, ever challenging the standards of his day and leading by example.

Oustanding Langtons Classification. Jack Mann was one of Australia's most innovative and influential winemakers. He immersed himself in the single pursuit of producing the most stately wines while at Houghton throughout a half century of memorable vintages. Cuvee Jack Mann is Houghton's finest wine and Western Australia's most iconic Cabernet. Small amounts of peerless quality grapes, an original Houghton clone developed by Jack Mann himself, are hand picked from the very heart of a distinguished vineyard and individually considered for inclusion.

A profoundly structured, concentrated Rhône style GSM from hand tended vineyards, at the very heart of Barossa which date back to the 1800s. The old, deep rooted Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre vines accept their fate without blinking, perfectly timing their harvest to accompany the later ripening, lower alcohol Carignan and Cinsault, a small yet important part of the Miss Harry accord. These gnarled veterans have seen every poor growing season before and will again, due to their natural affinity for Barossa Valley.

A limited release Old Vine Shiraz, from fruit of peerless quality, picked off precious family managed sites around the ancient hamlets of Ebenezer and Tappa Pass. Barossa Valley is unique in the world of wine for its heritage of devoted growers, descended from the earliest Lutheran settlers. They are often blessed by a harvest of the most extraordinary fruit. Henschke are well positioned to take advantage and retain the best of the best, treating the finest Barossa Shiraz to a regimen of timeless and traditional, old world vinification techniques.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. From vines almost a century of age, established to a superior Eden Valley site, selected by one of the nation's most venerable viticulturalists. Deep loam soils and a Mediterranean climate, refreshed by cool nights, permit a slow ripening which encourages the ancient vines to yield parcels of the most extraordinary Shiraz grapes. Inaugurally bottled as a single vineyard edition in 1952, with a provenance that's second to none, Mount Edelstone represents a bespoke rival to the mighty Hill of Grace.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. Edelstone means gemstone, the vineyard itself is a single delineated historic site, planted in the early 1900s on the eastern slopes of a hill bearing the same name. Low yielding, ancient dry grown vines, an extraordinary quality of fruit and traditional hands on vinification are essential to one of the nation's most venerated Old-Vine Shiraz. Henschke first released a pure Edelstone Vineyard wine in 1952, it is internationally recognised as Australia's great first growths of Shiraz.

A tribute to the early Lutheran pioneers, many of whom carried Johann as their first name. Two thirds Grenache, with the balance of Mourvedre and Shiraz, all from low yielding, old and gnarled, dry farmed, bush grown and trellised Barossa vineyards. These precious sites yield parcels of parched but intensely flavoured fruit, in smaller berry and bunch size, exuding rare generosity and remarkable warmth. A richly concentrated palate, beautifully soft and textural, supported by fine grained tannins and a long, savoury finish.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. Hill of Grace is a unique delineated single historic vineyard, one of the nation's earliest plantings. The site lies opposite a beautiful old Lutheran Church, built of local field stone, which was euphoniously named Gnadenberg.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. Hill of Grace is surely one of the most evocative phrases in the world of wine, capturing the heart of red wine lovers everywhere. The vineyard lies opposite a beautiful old Lutheran Church, built of local field stone and named Gnadenberg which translates into Hill of Grace. Cyril Henschke, the fourth generation, made the first single vineyard Hill of Grace wine in 1958. The original vines are now a century and a half of age.

Excellent Langtons Classification. Cyril was the fourth generation of Henschke winemakers, a visionary who bottled the original Hill Of Grace and formulated one of the world's great Shiraz. Cyril acquired his Eden Valley vineyard in 1966, establishing a large planting of predominantly Riesling and Shiraz at a time when bonuses were being paid by national brands for the popular varietals. Smaller plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot followed, unfashionable at the time, they have become essential components to the final mix of fruit in Henschke Cyril.

Excellent Langtons Classification. Mostly Cabernet with a minor component of Merlot, all grown to the Henschke Eden Valley property. Cyril was the fourth generation of the Henschke family, one of Australia's great winemaking pioneers and the man who in 1958 created the wine that has so captured the heart of red wine drinkers around the world, Hill of Grace. By the mid 1950s Cyril Henschke was well acknowledged as one of the leading pioneers in the Australian wine industry. He recognised the quality of Eden Valley fruit to be superior to that of the popular Barossa.

Vintaged from a single block of magnificent old vines on the cooler climes of Eden Valley high. Heirloom are all about identifying and rejuvenating superior parcels, a patient and painstaking approach to the resurrection of venerable elder plantings, for the realization of profoundly structured, powerful yet elegant wines. Nothing less than the most superior bunches of Eden Vally Shiraz, open fermented and aged in the luxury of the finest French coopered oak, A'Lambra is remarkable for its purity of dark bramble fruit, black velvet textures and refined, graceful tannins.

There are few places on earth, so predisposed to yielding vintages of world class Shiraz. Slaughterhouse Paddock is the second oldest block of vine in all Heathcote, originally a cattle yard adjacent to the township meatworks, its soils enriched for viticulture by the passage of livestock. Hand picked whole bunches are open fermented in the traditional old world style, building sound structure and infusing splendid weight of fruit. A fleshy Terra rosa palate of intensity and concentration, preceded by peppermint and eucalypt perfumes, adorned by the dulcet vanilla sweetness of new American oak.

Single vineyard wine from the Newlans Lane block at the very heart of Heathcote, the original block of Shiraz planted to the earliest survey of red Cambrian soils, established for the historical Heathcote wineworks. The old, dry grown vines, replenished by propitious underground aquifers, are treated to just the right amount of moisture to yield harvests of impeccable quality fruit. A sensational accord of old vine Shiraz and French oak, coalesce into a seductive complexity, white pepper notes and dark fruit flowing seamlessly on the lingering mocha finish.

Tintara is a winery of two worlds. A living treasure house of tradition on the one hand, a testimony to new age winemaking on the other. Tintara Reserve is only ever produced in the best of years, vintage 2006 being the first release since the superlative 2003 edition. Sourced predominently from ancient McLaren Vale vines, well over a century old, Hardy's employ the original Tintara apparatus to hand craft some of Australia's most precious grapes into a rich Shiraz wine with a remarkably smooth palate, extraordinary complexity and conspicuously gentle tannins.

From a parcel of old Touriga Nacional vines on Block 13 of Farm 130. Grapes are carefully de stemmed for three days of cold soak, vinified through the action of natural yeasts and hand plunged thrice daily over a week of ferments, pressed and settled into seasoned French oak for fifteen months maturation. A juicy style characterised by red cherry and violet perfumes, juicy red berry characters within a light, fragrant structure dominated by its freshness and roundness of palate, a supple red wine showing great purity of fruit over a smooth length of fine savoury tannins.

Crafted from a single parcel of Durif at Block 2609 on Delves Farm, yields are low, the tiny berries are intense with flavour and wrapped in ripe juicy tannins. Grapes are de stemmed and inoculated, plunged thrice daily over a week of ferments, pressed and settled into seasoned French oak barrels for fifteen months maturation. A mouthfilling wine of black cherry and blood plum characters, dark chocolates and spice, full bodied and seductive, its structured Durif tannins in support of a mouth filling, savoury fruit driven palate, defined by its linearity, persistence and drive.

Grapes are sourced from exceptional Barossa vineyards which Grant Burge sanctions as worthy of his estate flagship, hand picked parcels exhibiting a rare intensity of character, structure and finesse. A solid backbone of Cabernet grown to Burge's own Corryton Park property in Eden Valley, flows seamlessly with the pick of fruit grown to superior vineyards lower down the Barossa hills, all characterized by their concentration of rich flavours. A Barossa Cabernet of rare virtue, to be decanted before service and treated to the alchemy of a judicious breathing.

An estate flagship wine and a blockbuster Shiraz, bunches of parched, dry grown grapes are hand picked from the elite Filsell Vineyard, smaller parcels are also sourced from even older Barossa vines, which introduces an amazing depth of character and complexity. This stunning wine is Barossa Shiraz at its best, concentrated, big and bold.

Meshach William Burge 1843-1942, was Grant's great grandfather, a central figure in establishing the Burge vineyards and estate. He was eleven years of age when his family moved from Wiltshire to the Barossa, where he toiled to develop what has grown into a thriving viticultural, wheat and sheep property near Lyndoch. Grant has selected his finest Shiraz to bear the Meshach name. Since inaugural vintage in 1988, Meshach has won several of the nation's most significant trophies and medals, generally regarded as one of Australia's first growths.

Grant Burge holds great reverence for the outstanding quality of Barossa Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre old vines fruit. He is inspired by the way they can coalesce into a wine that's so much greater than the sum of parts. Holy Trinity is modelled on the efforts of the southern Rhone, a style which early settlers recognized would excel in the idyllic climes and terroirs of Barossa Valley. An artisinally crafted wine, from grapes hand picked off old, dry grown vines, the youngest being some fifty years of age, the oldest is well over a hundred and twenty.

With a booty of twenty gold medals to date, Grant Burge's Filsell vineyard, bearing century old vines, is considered one of the finest in Barossa Valley, consistently yielding fruit of great intensity and concentration.

Planted in the early 1920s, the distinguished Filsell Vineyard is the source of fruit for Grant Burge's flagship, the highly exalted Meshach. Filsell Shiraz is affectionately known to loyal followers as the flagship Meshach Shiraz younger brother.

Grant Burge has acquired a profound and intuitive understanding of the environment, he harbours the greatest respect for nature, he is a Baron of the Barossa and personally oversees all aspects of production, from the early season maintenance of the land right through to vintage and bottling. One of the great, distinguished sites of Barossa Valley, Burge's eminent Filsell Vineyard produces the most compelling wines. A regal Barossa Shiraz of understated elegance, effortless grace and just a little touch of magic.

A third each of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre, crafted from small parcels of intensely flavoured, hand picked grapes, grown to some seriously old Barossa vines. The backbone for this engaging accord is sourced off a canon of distinguished, dry grown Barossa parcels, generally a hundred years of age. The maturity of these gnarled old plantings translates into meagre yields of the most tremendous concentration and sublime elegance.

Only ever made in the finest vintage years, the backbone of this substantive Shiraz is exceptional old vine fruit from a qabal of famed, gnarled and dry grown Barossa vineyards at Ebenezer. Bishop is assembled from components which are up front and generous, showing animated, youthful characters, as opposed to the more restrained and structured components of the sibling Glaetzers. These old veterans are young at heart, a coterie of old, very old and ancient blocks, up to a hundred and thirty years of age, are called upon to make a contribution towards the Bishop.

Anaperenna is the Roman goddess of New Year. She is also a seamless fusion of fruit from dry grown, low yielding, very old vines, some over a century of age, planted to ancient sites within the elite Ebeneezer appellation in the Barossa's north. A mostly Shiraz wine, the very low cropped Cabernet component contributes intense fruit flavours with a low extraction rate of smaller berries, large seeds and greater skin to flesh ratio. The savouryness of Cabernet combines with the generosity of Shiraz to give Anaperenna great texture and power, structure and finesse.

From a canon of distinguished, ancient vine blocks of Shiraz in the Barossa hamlet of Ebenezer. The eye of Horus is represented as a figure of six parts, corresponding to the six senses, touch and taste, hearing and thought, sight and smell. Ben Glaetzer takes aim at balancing the extraction of all the elements into this flagship Barossa Shiraz, rather than endeavouring to maximize them. The fruit holds such powerful expression that focus must be brought to bear on preserving the characteristics of outstanding old vines Shiraz.