The Braydun Hill flagship, a single vineyard Shiraz of sound structure, controlled power and grace, which consistenty claims conspicuous national wine show awards, vintage after vintage. The auspicious southern ocean breezes and maritime climes stimulate the vines into yielding meagre harvests of intensely flavoured fruit. Defined by an exquisite balance between malleable tannins, elegant acidity and creamy nutmeg oak, Braydun Hill showcases the luscious, nutella berry characters of all good things McLaren Vale, small yield, boutique vineyard Shiraz at it's finest.

Laira Vineyard was established by Captain Stentiford in 1893 on a choice parcel of Coonawarra land, one of the salient Terra Rossa plantings. Eric Brand, first Patron of Coonawarra, became custodian of the vineyard more than half a century later. From a selection of the finest grapes, hand picked off the most precious blocks, Stentiford represents the jewel in the crown of Coonawarra Shiraz, a bottle aged wine of peerless quality, matured under the estate cellars until release.

From fruit grown to one of Coonawarra's most eninent small vineyards, the superior Brand's Laira Block 1, planted in 1971. The precious vines yield scant harvests of the most extraordinary quality grapes which translate into the most remarkable wine. McWilliams reserve the elite parcels from this treasured viticultural asset to construct a pure single vineyard wine, one of the nation's great editions of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dedication to the revival and husbandry of wayward old vineyards are essential to the wines of Bodegas Tridente. There are some forty evocative and inspiring parcels of Tempranillo throughout Castilla y León which contribute fruit, all are superior, Rejón is the oldest and most distinguished, 130 years of age near the hamlet of El Pego. The precious grapes are all hand sorted and hand picked, the best bunches are fermented in small traditional vats and filled to the finest French oak barriques for an extended term of twenty months maturation.

The very limited range of Atalaya are all consistent in their structure and intensity, vintages of the most remarkable concentration, boundless in their generosity yet seamless, they speak volumes about the frugal soils whence they originate. Alaya Tierra is the estate flagship, a powerful, opaque wine, pure Grenache at its old vine, old world finest, crafted from the reduced little berries of fifty year old plantings, tiny yields of precious fruit, picked off the most superior blocks on the thirsty, sun drenched climes of Almansa in Castile La Mancha.

An exclusively Tempranillo wine, Bodega Alion caused a great stir amongst the industry press after their inaugural release. Fruit is collated from the most splendid vineyards along Ribera Del Duero, treated to a traditional, old world vinification, followed by a term of extravagant new oak maturation and a year or more in the stillness of the bottle before release. A refined Spaniard of the most opulent and intense character, a complex and well fleshed wine, distinguished by its elegance, seamlessness and remarkable structure.

A pure Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) wine from vineyards adjacent the Bodega Alion wineworks and from mother company Vega Sicilia's own estate properties at Valbuena. Alion is crafted in the modern Bordeaux cru classe style, using up to date equipment and lots of new French oak.

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.

Bleasdale are Australia's second oldest family owned winery, established 1850 by English migrant Frank Potts. Potts built much of Adelaide's early colonial works before settling down to his homestead at Langhorne Creek. A prolific accumulator of trophys and gold medals, Bleasdale has claimed Best Australian Red Trophy at the prestigious London International Wine Challenge. An excruciatingly limited release Cabernet Sauvignon, assembled around a core of elite parcels picked off the Bleasdale estate Mullianna and Reed Patch Blocks.

A rigorous tasting selection of the best barrels Malbec from a superior Langhorne Creek site, only ever made to small batch techniques in the most exceptional vintage years. Fruit is destemmed and open fermented, pumped over four times daily and pressed into a selection of well seasoned French oak puncheons for malolactic and a year's maturation. The ultimate expression of Malbec from Bleasdale, rich and full bodied, intense violet, boysenberry and black olive characters throughout, powerful fruit flavour and firm grape tannin structure.

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.

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.

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.

Excellent Langtons Classification. Shiraz has been produced at Best's Great Western since the late 1800s, although an actual date of the inaugural Bin 0 has been lost in the annals of time. Top of the league from start to finish, what is certain is that Bin 0 is generally produced from Best's oldest plantings, selected from the lowest 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.

A historical clone of early settler Grenache, crafted to a style of even greater palate weight, velvet in texture and sleek of tannin, leading with its nubile nose of cumin, cloves and fragrant star anise. Bekkers retain the precious harvest from a princely parcel of dry grown fruit, hand picked off an old, unirrigated vineyard just outside McLaren Vale. Essential inclusions of Grenache from a few good rows of vine at Kangarilla, Blewitt Springs and Onkaparinga Hills, contribute a bouquet garni of pretty aromatics and savoury Indian spice.

Bay of Fires are artfully crafted to achieve the velvety seamlessness adored by true Pinot files. The small but highly accomplished winemaking team are driven by a philosophy to capture and retain a tight weave of the distinctive and intense fruit expressions from individual vineyards, preserved within the very bottle. After many years developing the finest vineyards across the length and breadth of the apple isle's premiere viticultural precincts, Bay Of Fires can collate parcels from the choicest sites, from which to assemble a spectacular construct of Tasmanian Pinot Noir.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. There are a number of fundamentals at Bass Phillip which define the excellence of the wines. Painfully low yields are non negotiable, rigorous cropping to produce half the fruit of a Grand Cru Burgundy vineyard is essential. A minmalist handling of the ferments to avoid tearing the wine is imperative for retaining textural integrity. A little over half a pound of grapes are selectively picked off the original estate plantings at Leongatha, now over thirty years of age, they are source of Australia's most superior vintages of Pinot Noir.

Phillip Jones was inspired by the great growths of La Belle France, to abondon his career as research scientist and plant Bordeaux varietal clones amongst the pasturelands of Gippsland. All good men of science are persuaded by the facts, a few fruitless vintages convinced Jones to apply his efforts to the noble grapes of Burgundy, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay. Jones makes wine like a shaman, his standards of viticulture are at one with local flora and fauna, for the realization of vintages which are crafted through an analytic focus on the sanctity of the wine's texture.

Exclusively single vineyard Pinot Noir, drawing fruit from extremely low cropped, windswept vines, stimulated by chilly maritime breezes, not far from Phillip Island and Wilson's Promontary. Phillip Jones has been producing icon Australian Pinot Noir from the cool climes of Leongatha at Gippsland for over two decades. A biodynamic, fully organic viticulture is matched by old fashioned, highly artisanal standards of vinification. Much attention is paid to the handling of ferments and movement of the juices, retaining the refinement and textural integrity of the wine.

A bravely accoutred style, from Barringwood's favourite plantings of Pinot Noir, dressed in bright cherry baubles and raspberry robes, framed by curls of cinnamon sasafras oak, underpinned by a bustle of soft taffeta tannins. It's all little vineyard fruit, just a small hectarage of fancy clone Pinot, passionately nurtured by locals born and bred, made to an old fashioned regimen of tranquil winemaking. A measure of whole bunch clusters and extended term in fine French oak, contribute character and complexity to a prepossessing palate of persimmon, plumcot and peacock tails.