Exceptional Langtons Classification. A profound and complete offer, akin to a mix of the 2002 and 2004 editions. Vintage 2006 is probably more like the 1986 and 1996 than the 1976. It's fabric is meshed with spices, cinnamon and vanillin pod, nutmeg and black pepper, tempered by teppanyaki sauces, almonds and amaretto. Firm throughout and across the palate, reverent tannins and oak convey and propel flavours of slowly roasting lamb avec jus, dark chocolates, cola and maraschino with a lift of menthol and rosemary to finish.

By many accounts a superior vintage and a return to the past. Grange has bypassed the fads and trends of modern winemaking in the sense that it has maintained an integrity of style and remained true to its origins in the mind of Max Schubert.

Celebrating its 50th commercial release, this wine is only the second in history to be made from 100% Barossa Valley fruit. The premium fruit sourced offers richer fruit flavours and characters, ripe tannins, flavour concentration and greater density. Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago describes the 2001 release as a wine that will last for decades.

Regardless of vintage, Grange delivers astonishing weight of fruit in a delicious, explosive style without any overpowering oak or gratuitous complexity. Strong dark Shiraz berry flavours are the hallmarks of Grange, the illustrious pantheon of eminent Penfolds winemakers have maintained the magic. Grange 2000 is an excellent example of the style, transcending a most challenging South Australian vintage. Oak plays a supportive role, perfectly integrated and absorbed. This is a wine of admirable balance, decorum and poise.

Grange is both Penfolds and arguably Australia's most famous wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Penfolds Grange displays fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The first 100% Shiraz Grange since 1963, and an excellent follow on to the.

Deep plum-red colour. Brooding nose of praline, plum and blueberry. Layered succulent and stylish full oak palate. Earthy fruit flavours of plum and chocolate and very rich chunky chewy tannins. Excellent balance and length.

Despite a difficult vintage, rigorous selection of intensely flavoured grapes from mature vines in some of the finest vineyards produced a wine that exceeded vintage expectations.

There's a noticeable cabernet component here (it's 11% cabernet), giving the flavour profile a noticeable hit of blackcurrant and a more elongated, bony, tannin-driven structure. Still, the palate does come with flights of deep, dense, dark blackberry and crushed ants, and there's a thick, malty, mentholly hit, particularly on the finish. Again, the striking thing here is the wine's balance. And with a polished array of supporting flavours: cedar, dark chocolate, Asian-spice and brooding prune, it seems that time could easily do wonders.

No other red wine in Australia can rival the reputation, consistent quality or proven development pattern of Penfolds Grange. The pinnacle of Australian reds, Grange is a rich, opulent, full-bodied Shiraz, destined for a long cellar life. The winemaking process involves great attention to detail, from selecting the best possible grapes sourced from low-yielding, old Shiraz vines, through to fermentation and fastidious oak maturation. The 1992 Grange has great complexity and balance, a powerful and rich vintage with mouth-coating tannins.

Grange began as a secret project during the 1940s and 1950s to construct Australia's ulimate red wine. The original experiments were fashioned after the great growths of Bordeaux but were dedidedly unsuccessful due to the quality of Cabernet available in Australia at the time. Penfold's banned the entire project from 1956 to 1956 due to the spiralling costs but Max Schubert continued with trials until production resumed in 1960. Vintage 2007 exhibits a generous palate profile, flavours of dates and persimmon, roasted nuts and freshly baked pecan pie.

Ever since the ambitious, experimental trials and tribulations of Max Schubert throughout the 1950s, to conceive and formulate the nation's first growth, Grange has maintained its place as Australia's most prestigious wine. A Shiraz of extraordinary dimension and power, richly textured, intensely concentrated and packed with fruit sweetness, the tasting of any Penfolds Grange regardless of vintage, is a profound and unforgettable experience. Rich and exciting in it's youth, Grange develops into an immensely complex, beguiling wine that seduces the senses.

Penfolds remarkable winemaking philosophy ensures each vintage of Penfolds Grange has its own vintage character, which continually evolves and surprises. The 2002 is at the other end of the Grange spectral offer to its previous vintage, purely as a result of two very different climatic vintages.100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.

Soon after Wine Spectator named Grange 'The Best Red Wine in the World' the price of subsequent vintage releases soared at auction. An Australian icon, Grange represents a tradition in winemaking that is totally uncompromising. Grange has bypassed the fads and trends of modern winemaking in the sense that it has maintained an integrity of style and remained true to its origins in the mind of Max Schubert. Penfolds Grange is the quality standard against which all other Australian red wines are judged. To share a magnum of Grange from one's own cellar is one of the great wine experiences.

Penfolds renowned 2000 Grange is only the fifth vintage to be made from 100% Shiraz. It is also, atypically, 100% Barossa fruit. While it is not considered to be one of the great Granges, the 2000 exhibits outstanding potential, and is much more accessible than usual. One of the top wines I tasted from this vintage, its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a big, sweet nose of blackberries. While this is no wimpy wine, it is an ideal example for readers who are unwilling to invest the patience required for the big, blockbuster Granges.

Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climate of South Australia. Penfolds Grange displays fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as the most consistent of the world's great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds' multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.

The 1995 Grange is the 45th consecutive vintage of the wine that carries the flag for the Australian wine industry. Fruit from the Barossa and the McLaren Vale, the Magill Estate and Padthaway.

Penfold's mastery at formulating superlative Shiraz and Cabernet accords is due in great part to the excellence of their vineyards, achieved through the assemblage of components into a wine which delivers true stylishness in the enduring and timeless Penfolds way. Great attention is paid to the ripeness of fruit that goes into Bin 8, making the wine fuller in style and sounder in structure. Pointedly named for the distinction of its maturation in a selection of pre loved oak barrels which have held vintages of Bin 28, Bin 128 and Bin 389.

A long and illustrious history, boasts one of the very first Penfold Bin wines. The successful styling commands universal appeal due to the intense definition of fruit, a ripe, fleshy palate structure and great generousity of flavour. Bin 28 enjoys a reputation as an immensely satisfying, early drinking Shiraz, though not for the faint of heart. It is also highly valued by collectors for its ability to mature gracefully whilst offering potential for appreciation on the secondary market. Bin 28 has twice claimed Red Wine of Year at the prestigious London International Wine Challenge.

The Kalimna vineyard is one of the finest in Australia and today produces much of the base wine for Grange. Some of the vines here are as old as one hundred years and these low yielding plants produce intensely flavoured fruit that was the inspiration for Bin 28. Today the Kalimna vineyard continues to play an integral part in Bin 28, although, like most of the Penfolds red wines, this wine is today a multi regional blend. Maturation in good seasoned oak is an integral part of this wine's character. The result is a wine rich in varietal character and a robust structure.

Bin 28 is back! Not that it ever went away, just in case anyone was wondering, but it's always worth a wait. Kalimna 28 is a showcase for warm climate Australian Shiraz, ripe, robust and generously flavoured, rich and cakey, without reliance on new oak or any excessive alcohol. Barossa Valley provides a substantial proportion of fruit, it is also home of the eminent Kalimna Vineyard, whence Bin 28 acquires its moniker. An enduring ambassador of the timeless and profound Australian Shiraz style, showing all elements in complete resonance.

A hundred and seventy years after the establishment of Australia's most internationally renowned luxury brand, Penfolds have released an exceptional vintage, single vineyard Shiraz, from the highly distinguished Block 3C at Kalimna. This ancient Barossa site is often called upon to provide the backbone of fruit for the mighty Grange. The peerless quality of harvest, to be picked off Block 3C at the end of growing season 2010, merited a pure, single Bin bottling, in timely commemoration of the most eminent marque in new world wine.

Bin 150 is pure Shiraz, vinified from fruit grown to a relatively tiny area of Barossa. The hamlet of Marananga lies very close to the centre of the Barossa Valley floor, slightly to the north and west, where warm, dry conditions and rich red soils create a mesolclime which has sired many of the Barossa's most conspicuous efforts. Bin 150 delivers a contemporary Shiraz style, framed by a mix of French and American oak, old and new, conceived from the ancient soils of a special place and crafted from fruit grown to one of Australia's earliest viticultural precincts.

Penfolds Bin 128 remains one of the purest editions within the Penfolds stable. Firstly, as a Coonawarra Shiraz, it is one of the few Penfolds reds that isn't a multi regional blend. Launched in 1962, Penfolds Bin 128 reflects the unique climate and growing conditions of the Coonawarra and the elegant style of cool-climate Shiraz. French oak highlights the pepper, spice and floral characteristics that define this style. Great attention is paid to fruit ripeness for the Bin 128, resulting in the developement of fuller Shiraz flavours, in a wine of structure and style.

In 1960 Bill Redman persuaded Max Schubert to acquire a parcel of Coonawarra Terra rossa soil and the Bin 128 experience was born. It was originally labelled as Claret, and whilst the quality of Shiraz has increased immeasurably ever since, very little has changed about how Bin 128 is made, it's vinification follows the traditional Penfolds house style. One of the few Penfold wines which are sourced exclusively from a specific region, Bin 128 reflects the uniqueness of Coonawarra and the elegant, stylish expressions of cooler climate Terra rossa Shiraz.

An assemblage of Shiraz from four of the six Paxton Certified Biodynamic vineyards, Quandong Farm and Maslin, the Jones and 19th Block, crafted with a view to expressing the brightness of flavour and sublime charm, of fruit grown to the most exacting environmentally sustainable principles. The Paxton team are focused on making wines of intensity, but also with layers of texture, good flavour and genuine interest. A superior quality of McLaren Vale through and through, Shiraz of excellent fruit character, precision and exquisite balance.

One of Heathcote's longest established winemakers, Paul Osicka planted his vines in the 1950s, when Heathcote as a winegrowing region was but a twinkle in the eye. Old fashioned practices are employed in the vineyard. Vines are hand pruned and fruit is selectively hand picked. A high profile local identity and a bit of a cult figure, Osicka specializes in raising parcels of intensely flavoured grapes which translate into vigorous Shiraz wines. Osicka's small batch production is highly anticipated each year by Shiraz enthusiasts in the know.

Paringa Estate has established an unassailable repute over the last twenty years as one of the leading small winery vineyards in the country, named Australian Winery of the Year by James Halliday. Paringa Shiraz won a total of six trophies including Best of Show at the 2006 Royal Sydney, sweeping the field with five Gold Medals and five Trophies, including the prestigious Best of Show and Best Shiraz at the 2009 Royal Sydney, as well as Best Shiraz Trophy Royal Melbourne. Vintage 2007 has claimed a total of five Gold Medals to date.

Within Paringa's superlative Mornington estate property, lie three precious blocks of vine, yielding unique harvests of the most extraordinary Shiraz. Each parcel is picked on the specific day determined by individual ripeness, to be separately vinified in a bespoke manner, aimed at preserving the individual character of terroir. Assembled into a wine of balance, power and restraint, Paringa articulates the cool climate compexity and fragrant cherry spice of Mornington, while offering the substantive structure and chocolate fruit richness of extra fine Shiraz.

Established 1841, the McLaren Vale Taranga vineyards are still owned by the founding Oliver family. Even more remarkably, Taranga wines are today crafted by a sixth generation of the original winemaker. For most of the twentieth century, Oliver Taranga sold their precious yields to other wineries, much of it was destined for the nation's most esteemed labels and memorable flagship vintages. Since 1994, the Olivers have been reserving the pick of their low yielding, old vine grapes for bottling under the Oliver Taranga label.

William and Elizabeth Oliver emigrated from Scotland, eventually settling McLaren Vale in 1841. Their homestead flourished, the sixth generation Olivers are one of the region's great winegrowing dynasties. For many years, they sold fruit to Penfolds, where it became one of the primary components to the mighty Grange. HJ is the ultra premium flagship Shiraz, purposefully crafted at the Boar's Rock wineworks. A vigorous wine offering immeasurable girth of fruit, great poise, elegance and the strength of character to evolve majestically.

The Oleary Walker team are all about making great wine, they have elected to craft their estate Shiraz from fruit grown to three slightly different terroirs. Clare Valley is all about fragrance and eloquence, refinement and elegance. McLaren Vale is all about structure and cohesion, contributing rich, licorice and chocolate fruit along with a smooth, sumptuous mouthfeel. Choice harvests from the Doctor's Block at Polish Hill River, Jefferies of Armagh and Angelo Maglieri's at McLaren Vale, are assembled into a wine of astonishing balance, opulence and grace.

David O'Leary and Nick Walker combine a wealth of experience, acquired during their time as corporate winemakers behind such labels as Hardy and Krondorf, Yellowglen and Annies Lane. From a single block of ancient, organically grown vines, established to Joan and Martin Smith's property over a hundred twenty years ago, the rich grey loam and pebbled slate soils yield an august, powerful wine. Generous and elegant, a refined seamlessness of palate and substantial weight of fruit for such very old vines, Clare Valley Shiraz of opulence and grace.

The Parish property is a ten hectare vineyard dedicated to producing the finest Shiraz possible. The extra efforts spent in managing the property and training the vines pay a good dividend, achieving harvests of the most spectacular Shiraz every year. A bounty of small but intensely flavoured berries, displaying juicy flavours, piquant spice and the elegant tannins, are crafted into a rich and full bodied McLaren Vale, offering profound structure in support of a powerful concentration of fruit.

Nillumbik means shallow earth, so named by the original inhabitants to signify a lack of top soils lost to undulating terrains. The western edges of Yarra Valley are covered by a harsh and hilly topography which can challenge winemakers as the unaccomodating soils and aspects produce grapes of concentration and intensity. Fruit is sourced from the eminent Witchmount Vineyard which claimed Best Shiraz of the World trophy at the Syrah Du Monde in 2008. A richly flavoured wine characterized by its cool climate fruit characters, blackberries, pepper and spice.

Bird in Hand is a vibrant and dynamic winery, full of life and passion. Andrew Nugent has assembled the best team and painstakingly selected the perfect terroir. It's the attention to detail and uncompromising passion for quality which have placed Bird in Hand in the very top tier of Australia's finest Shiraz. Nest Egg is an Adelaide Hills flagship, the very best Bird in Hand has to offer, only ever made in the most outstanding vintages. Aged in the finest French oak, Nest Egg evolves elegant, intense primary fruit characters, growing ever more complex and savoury over time.

Murray Street was established in 2001 by families Seppelt and Jahnke. They shared a vision of crafting small batch artisanal wines, in the painstaking old world traditions of Barossa Valley's early settlers. Murray Street's vineyard and wineworks are fortuitously positioned on a tapestry of beautiful rolling landscape near the ancient winemaking village of Greenock at the western end of Barossa. Working together with a small but dedicated team of vignerons and friends, the folks on Murray Street produce small amounts of the most intensely flavoured Shiraz.