Parker Estate was built from the ground up in the right way, with the intention of producing precisely this style of wine. Established in 1985 by an old hand within the industry, quality winemaking was the only priority and commercial constraints played no part in the development. A mostly Cabernet wine with small portions of Merlot and Petit Verdot, grown to an exceptional site, ranking as one of South Australia's finest. The fruit is characterised by very dark colours, super ripe flavours, excellent complexity with good alcohol, density and structure.

A rich assemblage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Frank from Yin Barun Vineyard, Merlot from the Gralaine property near Geelong and Petit Verdot from Colbinabbin Estate at Heathcote. Hanging Rock Wines know about the noble French varietals, the estate patriarch has received French Australian Chamber of Commerce Flair Award for fostering French Australian relations. Hanging Rock's young French team have treated this complex cepage of fruit to a highly stylized vinification that's aimed at the modern Australian palate.

The predominant variety in the blend has always been Cabernet sauvignon; fragrant, bright in colour and aroma, yet tannic and savoury. The Fugue benefits from the spice and zest of Cabernet franc, and the sweet earthiness of Merlot. Malbec adds inky purple colour, spicy, sappy fruit and hugely concentrated tannins. The Fugue will gather momentum as it ages, but is already quite complex.

A feast of fruit in rich Medoc styling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot for measure, treated to a fortnight of ferments and several weeks of maceration for structure and complexity, followed by eighteen months in the finest, new French oak barriques. The poise and refinement of high Eden Valley fruit is at the core of this opulent accord, black currants and fleshy black plum, varietal capsicum and herbaceousness over the warmth of delicately perfumed cedar oak. A medley of persistence, seamlessness and statuesque grace.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. The low yielding, unirrigated vines at Mount Mary Vineyard are planted to grey sandy clay loams over broken shale soils. The percentage of each varietal included into Quintet every year is determined largely by the vagaries of vintage, factors such as fruit set and quality of harvest. An extravagantly rich cepage of Cabernet and Merlot, Malbec, Verdot and Cabernet Franc, Quintet exhibits an uncanny balance which drinks beautifully, a slight alcohol lift on finish will see it through for many years to come.

A key to the success of Ribbon Vale is an astute understanding of how tannins develop through skin contact and fermentation. Through tasting, the right balance between fruit, tannin and the correct time to press is struck. Merlot is a contrary beast, the goldilocks of grapes and the porridge has to be just right. The inclusion of Cabernet Franc fulfills a long time ambition to, fashion Ribbon Vale in the style of the great right bank wines of Bordeaux. Delicious drinking now, for those who prefer the plump young flavours of Medoc in its youth.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. Established 1969 by the Pannell family, Moss Wood's Wilyabrup Vineyard is one of the finest and most picturesque in Australia. The winemaking at Moss Wood is all very scientific, countless measurements are taken as refinements and adjustments are made from year to year, attending to the vagaries of mother nature and preserving the unique personality of vintage. The profoundly silky tannins frame a wine of remarkable density and controlled power, exquisite balance and endless length of brightly lit, vigorously perfumed fruit.

Moss Wood was destined from it's very genesis to be one of the Margaret River's great Cabernet Sauvignon. Excellence is the estate's raison d'etre, all decisions made in the vineyard or at the winery are based on the effect they will ultimately have on the wine. Experimentation in the vineyard has been matched in the vinification and Moss Wood has undergone subtle refinements from year to year. The wines are given longer skin contact time during fermentation, whilst the backbone of Cabernet is enhanced by small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

The Moss Wood team perceive a commonality between vintages 2003 and 1983. Warm years and early vintage. Perhaps the only notable difference is the inclusion of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in 2003. These add lively fragrances to the nose and additional length and structure to the palate.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. Moss Wood includes portions of Cabernet Franc for its cherry and Petit Verdot which contributes bright berry perfumes and a firmer structure. Moss Wood's Cabernet Franc shows less leafiness than Cabernet and can be picked earlier, when the fruit shows ripe berry flavour, similar to summer pudding. Further ripening tends to produce dark plum notes. While still slightly green, Moss Wood's Petit Verdot has an herbal note, more coriander than leaf, an ethereal, aromatic lift, redolent of violets and sweet berries.

A base of Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller components of Petit Verdot, Malbec or Merlot. As the vineyards that supply these grapes have matured, the yields of the different varieties have varied and so the percentages in the finished wines have also changed. The makeup of the vineyard is important in resolving two key issues, seasonal variations, dictated by mother nature and style, controlled by winemakers. Cabernet produces the best wine, but the other Bordeaux varietals can play an important role in maximising quality of the finished wine.

Moss Wood were destined from their very genesis to be one of the new world's great marques in Cabernet Sauvignon. Excellence is the estate's raison d'etre, all work amongst the vines and throughout the vinification demands a no expense spared production, aimed at crafting the most statuesque vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon. Malbec contributes rich red currant notes, Petit Verdot adds confection, Merlot is all cherries and summer pudding. Luxury oak in support with toasty, coffee bean flavours and vanilla tannin for gentle, flattering grip.

One of the more profound Margaret River constructs of the complex Bordeaux blend, a cépage of Merlot and Malbec, Cabernet and Petit Verdot. Combines the blueberry and blackcurrant fruit characters of Yallingup with the perfumed violets and toothsome red currants of Cowaramup, generous fruit depth with soft oak influence, in fine support with a toasty, spiced background. Full body and sweet round flavours of cherry and other dark fruits, as well as melted chocolate, make Amy instantly appealing and oh so easy to enjoy.

De Bortoli retain some of the finest Cabernet vineyards in Yarra Valley. To make the consumate Victorian claret, parcels are assembled with a component of Syrah for suppleness and spice, while the addition of Nebbiolo contributes tannin structure and mouthfilling, old world savouryness. Resonating with fruit and filled with the weight of tiitillating pastoral complexities which will delight aspirants of truly engaging wines, match your Mimi to veal, cutlets of lamb or Bistecca alla Fiorentina.

The auspicious soils of Yarra Valley can be quite old and weathered, so much so that Cabernet Sauvignon may struggle to develop the solid tannins which are so beloved of Australian enthusiasts. A component of Sangiovese is included to contribute good natural tannin and some savouriness. A dulcet rendition of Melba which will inspire you to sing, Lucia resonates alongside grilled meats, braised rabbit or pasta with porcini e olio di tartufo.

Pyrus retains an everlasting tenure within the pantheon of great Australian wines, one of the few to win the illustrious Jimmy Watson Trophy. This statuesque Medoc cépage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Franc, picked off the most elite Coonawarra vineyards, is exactingly crafted by the most accomplished winemakers within the Lindemans team, into a dark, rich red accord of extraordinary complexity, remarkable integration, stylishness and intensity, paradoxically an Australian icon wine which can be enjoyed in its youth.

Named for the Chapel district of Lenton in Nottingham, Brae is Scottish for a small hill, which is what the Lenton Brae vineyard is situated on. Fortuitously placed within the very epicenter for superior Margaret River Cabernet, the site was planted after advisement from the proprietors of nearby Moss Wood, with which it shares a similar terroir and microclime. The inaugural vintage of Cabernet won Lenton Brae a place in the pantheon of great Margaret River estates when it claimed two trophies, including best of show, at the WA winemakers exhibition.

Distinguished Langtons Classification. One of Leeuwin Estate's crowning achievements, a statuesque, opulent yet graceful rendering of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. The cépage may vary somewhat from vintage to vintage, as inclusions of Petit Verdot or Malbec may serve to flesh out the generously proportioned Bordeaux styling. The highly accomplished team mobilize the fundamentals of vineyard and vinification to assemble a fully endowed Cabernet wine that's so much greater than the sum of parts.

Leasingham retain many precious vineyards in Valley Clare, well positioned to make the most definitive regional wines. Bin 56 is steeped in history, an exquisite accord of Cabernet Malbec that exhibits all of the virtues which have established Leasingham as one of the nation's most enduring marques. Bin 56 expresses the suppleness and elegance of the Clare Valley style, a refined yet solidly structured Cabernet wine, displaying excellent varietal lift and a concentration of dulcet fruit characters, held together by refined, elegant tannins.

Leabrook are all about crafting restricted yields of hand picked Adelaide Hills fruit through a Burgundian approach to winemaking. Vines were originally establsihed to a quarter hectare hobby block of rocky clay soil in Onkaparinga Valley, closely planted in the traditional French way, the inaugural vintages immediately started to show promise. A historic woollen mill in Lobethal was ideally suited as a wineworks. Textural, elegantly aromatic and exquisitely balanced, the limited release wines of Leabrook may not be easy to find but they are worth the challenge.

Juniper Estate was established 1973 within a picturesque setting near Wilyabrup Creek along Harmans Road. The fully mature vines are grown to auspiciously gravel loam soils which have been essential to the production of Margaret River's stellar Cabernet wines. The propitious terroir and balmy maritime climes are heaven sent for the signet Bordeaux varietals. Juniper's viticultural team assemble parcels of Cabernet and Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, to fashion an elegantly aromatic and soundly structured wine, in engaging, new world Medoc styling.

The salubrious vines at Wilyabrup can rely on plenty of sunshine for well balanced canopies, a thorough ripening and full tannin development with every vintage. A mostly Cabernet Sauvignon wine, a substantial component of Merlot with inclusions of Malbec and Cabernet Franc, fashioned to a brightly lit, fruit driven style with sound structure and moderate oak influence. Merlot provides a fleshy mid palate while the Cabernet delivers depth, integrity and length. A bliss alongside succulent, melt in the mouth braises and oven roast root vegetables.

Single Vineyard accord of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, from a closely coddled block at Lodge Hill on the eastern ranges of Valley Clare. The Cabernet may dominate but there's a sacred tradition of Malbec at play here, Jim Barry the man, often called on Malbec as an essential inclusion to his most memorable vintages. Defined by its seamlessness and gentle palate roundness, a fragrant assortment of Clare Valley mints, the tobacco of French oak and succulence of indigo fruit, mulberries and mouthfilling savouryness of black olive tannins.

Cabernet Franc is an unlikely, but interesting candidate for Icewine. With its brilliant red colour and rich flavours, Inniskillin craft a rare and exceptional, red hued Icewine, perfumed with an abundance of primary fruit fragrances on the nose, brimming with strawberry and cream flavours on the toothsome palate, textural and lengthy, before a smooth lingering finish. Renowned throughout the world of wine for its intensity and richness, Inniskillin is truly a natural wonder, extreme winemaking at its very best.

Lodovico and Piero Antinori surveyed the stunning landscapes along the Upper Maremma, among the hillsides of Bibbona, bordering the DOC Bolgheri. They were struck by the similarities of soil between the prosepective Biserno vineyards and Bordeaux, inspiring them to plant Cabernet Franc, the dominant component in Pino di Biserno, joined by varying percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. A rich cepage of the requisite Bordeaux varietals which have found a new home amongst the silty, alluvial clays and rich sand soils in Tuscany's west.

A rich cepage of the requisite Bordeaux varietals which have found a new home amongst the silty, alluvial clays and sands between Bibbona and Bolgheri in Tuscany's west. The wine industry press have been unanimous in their enthusiasm for Pino di Biserno, which improves remarkably with each new vintage.

The panorama from the slopes of Tenuta di Biserno is breathtaking, with views down to the Tyrrhenian Sea all the way to Corsica. Lodovico and Piero Antinori surveyed the land and were struck by the similarities of it's soils with those of Bordeaux. They were inspired to plant Cabernet Franc, the dominant component in Pino di Biserno, joined by varying percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. A super fine Tuscan with remarkable early drinkability which continues to enthuse the wine industry press with each new release.

Tenuta di Biserno is in western Tuscany, along the Upper Maremma, among the hills of Bibbona, bordering the DOC Bolgheri. The vineyards of Bibbona and Bolgheri relate to each other very much in the manner of Saint Emilion and Pomerol. A statuesque cepage of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot, Il Pino di Biserno is the second growth of Tenuta Biserno.

Howard Park's Great Southern vineyards again yielded a harvest of the most richly textured Cabernet Sauvignon, providing the structural backbone. A choice parcel from Margaret River has made a splendid contribution without dominating. Long, long, long! An elegant savoury wine with excellent structure, smells of cassis and cedar oak, luscious and appetising in the mouth, resolves on a finish of dusty herb tannins, lip smacking jube flavours and dulcetly perfumed oak.

Oustanding Langtons Classification. Jack Mann was one of Australia's most innovative and influential winemakers. He immersed himself in the single pursuit of producing the most stately wines while at Houghton throughout a half century of memorable vintages. Cuvee Jack Mann is Houghton's finest wine and Western Australia's most iconic Cabernet. Small amounts of peerless quality grapes, an original Houghton clone developed by Jack Mann himself, are hand picked from the very heart of a distinguished vineyard and individually considered for inclusion.

It was Charles William Ferguson who established Houghton as a national brand and lead the way for Jack Mann to advance West Australian viticulture into a leading global winegrowing region. The most exquisite parcels of Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon are vinified in traditional open top fermenters and filled to a high proportion of new Bordeaux coopered French oak barriques for sixteen months. The inclusion of a large component Malbec makes CW Ferguson a sensationally well rounded Cabernet style, wrapped in a muslin of seamless, velvet tannins.

A mostly Cabernet wine with a tenth of Merlot, a jot of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, representing almost a third of Hollick's annual production. Previous vintages of Tannery Block have won numerous prestigious awards, including the pre-eminent Jimmy Watson, Robert Bryce and Arthur Kelman Trophies. This uniquely Australian style is fashioned in the tradition of the great Cabernet Merlot accords which have made Coonawarra renowned for red wine throughout the world. So named after the leather tanning pits on the original Hollick property in Coonawarra.

An opulent accord of the most superior single vineyard Adelaide Hills Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, picked off Stephen and Prue Henschke's exceptional site at Lenswood. This eminently distinguished vineyard was established among the historical homesteads along Coldstore Road by the first settler T N Mitchell in the late 1800s, these prestigious parcels are known to locals as Abbotts Flat. The property yields the most superlative quality Merlot to be found anywhere on the Adelaide Hills.

Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with a fifth of Merlot off the Hay Shed Hill estate vineyard on Harmans Mill Road at Wilyabrup. Grapes are all de stemmed into open topped fermenters for a traditional course of hand pumpovers on skins, followed by a year's French oak maturation. Blooming with intense berry fruits, cassis and chocolate mint notes over bramble and cedar oak. In well defined Margaret River Cab Merlot styling, an indulgent array of ripe, juicy blue fruit flavours over a fine length of melt in the mouth, carob tannins.