A perennial benchmark in Coonawarra Shiraz, by a couple who have been crafting conspicuous regional editions for over thirty years. Opulent with enticing aromas, heady flavours, stylish oak and fine tannins.

One of Coonawarra's most compelling cases for Shiraz, Bowen Estate's meritorious achievements really do begin in the vineyard. Coonwarra is one of the world's most articulate terroirs, Bowen make a point of preserving the native charm of their Shiraz throughout the course of vinification and ageing in a high proportion of quality new oak. The fruit of intensive viticultural management and judicious selection, it is ultimately the grapes themselves, hand picked and sorted off the vine, which dictate the splendour in this cardinal construct of Coonawarra Shiraz.

A highly prolific wine industry trophy winner, including best single vineyard and best Shiraz at the hotly contested McLaren Vale Wine Show. A magnificent collation of old vines fruit from several pickings on the illustrious Rayner property, including a judicious measure of grapes as whole bunches, are treated to a wild indigenous yeast ferment and course of age in barrels of well seasoned French oak. A wonderfully perfumed wine defined by its suppleness and silkyness, there's more of Provence than Blewitt Springs, its endless finish resonating on a length of raspberry, apricots, cherries and spice.

Powerfully structured Shiraz wines share a long history with the parched and challenging, craggy aspects of Victoria's western districts. Viticulture was established at Avoca in 1846, Shiraz has been the varietal of choice ever since. Pyrenees Shiraz is a solid, big boned wine with swarthy tannins, bold fruit characters and enthusisatic complexity. The accomplished team at Blue Pyrenees have trained their vines to yield small bunches of Shiraz with exceptional flavour intensity, for a wine of disarming richness, astonishing balance and elegant, stately charm.

What's any special occasion without Bleasdale? Effusive and generous, Bleasdale's effervescent red gives so much more. A richly flavoured sparkler, the poly vintage Bleasdale is assembled from barrels of maturing Shiraz across several years, topped up with liqueur de tirage and treated to a secondary ferment in own bottle. An evocative palate and nose, fruits steeped in liqueur, mint and ribena, supported by a length of luscious coconut/ carob oak and toothsome, cherry ripe tannins.

Powder monkeys were rookies during the great age of sail, their job in times of ship to ship combat was to fill the ancient open muzzle cannons with gun powder and shot. A perilous internship aboard the decks on a man of war, in reference to Frank Potts term of seamanship in the Royal Navy. Potts established vines along the banks of Bremer River in the 1850s, he named his first block Powder Monkey, it remains the source of Langhorne Creek's most eminent Shiraz, a stately wine of splendid concentration and remarkable seamlessness.

Exclusively Langhorne Creek Shiraz and nothing but the finest of the pick. Bleasdale are one of the new world's great dynasties of wine, still in family hands after six generations of viticulture. Founder Frank Potts was a legendary figure who built much of the new colony's townworks. Fruit is destemmed into traditional open fermenters and pumped over several times daily, drained and pressed after a fortnight and racked to a selection of new and seasoned French and American oak hogsheads and puncheons for a year's maturation.

Bleasdale founder Frank Potts was one of the earliest and most industrious builders in the colony of South Australia, he constructed a robust and enduring system of locks and weirs in the 1850s, employed to this day for controlling the seasonal floods which breach the banks of Bremer River. The eponymously named Bremerview Shiraz is vinified from fruit grown to unique soils, a drier, full flavoured wine which shows the distinctive local characteristics of rich blackberry flavours, eucalypt aromaticness and earthy, warming tannins.

A stylish high country Shiraz, from fruit grown to the envigorating cool climes of Strathbogie Ranges. Plunkett Fowles retain many of Victoria's most splendid high altitude vineyards, the long cool ripening seasons yield harvests of the most intensely flavoured grapes with exciting milled spice characters and refined, velvet tannins. A choice component is treated to a term of age in a curious collection of large, highly precious 500 litre English oak casks which are over a hundred years of age.

Black Jack was a yankee sailor who jumped ship and joined the Castlemaine goldrush of the1850s. He remains a part of local follore. The McKenzie and Pollock families named their property after the adjacent road which commemorates the legend of Mr. Jack, planting vines on the site of an old apple orchard in the 1980s. Redolent of spice and savoury fruits, sweet and juicy on the palate, filled of plums and ripe dark berries over a backbone of fine, sweet and toasty American oak, opulent and lingering, the defining articulation of Bendigo Shiraz.

Major Thomas Mitchell surveyed the area around Bendigo in 1836, excited about his discovery of bountiful pastorals, initiating a migration of squatters and settlers into the august terroirs of Harcourt Valley. Renowned for its arcadian splendour and largess of orchard fruit, Harcourt is wine country, home to some of the most outstanding Victorian vineyards. Major's Line brings the fruit of Harcourt together with choice Blackjack parcels from Heathcote and Bendigo, plum, allspice and juicy black fruits over a trundle of succulent, toothy tannins.

Blackjack has claimed the eminent M.Chapoutier Trophy for Best Shiraz at the prestigious Le Concours des Vinson on no fewer than three occasions. Block 6 is a superior parcel of distinguished vines, renowned within the Bendigo district for producing a very high quality, intensely fruit driven Shiraz. Whilst directly adjacent to the original Blackjack plantings, Block 6 features a unique soil profile and a different clone. Block 6 always displays savoury Rhone structure and style, as opposed to the identifiably Aussie genre of Shiraz produced by Blackjack Vineyard.

Black Chook clucks to the sparkle of a lively tune. An assemblage of vintage Shiraz wines, aged in older French oak barrels where they develop layers of fruit and a rich weighty texture across the palate. A component of younger wine contributes ripe juicy red and black berry flavours. Destined to compliment turkey and pork or the richest desserts, to be served at every celebration.

From good vineyards in the McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek, an assemblage of Shiraz wines that have been vinified and aged separately, isolated on the basis of character and complexity, then woven into a tapestry of remarkable integration. Tiraged and treated to a secondary fermentation in bottle, Black Chook has developed a rich chocolate and cherry ripe palate with light biscuitty oak and gummy, chewy tannins. A luscious Sparkling Shiraz, sagaciously balanced, destined to compliment pork, turkey, and every festive engagement.

The pick of crop Adelaide Hills Shiraz, albeit in a very Cote du Rhone kind of way. Hand picked and gently destemmed into small open top vats, a fifth of the harvest remains as whole bunches, tipped over top of the ferments and treated to a minimalist, long, cool temperature vinification, minimal pump overs and gentle pigeage, followed by eighteen months in a mix of seasoned and new French oak barriques. Vivid purple, lifted aromatics, blackberry, violets and herb, juicy fruit weight, silky, slightly chalky tannins underpinning the bright acidity, Syrah of structure and superior length.

The dedicated team at Bird in Hand are driven by a determination to grow into one of the world's great wineries. Proprietor Andrew Nugent lives and works among the vines and the winery. He has assembled the best team, he's painstakingly selected the perfect terroir and is well on his way to realizing the ultimate dream. Bird in Hand is an extremely limited release which has claimed a breathtaking list of wine show accolades, including International Wine Challenge trophies for best Adelaide Hills red, best Australian red and best Australian Shiraz.

Pyrette is sourced from an impeccably positioned and managed vineyard near Colbinabbin on the Mount Camel Range. This special and unique individual parcel of vines which provides fruit is planted to the highest block over deep red, rocky Cambrian soils on a cooler easterly facing slope. The picking date is carefully assessed to capture a singular vibrancy and freshness in the fruit while retaining the mouthfilling richness and palate length so distinctive of Heathcote Shiraz. Production is limited to a precious 350 or 450 dozen each vintage.

Lawrence and Edna Schrapel toiled away in the vineyards along Bethany Road in Tanunda, establishing one of the great marques in Barossa foothills Shiraz. The work remains very hands on, the choicest parcels are set aside for a course of traditional open ferments, malolactic and pressing to a slection of exclusively new French oak barrels for a year's maturation. Its big, vibrant bouquet of fragrant wild berries, oake clove and spice, precede an opulent palate of blueberries, bramble and plum, supported fine grain tannins and juicy fruit acidity.

Every year, there was a single parcel which kept attracting the attention of Bethany winemakers. The fruit of a small property, less than five acres at the foothills of Barossa ranges, planted to vine sixty years of age, grown to classic Barossa red brown earths overlaying limestone. The small yields here deliver small berries with the most extraordinary flavour, whilst the breezes around the foothills ensure a gradual ripening of the finest tannins. Parcels that are worthy of inclusion are treated to a separate vinification and matured in the finest oak hogsheads.

Bethany's Reserves are wines of evolution rather than creation. GR has achieved the prestigious Trust Mark as one of the Barossa's most eminent Shiraz, but it's not every year that one is made. Parcels of the most exquisite grapes are picked from splendid sites and treated to an exacting vinification. With each vintage, harvests are assessed and a decision is made to determine if there is a parcel of GR quality. A formidable, full bodied classic with an enormous palate and undeniable ageing potential, only a few hundred cases are ever bottled.

From vines up to forty years of age grown to the Schrapel Vineyards, with the inclusion of parcels from neighbour's blocks in the Barossa foothills. The cornerstone wine of the Schrapel family reds, in a style which has made Barossa famous for Shiraz the world over. Parcels of perfectly ripened grapes are treated to traditional old world techniques which date back to early settlement, followed by extended maturation in fine oak. Decant for three hours then savour the spiced fruit aromas and plush plum palate alongside roast or steak.

There's good, there's better and there's Bests. The first Shiraz vines at the estate's St Andrew's vineyard were planted in 1930. The cuttings were sourced from the original 1860s plantings of Concongella Shiraz. Today these vines are still robust, producing intense spicy berries. A backbone of fruit from St Andrews is assembled with a component of good Shiraz grapes from the younger Salvation Hills site in the Grampians.

Outstanding Langton's Classification. Thomson Family Shiraz is produced from Henry Best's original 1866 plantings, only ever made in exceptional years, on average about six times a decade. The vines are cropped at less than two tonnes per acre and are meticulously hand harvested, selected and sorted. Thomson Family Shiraz was first made in 1993, one hundred years after the Thomson family settled in the area. It is produced predominantly from the fifteen rows of vines planted by Henry Best, referred to as Hermitage by Henry in his daily journal.

Sparkling Shiraz has been re-introduced to the Best's line up after almost forty years. Great Western is renowned for effervescent Shiraz, long known as Sparkling Burgundy since the early 1900s. Today's market is rediscovering the virtues of creamy red wines which can demonstrate the virtues of universal drinking appeal, good structure and fine texture. Australia can lay claim to this style as its own, completely unique, it has become Great Western's most profound contribution to the world of wine.

Given the scarcity of Best's prestige, limited release, old vineyard icons, Bin #1 affords enthusiasts their first taste of the Great Western Shiraz style and leaves them eager to discover more. A classic, cool climate, aromatic wine, floral and spicy, peppery and elegant, retaining vital Great Western fruit character. Very ready to drink upon release, in the enduring Best's style, demonstrating the unique splendor of Great Westen Shiraz. Bin 1 is a great accompaniment to fine food, the celebration of a century's history at Best's Great Western.

Excellent Langtons Classification. Bin 0 Shiraz is produced from the four original Shiraz plantings on the low yielding blocks of the historic Concongella Vineyard at Great Western. This includes nineteenth century and mid twentieth century plantings of Shiraz which yield meagre harvests of the most amazing quality grapes.

Excellent Langtons Classification. One of the nation's most enduring wines, vinified from hand picked and sorted grapes grown to the four original Shiraz plantings on the historic, low yielding Great Western blocks.

The partnership of Roger Milner and Jane Holt emerged out of a juncture in mineral exploration, eventually leading to vintages at Passing Clouds and Chateau Reynella. They selected a site just outside of the main nexus of Pyrenees estates to plant vines. Ironically settling on the very terrain operated a century earlier by a pioneer named Berry who had also planted Shiraz.

It was the superlative richness of McLaren Vale fruit that give sire to the uniquely Australian style of Sparkling Shiraz. Beresford set aside those parcels which show the greatest character and charm, for creation of a ripe, redolent effervescent style of Shiraz. Batches are slowly vinified at cooler temperatures and filled to a mix of seasoned French and American oak barrels for completion of ferments and eighteen months maturation. A velvety purple mousse invites the nose and palate into a cornucopia of ribald red fruit perfumes and succulent satsuma plum flavours.

Johannes Hugo Bernard Ben Schild relocated his family, including a young Ed Schild, to Rowland Flat in the Barossa, establishing his vineyard circa 1952 after many years of grain farming in the Mallee. Following Ben's passing in 1956, fifteen year old Ed took over the reins of the family farm to continue the work started by his father. A careful sorting of the best grapes, picked off a single low yielding parcel planted by Ben Schild in the hills overlooking Lyndoch, provides the backbone of fruit for Schild Reserve, a stately Barossa Shiraz in true blockbuster styling.

Bellarmine is a fully endowed, auspicuously high quality vineyard that yields restrained, savoury wines full of good flavour and fine balance. Since inaugural vintage, Bellarmine has been recognized for its stunning wines which have earned impressive critical acclaim. The property is an elevated site with gravelly laterite soils, established by Dr Willi Schumacher and his wife Gudrun. The couple are passionate about great wine and searched the world for a great site to plant vines before settling on the sensational property which is Bellarmine Vineyard.

The McWilliams Barwang Vineyard is trained to yield grapes which express the unique characteristics of the exclusive Hilltops region, delivering distinctive Shiraz wines. Barrel fermentations enable better integration of fruit and oak, adding another layer of complexity. In keeping with it's Rhone valley counterparts, predominantly French Vosges oak barrels are employed in the ageing process to add length and impart elegance.

A wonderful Shiraz of depth and concentration, offering elegance and finesse, crafted by the region's most accomplished winemakers at Marananga's Barossa Valley Estate. Entourage is a tribute to the rich cultural and viticultural traditions of the Barossa. Third and fourth generation growers are devoted to their plantings of Shiraz and nurture the vines to produce the finest fruit Barossa has on offer. A long standing association, commitment and understanding of the soil, really does mean that Entourage expresses the heart and soul of Barossa.

The picturesque village of Ebenezer, at the northern reaches of Barossa Valley, was established circa 1851. The first vineyards were planted with rootstock at time of settlement and have been painstakingly nurtured ever since. Today, Ebenezer is one of Australia's most eminent appellations. Dry grown grapes, stylish oak treatment, pliant tannins and finely woven flavours are pivotal to the personality of Ebenezer. Parcels which only just miss out on the internationally renowned E&E Shiraz are set aside for this very wine, attesting to the quality of fruit within.

Ta-daa! In-toe-ducing the exciting new take on Shiraz which is attracting cohorts around the globe. To satisfy Australia's growing thirst for approachable red wines with funk and easy drinking modern styling, the boys and girls at Barefoot got down and together to over deliver on a contemporary Shiraz that drinks beautifully alongside good food or even slightly chilled. So what's afoot? A deliciously sociable style of fruit forward Shiraz that's brimming with ripe cherry and spiced plum flavours, just perfect for those carefree soirees, footloose and fancy free, all puns intended.

Banrock Station upon River Muray is the perfect environment to practice environmentally friendly viticulture, and to husband sturdy vines which are the source for full flavoured Preservative Free Shiraz. Significantly, at no stage in the winemaking process is preservative SO2 added. Banrock Station take care to select healthy grapes of high quality, exhibiting concentrated flavours and spritely acids. The wine is gently handled with meticulous care throughout all stages of vinification to avoid exposure to any elements which may lead to spoilage.