Unmistakably McLaren Vale, a Shiraz of exceptional colour and profound structure, freshness and barrel ferment richness, intensity of flavour and beautifully bright currant acidity. Dowie Doole are viticulturalists with a deep love of the land, partisans of good fruit from healthy vines which are part of a balanced, bio diverse environment. Harvests of physiologically ripe grapes are essential, the luxury of extended maturation in a high proportion of new oak augments the fruit and beatifies the tannins.

There really is a Dowie Doole, architect/grower Drew Dowie and international banker/grower Norm Doole. Their dedicated team have struck a purple patch with Merlot, fortifying the pick of their crop with a tenth of Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, aromaticness and length. At Dowie Doole, quality drives everything. Viticulturally, the ultimate expression of quality is in delivering harvests of the most exceptional fruit to make great wines. The requisite McLaren Merlot style of early accessibility and soft lingering flavours, gracious tannins and supportive oak.

De Bortoli has tapped into some of the McLaren Vale's best vineyards, accessing parcels of the most exquisite Shiraz. The lush maritime breezes off the Gulf St Vincent serve to refresh the vines as the grapes ripen in the idyllic Mediterranean climes. Here the Shiraz develops distinctive regional expressions, characterised by rich flavours and velvety tannins. A smooth and seamless palate of ripe dark cherry and bramble, preceded by aromas of lifted spice and toasty oak, to gladden the heart and accompany the finest faire.

A co ferment of Shiraz with a judicious soupçon of Rousanne, foot treaded in the good old fashioned way and sent to a selection of pre loved French and American oaks for a timely term of age. Its dark, savoury Shiraz perfumes are matched by cocoa and blackberries, cedar and spice, a palate of roast meats and tarry reductions, well supported by a length of juicy graphite tannins. An understatedly sophisticated style of Shiraz with a dose of je ne sais quoi that's sure to seduce the most learned and discerning of palates.

The fun and engaging Stump Jump is the perfect everyday drink, as well as a good introduction to the d'Arenberg range. While all the winemaking at d'Arenberg is artisanal and traditional, Stump Jump can further be described as an assemblage of parcels sourced off some very old bush vines. Ideally fashioned to compliment a myriad of foods, the label characterizes the humour of d'Arenberg. Like an optometrist's eye chart, test your vision by holding the bottle at arm's length. Can you read the bottom line? If so, reward yourself with another glass!

Half Grenache, the balance in Mourverdre and Shiraz, Stump Jump is an assemblage of components that flowed down from the many senior wines in the d'Arenberg stable, including parcels from a range of growers. McLaren Vale GSM that packs plenty of interest, like an Aussie Cotes-du-Rhone, with berries and spice, savoury meatyness and fragrant earth. A touch of dried herbs adds a savoury edge with fine, lifted tannins providing a long finish. It's a cracking wine with sophistication, but don't worry it's still a lot of fun.

Chester Osborn was one of the first growers to plant Tempranillo in McLaren Vale. This torrid Spanish grape is well suited to the Mediterranean climes of the region and a traditional blending partner for some of d'Arenberg's favourite old world styles. Grenache and Tempranillo work beautifully together, the Portuguese mix of Tinta Cao and Souzao provide wonderful complexity and depth. And the quirky name? Sticks and stones may break bones but will never hurt, in truth, much of the fruit is picked off sticks planted to parched, stony soils.

The vineyards and bushland which surround d'Arenberg winery are home to the native black and white kookaburra, famous for its distinctive laughing call. Much to the amusement of the winemaker's family, Chester Osborn's daughters, Alicia and Ruby, named their two wild pet kookaburras the laughing magpies. A good branding for McLaren Vale's first ever combination of the black Shiraz grape with the sweetly perfumed white Viognier. Declassified parcels of the icon Dead Arm Shiraz are assembled into the final Magpie mix.

d'Arenberg's love affair with Grenache reaches its pinnacle with Ironstone Pressings. The original block planted in 1918, on the lower side of the winery, has a plentiful amount of ironstone throughout the soil structures, which enhances the body and tannin structure of the wine. As the finished wine is a cepage of three grapes it is a matter of selecting and screening the very best Grenache barrels. They complement the Dead Arm Shiraz component which likewise complements the 28 Rd Mourvedre portion to a point where the Grenache is beautifully framed.

The High Trellis paddock has been yielding the most splendid vintages of wine since the late 19th century, so nicknamed as the vines were the first to be trained above knee height following acquisition of the property by dArenberg. For decades, High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon has been released to unanimous critical acclaim by the wine industry press and international cognoscente. Indeed, the inaugural 1968 vintage earned a place in history when it claimed Australia's most prestigious accolade, the highly coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy.

Previously known as the Old Vines Shiraz, a portion of the fruit comes off vines purchased by Joseph Rowe Osborn almost a century ago. Joseph was one of the most successful racehorse owners in South Australia until 1912, when he sold his stable to buy the d'Arenberg property. Footbolt was one of Joseph's champion horses. A very approachable wine in its youth, the soft rich middle palate, terrific texture and long rolling finish, can last for decades, as a half century of exquisite vintages have shown. Always decant The Footbolt before service.

Joseph Rowe Osborn was born in 1852, he was a lay preacher, mining speculator, public servant, teetotaler and local politician. Osborn joined Thomas Hardy & Sons in 1881, eventually becoming a partner and director. He invested in a chestnut colt which won a fortune at the races and changed his life forever. Footbolt was the first wine in McLaren Vale to be labelled as Old Vine. When the moniker became common practice it was altered to commemorate the racehorse which played a pivotal role in the establishment of d'Arenberg.

McLaren Vale was planted to Grenache long ago, when pioneers established plots of vine on their homestead farms. Grenache became rather unfashionable towards the middle of the twentieth century, Chester Osborn had the vision to acquire many of these overgrown and abandoned bush vineyards. To the layman's eye, they still look like derelict old sites, but they yield precious harvests of the most outstanding fruit. A concentrated wine with depth and complexity, oozing lozenges of winegum and prettily perfumed purple fruits.

Excellent Langtons Classification & Gold Medal 2008 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa Lata that randomly affects vineyards all over the world. Often vines affected are severely pruned or replanted. One half, or an arm of the vine slowly becomes reduced to dead wood. That side may be lifeless and brittle, but the grapes on the other side, while low yielding, display amazing intensity.

One of Australia's most celebrated reds, renowned globally as much for the struggle of the diseased vines to produce the vigorous berries, as for it's spellbinding palate, and peculiar name. An excellent vintage that ripened without interruptions.

The Dead Arm Shiraz is the very best Shiraz from one of the oldest producers, in arguably the best Shiraz producing region in the world. After time in bottle the d'Arenberg Dead Arm gains a biscuity, cinnamon, caramel and eucalyptus based bouquet on top of rich blackberry pie smells. The accent is on powerful full-bodied berry fruit flavour, with a little sweet English toffee- like oak evident on the juicy, rolling finish.

Outstanding Langtons Classification, one of Australia's most revered red wines, highly sought by enthusiasts around the globe. Named after a notorious vine blight which strikes fear into the heart of viticulturalists around the world, Darenberg's construct of Dead Arm Shiraz is an aberration of ancient, truncated, gap toothed vines which date back to 1912. A powerful red wine, vinified from the most intensely flavoured hand picked fruit, renowned by enthusiasts throughout the world, it remains one of Australia's most accessible, great icon wines.

Crafted from choice parcels of Shiraz and Grenache, picked off d'Arenberg's low yielding 19th century vineyards, very much a traditional style of wine. d'Arry's Original is named in honour of principal, d'Arry Osborn, a Winemakers Federation of Australia Patron and recipient Medal of the Order of Australia. One of d'Arenberg's most enduring labels, originally called d'Arry's Burgundy in the 1960s, when medium bodied red wines with a soft finish were always called Burgundy.

d'Arenberg own and manage nearly a third of all the old Grenache bush vines in McLaren Vale. The very first instalment by d'Arenberg to display the famous red stripe was a Grenache wine, it has been a variety central to the estate portfolio ever since. During the 1980s, d'Arenberg resisted taking part in the great government sanctioned vine pull out scheme which proved to be disastrously short sighted and an assault on national treasure. Their faith in the wizzened old vines of McLaren Vale has bestowed upon d'Arenberg the accolade of Custodian.

Coppermine Road is named after an avenue, very near the d'Arenberg property which runs parallel to the finest block of Cabernet Sauvignon vines to be found anywhere in McLaren Vale. The precious grapes are descended largely from a curious and near extinct unnamed clone which yields no more than a single tonne per acre because of its very poor setting ability and tiny berries. The quality of the fruit however is far superior, with wonderful violet and blackcurrant aromas, great acidity and long but intense, finely grained tannins.

Some would say that if you've not yet acquired a taste for Sangiovese, that you need a holiday in the Italian countryside, preferably Tuscany or Umbria! The Sangiovese grape was pioneered in Australia by Coriole Vineyards. It was first planted in 1985 with the aim of creating a wine which would be the stylistic contrast to Shiraz. With several different clones from which to select, off fully mature vines up to thirty years of age, the Coriole team can produce a profound varietal expression of this audacious and engaging Italian grape.

Coriole release several different bottlings of Shiraz each year, Redstone takes its name from the prominently red coloured ironstones, common to the vineyards and buildings of McLaren Vale. Concentrated and highly aromatic, a savoury rather than sweet palate, the maturity of fruit character reflects the quality of older vineyards. Redstone is fashioned to the popular drink now McLaren Vale style, match to roast meats or a length of flame grilled, gourmandise snags.

Coriole was first developed by Geoffrey Kay, a distant relative of the Amery Vineyard Kays. Dr Hugh Lloyd GP sewed the vines which produce Mary Kathleen during a period when the fashion was to plant in contours around the local Seaview highlands. Named after the estate's matriarch, Mary Kathleen is crafted from three small blocks, originally planted in the 1960s. Perennially lauded and famously received, Mary Kathleen is generously mouthfilling with sweet fruit, earthy regional hints and complex spice.

Excellent Langtons Classification. Hugh Lloyd founded Coriole in 1967, his eponymously labelled flagship Shiraz is harvested off a single estate vineyard which yields tiny berries of the greatest intensity. Established 1919 by by the dauntless and seminal Geoffrey Kay, it is one of Australia's grand old vineyards, the wizzened old vines were originally planted in curiously winding arcs around the slopes and undulations of the property, presenting a spectacular panorama of a marvelous old vineyard.

Coriole is one of McLaren Vale's most eminent, artisanal estates. Consecutive vintages of Coriole Shiraz have claimed a remarkable back to back San Francisco Double Gold. Exclusively estate grown, the majority of vines are some forty years of age. Coriole know from Shiraz, having grown the varietal since 1919 and rating Langtons Classification for the estate flagship Lloyd Reserve. Coriole is sylistically strong, showing exceptional concentration of flavour, elegantly lined by gentle tannins and supported by judicious oak.

The stuff of legends, who is there in Australia who has never heard of Cockfighter's Ghost? Originally crafted from Shiraz grown to a small block of ancient Hunter Valley vines, the Cockfighter's range are still made at the historic Glen Elgin wineworks, established 1895. Harvests of the finest Shiraz grapes, exhibiting vibrant spiced plum flavours and lined by juicy tannins, grown to good vineyards in McLaren Vale, have been set aside for vinification into the deeply captivating Cockfighter's Ghost.

Chateau Reynella is the birthplace of McLaren Vale Shiraz, today it is headquarters of Australia's most eminent winemaker. The original site, established by John Reynell in 1838, was the first commercial vineyard in South Australia. It remains productive to this day, yielding fruit which is processed at the original wineworks. The most exceptional parcels available to the Hardy winemaking team, those which can best represent the Chateau Reynella style, are vinified and assembled into a rich bold Shiraz of profound intensity, exquisite balance and refined silky tannins.

The site which was destined to become South Australia's first winemaking estate was planted to vines just south of the Onkaparinga River, at the northwest corner of Panalatinga and Reynell Roads. Within ten years, John Reynell became the first to export South Australian red wine. His business grew, as Chateau Reynella won over palates throughout the Empire. As his operations flourished and local businesses started up, more workers were attracted to the area and settled down, the beginnings of McLaren Vale. Significantly, one of Reynell's star employees was Thomas Hardy of Hardy Wines.

South Australia's founding winery, the headquarters of Hardy Wines, Chateau Reynella is one of our nation's oldest cellars. Vinified from the most precious parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon available to Hardy, traditionally crafted to old world techniques, employing antique basket presses and open fermenters to keep the history alive and create wines which merit perennial critical acclaim. A highly perfumed construct of McLaren Vale Cabernet, its judicious measure of spiced French vanilla oak complements the fruit richness and lingers on the memorable finish.

Chapel Hill is built around an historic stone church, so it's entirely appropriate that the estate's flagship wine be named The Vicar. More wine Vicar? A McLaren Vale icon which has previously claimed the prestigious Australia Trophy and twice collected Silver at the London International. The Vicar embodies true excellence, is only released in the best years and has only ever attended seven times in the history of Chapel Hill. Some vintages can be a smart assemblage of noble varietals, others might be fashioned from outstanding parcels of Shiraz.

Originally a Christian Bible church and parish school, Chapel Hill is set within a historic nineteenth century stone church. Situated on a picturesque hill in the McLaren Vale's magestic hills, views from the cellar door are breathtaking. The emphasis has long been on environmentally sustainable viticulture and vintages of the finest quality. Chapel Hill's estate grown Shiraz is endowed with an intense, opulent mouth coating palate, exhibiting a unique combination of power, elegance and grace.

Parson's Nose is intended to offer some respite from the more serious and stern religious connotations that are at times associated with Chapel Hill. McLaren Vale is deservedly recognized as one of the worlds leading Shiraz appellations. This can be attributed to the vitality and generosity of the region and its wines. Stylistically the aim with Parson's Nose is to showcase primary McLaren Vale Shiraz character as supported by a velvety tannin structure. Oak plays a supporting role and is utilised delicately, providing complexity without overriding the expression of fruit.

Il Vescovo is the Bishop, a medium bodied Sangiovese wine, vinified from grapes grown to the cooler climes of Kangarilla in McLaren Vale. Sangiovese is endowed with a distinctive and unique personality that exudes savouriness and rustic earthiness. The quintessential Italian red, it possesses vivacious natural acid levels which work closely with silky tannins to make it an exemplary accompaniement to food. Styled to the new wave of super Tuscans, Il Vescovo exhibits lifted berry fruit flavours, solid structure and a multi dimensional palate.

Chapel Hill is in very real terms a broad church, a great community of contemporary and indigenous artists, gourmandes and bon vivant, who celebrate daily in the benediction of good wine and endowments of McLaren Vale. The estate's wines are piously crafted to showcase the attractive and distinctive attributes of superfine Cabernet Sauvignon. Sourcing fruit from well managed vineyards ensures consistency, as it articulates the richness and diverse flavour spectrum of all good things McLaren Vale.

The Harvey family established their first vineyard in 1897, it remains productive to this day and yields the most precious harvests of McLaren Vale fruit. Six generations later, the Harveys own and operate a total of six closely managed sites, scattered throughout the premier viticultural precincts, from Kangarilla Road to Willunga and Maslin Beach. Each site was selected over the years for its uniqueness, a confluence of soil and mesoclime to assemble complex yet seamless wines, endowed with the articulate charm and seductive appeal of McLaren Vale.

From fruit grown exclusively to the prestigious Blewitt Springs Vineyard, previously the source of Shiraz grapes for several icon wines. Located at an altitude of 300 feet, Blewitt Springs is a small site enjoying cooler climes and longer ripening period than the nearby mesoclimes of Willunga and McLaren Vale. These exceptional, low yielding vines at The Springs are eighty to a hundred twenty years of age and at best yield a precious two tonnes per acre. The unique terroir of the site translates into an elegant single vineyard Shiraz with a profound depth of flavour.