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.

A sultry wine with indulgent layers of complexity, Barossa Vines GMS combines 50% Grenache, 33% Mourvedre and 17% Shiraz, from fruit grown on Grant's own vineyards and those of respected growers around the Barossa.

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.

Vinified from the Barossa's traditional Port varietals, mostly Grenache, the balance Mourveprdre and Shiraz, assembled to an average age of ten years. Grant Burge craft their exquisite Old Tawny to the Iberian Solera system, achieving a higher standard of fortified wine year after year. The spicy fruit flavours are delivered by the high proportion Grenache and add a lifted freshness to the more complex rancio characters in the background. The palate is smooth and rich, its moreish opulence is balanced by an elegant, drying finish.

Wallace is the ancestral name of Colin Gaetzer's wife, whose family hail from the old market town of Cupar in Fife. Judith's Celtic ancestry is reflected in the three elements of the Wallace label, a thistle, the cross and the arcane Celtic knot. Wallace takes on the traditional Barossa mix of Shiraz and Grenache in a thoroughly modern way. Few winemakers understand old vines fruit as well as Barons of the Barossa Ben and Colin Glaetzer, as they fashion Wallace into a comforting and indulgent mix of old world charm, dark forest fruits, cigarbox and spice.

There's a confident assuredness about Yarra Valley Shiraz but there's also the chiselled elegance of Rhone Valley varieties, Carignan and Grenache, grown, harvested and crafted in the old world way. An assemblage of choice blocks from the Sexton and Tarraford vineyards. A combination of hand picked grapes and whole bunches, treated to cold soak in separate vats and seeded for ferments, pressed at completion to dryness and gravity fed into a selection of Flarge and small oak barrels for a year an a half, assembled in the spring, racked and bottled without fining or filtration.

What to do with a humble harvest of the most splendid Riverland Grenache? Bunches of the choicest fruit are sent to fermenters for a short term of cold soak. The eye candy of its rakish pink hues presage a blossoming palate of violets, cherry and jube. Its understated elegance and affability belie sound structure, well defined fruit and genteel, leathery tannins, articulate of its pastoral Grenache provenance and alluring blush hued charm, just the ticket for pink fleshed fare, belly of tuna, salmon or duck.

Equal parts Shiraz and Grenache, a tenth of Mourverdre, all picked off blocks of dry grown McLaren Vale vines, treated to a traditional old world vinification and sent to a selection of American oak hogsheads and puncheons for an extended twenty months maturation. Brick red in colour, leading with an animated nose of savoury spiced meats and wild berry fruits, the tannins are seen but not heard, perfectly in tune with the piquant Rhonesque acidity to deliver impeccable balance and seamless structure, all before a long dark chocolate finish.

What to do with a humble harvest of precious parcels old vine Grenache? Hand picked bunches are liberated off rows of vine sixty to ninety years of age and sent to fermenters for a short term of cold soak. The eye candy of its rakish pink hues presage a blossoming palate of violets, cherry and jube. Its understated elegance and affability belie sound structure, well defined fruit and genteel, leathery tannins, articulate of its pastoral Grenache provenance and alluring old vine charm, just the ticket for pink fleshed fare, belly of tuna, salmon or duck.

Gemtree are back to basics, allowing the outstanding quality of their bio organic fruit to seak for itself. Roughly equal parts Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre, fashioned to engage the senses and to be flattering to all good food. Driven by its mineral savouryness and salacious fruit, a mere five months in seasoned French oak barriques, just enough to coalesce all parts into a seamless whole. A delicious, mouthfilling wine, resplendent with gorgeous raspberry flavours, licorice, bay leaf and black olive notes, creamy cherry oak and suave, velvetine tannins.

Shiraz and Grenache are erstwhile mates which are often paired for fashioning into a well structured, Rhone styled red. Gapsted retain some of the finest Dolcetto vineyards in Australia, the name of the grape is Italian for sweet, it makes a delicious match with Shiraz and Grenache, textural, seamless and soft, with a titillating sprinkle of spice. An amazing refresher when served slightly chilled, revitalizing as aperitif, the red wine of choice to accompany pork fennel sausages and applesauce, mozzarella lasagne or mushroom gruyere pie.

Physicians traditionally harbour a penchant for good red wine. Their analytic skills come in handy when it comes to choosing a site and establishing McLaren Vale vines. Meet the Fox Creek's bespoke elixir for good health and happy life, the perfumed lift of Grenache, juicy red berry fruits, Shiraz for fleshy plum and spice, old vine tannins for elegance and structure. Mourvedre ties the palate together as it adds tannin volume and earthy texture. An, intense berry ridden palate, which will leave you looking forward to the next sip.

From a small precious block, atop the wonderful Fire Block parcel of dry grown vines, planted way back in 1926, a salient example of old Clare Valley Shiraz. An unirrigated and hand pruned site, the vineyard practices, trellising methods and control of yields, are determined by only one criterion‚ to preserve the integrity of fruit each and every vintage. Concentration of elegant flavours, powerfully intense, yet exhibiting real elegance and charm. Pepper and plum, a touch of leather and spice, a lively palate expressing toasty berries, vinosity, spices and stalk supported by long gritty tannins.

Fire Block was excised from a large grazing property in 1923, out of concern that sparks from passing locomotives on the new Clare Valley railway could start bushfires. Situated on the western slope of the Valley, established to vines in 1926, the gnarled old veterans of Fire Block are grown to traditional dryland viticulture, with no systemic sprays or chemical fertilizers. From one of the most parched sites in Valley Clare, the vines sprout bunches of tiny shrivelled berries, yielding small volumes of intensely flavoured juices, to be vinified by the eminent O'Leary Walker winemaking team.

The essential Cotes du Rhone cepage, crafted almost exclusively from the Grenache of Grand Prebois and Syrah of Vinsobres. The inclusion of Mourverdre completes the holy trinty while contributing savouryness and pastoral charm. Filled with the fragrant fruit of Vallee Rhone and Mistral spice of Provence, Perrin Reserve makes a match with continental style grills and crumbed veal, slow braised joints and ham.

Dominated by Grenache, with slightly lesser components of Syrah and Mouvedre, off vines planted to alluvial alpine deposits and rolled pebbles over a former sea bed of the miocene epoch. An assemblage of estate grown fruit, with parcels from a seven hectare property to the west of Chateau Beaucastel and salubrious sites near the center of the village at Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Batches are vinfied according to the exacting Beaucastel technique of destemming and warming the fruit before treating the musts to a traditional south Rhone style of ferment.

A mostly old vines Grenache wine with a tenth of Carignan, planted by the Heldbig family on their Greenock farm in 1915. Parcels are hand picked and crushed into traditional open top, concrete fermenters for a long cool vinification and eight months of age in a selection of well seasoned French oak puncheons. A stunningly perfumed wine, marked by pretty cherry torte characters, strawberries and cream, berry punnet freshness and crisp raspberry notes. Its stealthy tannins and juicy bucolic savouryness resolve on a judiciously warming, fragrantly fruit filled finish.

Domaine Montirius is based near Sarrians to the northeast of Chateauneuf du Pape, in the prestigious appellations of Vacqueyras and Gigondas. Domaine Montirius make wines that are rounder and more voluptuous than their neighbouring estates. No wood is employed in the maturation, which preserves tremendous purity of fruit, expressing fully the concentration that comes from a high percentage of very old vines. Domaine Montirius Vacqueyras is a wonderfully vivacious, fuit driven wine of captivating depth and exceptional style.

Saint-Esprit is a unique wine within the appellation of Cotes-du-Rhône. The harsh prevailing Mistral wind, spawned by variations of pressure in the Rhône's north to south microclimates, is one of the essential factors in the vines development. Cuvee Saint-Esprit comes from a small valley nestled in the northern part of the Ardeche. Vineyards here are planted on granite, to southerly facing slopes near the villages of Saint-Julien and-Saint-Alban. Authorized maximum yields are a scant 2.6 tons/acre, mostly of Syrah with a little Grenache.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pierre de Beaucastel appropriated a plot of land for himself which extended fifty two saumees at Coudoulet on the Cotes du Rhone in 1549. A tradition of fine winemaking continued at Chateau Beaucastel for centuries until 1909 when management passed to Pierre Perrin, a scientist and entrepreneur who established one of the preeminent cartels of the region. Quality of fruit, the most palatable wines and sustainable methodologies remain the focus at Beaucastel, who have used no chemical fertilisers or pesticides in their vineyards since 1964.

Château des Karantes is a magnificent vineyard situated within the La Clape Appellation on Coteaux du Languedoc at the southwest of France. The domaine lies in a small valley just two minutes away from the Mediterranean between the seaside resort towns of Narbonne Plage and St. Pierre sur Mer. The site is named after a historic Bishop of Carcassonne who owned the estate hundreds of years ago. A cepage of Grenache, Syrah and Mourverdre are fashioned into an exciting wine of piquant fruit characters and crisp, refreshing tannins.

Established 1889, the winemaking heritage of Martínez Bujanda has consistently relied on the family belief, as growers, that great wine is made in the vineyard. After nearly a hundred years as mainstay grapegrower of the Rioja region, the family began construction of their own winemaking operation, Bodegas Valdemar. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Conde de Valdemar pioneered modernity in the Rioja region's wines. Martínez Bujanda gives great consideration to vineyard selection, in a quest to encapsulate the fine and unique expressions that the wonderful Rioja winegrowing region has on offer.

Clos Figueras retain some of the oldest vineyards in Priorat, Serras del Priorat is a compilation of younger vine harvests, fifteen or so years of age, fashioned into a more fruit driven style for approachability, while remaining eloquent of the excellence and sophistication which define Priorat wines. A seamless, well rounded cépage, half Grenache, the balance in Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Syrah, redolent with the perfumes of the region, tightly wound around a core of berry lozenge characters, supported by a chamois of smooth, savoury tannins.

When Charlotte and Christopher Cannan acquired Figueras in 1997, the primary attraction of the estate was a block of old Cariñena and Grenache vines, surrounded by an endowment of fallow terraces which beckoned to be brought back to productive health. Two decades later, the younger plantings of Cabernet, Mourvedre and Syrah are now fully mature, grown to grueling llicorella soils, capable of only the most frugal yields, picked by hand and treated to traditional open vat ferments, the fruit of a remarkable region which has been making wine for millennia.

Cariñena and Garnacha are the topical red wine grapes of Priorat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are commonly included to create a structured, complex style. The soils here tend to be parched and stony, perfect for punishing the vines and intensifying flavour in the grapes. Fruit is all picked by hand into twenty kilograms boxes and poured over the sorting table. Parcels are vinified in a collection of good old fashioned 2500 litres oaken vats and pigeaged by hand, before filling to well seasoned 500 litres French kogsheads and puncheons for a course of timely maturation.