Dr Peter and Elizabeth Pratten have spent the last thirty years successfully realizing their aspirations of establishing a stately range of west coast wines defined by their remarkable elegance and style. A focus on the rudiments of world class viticulture has been the foundation, the dedicated team works to the belief that allying their efforts with nature is the best way to produce great wine. The pick of harvest from the stately Capel Vale vineyard at Mt Barker, richly styled, full bodied,. brimming of powerful red and black fruit characters, ripe plums, bramble, black cherry spice, all supported by a seamless length of firm, fine grained tannins.

Capel Vale played an important role in the establishment of West Australian viticulture and the recognition of Mount Barker as a world class winegrowing region. The ocean breezes here are the cleanest and most pristine to be found anywhere. Cool and windy with overcast skies, planted to propitious soils overlooking the Porongurup Mount Ranges, a profound microclime for harvests of the most sensational Shiraz grapes. A bloom of violet and bramble bouquets before a seamless, plushly lined palate, seasoned by a sprinkle of aromatic pepper notes, supported by a carpet of tightly woven tannins.

Cape Mentelle draws inspiration from the tasty red styles of Vallée du Rhône. Fruit is treated to an old world style of vinification, aimed at retaining all the well defined Margaret River fruit characters, along with the more savoury, spicy elements of the vineyard. Growing season 2008 was quickly recognized by industry pundits as a great vintage year, yielding red wines of excellent tannin structure and exquisite length. The archetypal Margaret River Shiraz, endowed with alluring bouquets, a dense palate and ripe, gripping tannins.

An assemblage of Shiraz from the estate Foxcliffe and Kayella vineyards, fashioned into a style which draws inspiration from the timeless classics of la Vallee Rhône. The wine is treated to the most extravagant techniques, a complete destemming, cold soaking, and a traditional vinification. Aged in a mix of large oak vats and small barriques to retain the refined fruit and floral characters along with the more savoury, spicy elements derived from the vineyard. The result is a highly concentrated Shiraz with great richness and depth.

A superior backbone of estate grown Shiraz from Cape Mentelle’s Crossroads vineyard, to the south of Witchcliffe, is assembled around harvests from a collation of hand chosen Margaret River sites. Marmaduke is a fruit forward, soft and spicy red wine, offering a mouth filling palate of juicy cherry and black berry flavours, pepper and dusty spice, over a support of firm yet hospitable tannins, the distinctive hallmarks of refined yet approachable Margaret River Shiraz.

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.

Native Goose is sourced from choice McLaren Vale and Willunga vines, between 45 and 120 years of age, planted to a mixture of rich clay soils and red/ brown loams. A portion is sourced from the estate property at Blewitt Springs, the same block used for the iconic Old Vine Reserve. Moderate rainfalls contribute to a harvest of small berries with a yield of about three tonne per acre. The combination of dry grown viticulture, fertile soils and warm weather concentrates the fruit and makes a deeply flavoured Shiraz wine.

The original Bobbie Burns site was established by John Campbell in the 1870s, it was the first vineyard in Rutherglen to be replanted with phylloxera resistant stock. Bobbie Burns has since commanded a peerless reputation for delivering an Australian icon wine that's accessible to all, sharing the power and potency of Rutherglen Shiraz. Showing exquisite balance and structure while drinking brilliantly on release, a splendid red wine to enjoy with confidence, whatever its age, alongside warming meat and potato recipes or spiced and marinated grills.

Cambrian Ridge takes its name from the precious terroirs which sprout some of the world's best Shiraz. A low yielding vineyard which produces harvests of the most intensely flavoured grapes, normally picked early in the vintage, to be vinified and aged until bottling the following January. Heathcote Shiraz enthusiasts take note, this is one to embrace and to bond with.

Buller of Rutherglen holds amazing stocks of aged red in barrel which it calls upon from time to time, to blend into superlative and extremely limited releases. Inspiration and the high art of blending are the catalysts for this stalwart winery's precious little specials, and in this instance they've brought together an uncompromising cuvee of 15% 1972, 37% 1988 and 48% 1996 vintages which have been topped up with a liqueur doseage to undergo a second fermentation. A currant jelly-like colour and mousse bordering on whipped strawberry leads to a magnificently round and contented palate of dry and sweet ju-jube-like flavours.

A stylish young red by Lake Breeze, one of Langhorne Creek's most highly venerated wineries. This Bullant wraps the palate with lively fruit forward Shiraz characters, plummyness and spice, swathed in smooth chocolatey tannins. Beautifully balanced and representing exceptional value, Bullant makes for satisfying early drinking whilst offering the substance to see it through a spell of cellaring. As you're enjoying the wine, spare a thought for the fruit pickers and farmhands who danced in abandon amongst the vines, to avoid the menacing bullants!

Buckshot is a reference to the splendid ironstone pebble soils which pervade some of the more propitious Heathcote sites, instrumental in allowing a singular combination of water retention and drainage, while promoting superior root penetration. Small batch winemaker Rob Peebles sources a very special parcel of Shiraz from a unique five acre block, off vines forty years of age, within the eminent Davies Vineyard, an auspicious site which also supplies fruit to the venerable Two Hands and Bindi labels, as well as Domaine Chandon.

Five generations of viticulture make Browns one of the few family owned labels still producing outstanding vintages of Padthaway Shiraz. Planted predominately to the renowned Terra Roa over limestone super soils, Brown's vineyards have long provided the harvests for the nation's leading brands. Treated to an extended term of age in the pick of American and French oak hogsheads, T-Trellis is a big, generous, complex earthy wine, led by magnificent bouquets of savoury floral, chewy licorice and winegum spice, Shiraz of seamless balance, supported by ripe, mouthfilling berry flavours.

From Shiraz grapes grown principally to the illustrious Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard. Fruit has been left on the vine to achieve high sugar levels, making a rich, complex fortified wine. A favourite at Milawa, this magnificent mix of ancient Tawnies ates back to choice vintages of the 1950s with selected material from the best years since. Divine and unsurpassable, the flavours are many and complex. An ambrosia of raisin, liquorice and tobacco, brought forward by the timeless freshness of malty citrus and ripe orchard fruits.

Brown Brothers retain a heritage of fine winemaking which is almost as old as Victorian viticulture itself. Colonial officials are recorded as praising the quality of Brown Brothers Shiraz as far back as 1889. They have since established, an inventory of the most distinguished vineyards. The Shiraz from their Heathcote property has been an essential component to many of Brown Brothers most memorable vintages. As a pure, single vineyard wine, it affords aspirants the opportunity to savour the pick of Heathcote's crop, the first choice alongside a flame seared, well marbled cut of beef.

Patricia is a muscular and complex flagship wine, named for the estate's matriarch, a tour de force of Victorian Shiraz, defined by a reverential handling of fruit, picked off Victoria's most exclusive vineyards. A sensational backbone from the distinguished Brown Brothers Heathcote block is vinified alongside parcels from superior sites in Bendigo, Henty and Valley King. A rich course of oak barrel ferments is followed by eighteen months in a luxuriously high proportion of new, French and American puncheons and barriques. Patricia finishes with immense length, profound elegance and fine, velvet tannins.

Brothers In Arms are made from the finest Langhorne Creek fruit. The excellence of the brand came to the attention of connoisseurs around the world, Brothers In Arms were ultimately awarded the prestigious George Mackay Trophy for Australia's greatest export. Seamless and stylish, magnificently balanced, this exclusively estate grown effort is harvested off vines which are the progeny of twenty individual historical plantings on the distinguished Metala property at Langhorne Creek. The original Metala site is still producing outstanding wine from plantings which are well over a century old.

The historic Metala Vineyard has been in family hands since since the 1850s. Closely managed by fifth generation viticulturalist Guy Adams, the heritage property is the source of fruit for the national icon Metala label. Adam's family has been growing grapes since 1891, he still keeps a close watch over his vineyard which is just two minutes down the road from home. The pick of Langhorne Creek Shiraz, off three elite estate blocks, is treated to a highly traditional vinification, followed by an extravagant two years repose in a selection of the very finest French oak.

Number 6 is a reference to the sixth generation of Adams family to grow wine grapes on the historic Metala property at Langhorne Creek. Arthur Formby planted twenty one rows of Shiraz here in 1891 and a further 5½ acres in 1894, much of which is still producing outstanding quality fruit. The wines of Metala are legendary and represent many of Langhorne Creek's most memorable vintages. An intense but balanced Shiraz wine of delicious, gently spiced plum flavours and regional eucalypt minty notes, supported by fine, velvet tannins.

Since Margaret River makes Shiraz as good as it gets anywhere in the world, why trifle with nature's finest? Verse 1 is crafted with a minimum of intervention from the best quality fruit. Elegantly structured, an exciting Shiraz exhibting the stylish hallmarks of the region, medium bodied and flavoursome, maintaining true elegance and varietal definition. Expressions of spiced peppery fruit on the nose and palate, notes of berries and plum are enhanced by subtle nuances of cedar and French vanilla oak, the perfect accompaniement to osso bucco and lamb.

Growing happily to deep sandy soils in the premiere precincts of McLaren Flat, the remarkable vines on Wade Block 2 were sourced as cuttings from a distinguished, old site very nearby and replanted to their own roots. The extraordinary quality of Shiraz from Wade Block 2 merits a single vineyard wine, distinctive, articulate and complex. Its gracefully perfumed nose, penetrating palate and showroom tannins, define Wade Block 2 as a profound and evocative expression of McLaren Vale, albeit, uncannily eloquent of the stately Brokenwood style.

Hunter Valley Shiraz is defined by its poise, a medium bodied style of lighter hues, elegant restraint and supple tannins. Brokenwood also retain vineyards a little further afield, amongst the Blewitt Springs and McLaren Flats of McLaren Vale. The fruit here makes a wine of greater substance and palate weight. A choice parcel from a superlative Beechworth site, contributes to a concord of astonishing balance, the chocolateyness of McLaren Vale coats the crisp red fruits of the Hunter, coalescing into a dulcet cherry ripe of tensile tannins and background coconut oak.

Previous vintage claimed Best Red of Show and Best Rhône Red Shiraz/ Grenache at the London International Wine Challenge. 10,000 wines were judged by over 500 judges before conferring this terrific accolade. The 2000 vintage remains a remarkable follow up. The Old Shiraz vines on the Rayner Vineyard are unirrigated, deeply rooted and extensively systemized into clay below the sand. Generally they withstand the toughest of years yielding small amounts of concentrated wines, offering heady aromas and deep complexities.

A seamless red wine, brimming with the requisite panache of all things Brokenwood, centred around a backbone of intensely flavoured McLaren Vale Shiraz. The winemaking team are always keen to find dedicated growers with superior vineyards who are on the ball about the quality of fruit that's central to the Brokenwood label. A heightened level of complexity is at the core, fashioned to express the character and charm of each vineyard, generously proportioned and layered with ripe, juicy flavours, followed by a satisfyingly savoury, mouthfilling finish.

There's never much Hunter Valley Shiraz around but it always represents an engaging experience in elegance and style, especially if it's made from grapes picked off the unnervingly named Graveyard Vineyard. The oldest vines on the Graveyard property are amongst the first growth of Australian Shiraz, younger blocks are called upon for the construct of a regional Hunter Valley edition, exhibiting superior structure and penetrating fruit, refined elocution and exquisite grace.

Exceptional Langtons Classification. Graveyard is the jewel of the Brokenwood crown, it endures as one of the nation's great first growths. A word to the squeamish, the property may have been zoned as Pokolbin cemetery in 1882 but was never populated. Established to descendants of colonial rootstock in 1968, the vines at Graveyard struggle to yield meagre harvests of the most intense berries. A Shiraz of outstanding line, as Len Evans coined the phrase, to convey fine structure, exquisite balance and generous palate length.

Nestled amongst the undulating terrains of Orange, planted to rich volcanic soils atop the chilly, elevated aspects of Great Dividing Range, within an exclusive dress circle of elite sites along the slopes of Mount Canobolas, the six hectare Forest Edge Vineyard yields a quality of Shiraz that's most worthy of the Brokenwood moniker. A limited release wine crafted from the pick of vintage, Forest Edge Shiraz is conspicuous for its elegant milled spice perfumes, opaque black bramble fruit flavours and stealthy, velvet tannins.

Parcels of Shiraz for this stunning wine are selected from a unique site at the heart of Heathcote appellation. Premium parcels are collated from Marong and from the estate vineyard at Harcourt. Winemaker Adam P. Marks firm belief is that good fruit should be treated gently and with minimal intervention. All blocks are trellised to vertical shoot positioning system, the growers employ a regimen of traditional viticultural techniques, organics and crop thinning to produce small but precious yields of less than 2½ tonnes per acre.

Following a visit to France where he studied the ancient pastoral practices of breeding the world's best chickens, Adam Marks gained the inspiration to create great Australian wines in the very same manner, adopting an artisanal approach to production, employing traditional, age old methods. Coq Noir is the flagship Shiraz by one of Victoria's most adroit, small batch producers. An opulent effort vinified from parcels of the most intense fruit, bottled without fining or filtration, which may deposit a harmless sediment, decanting is a must.

Following a visit to France where he studied the ancient pastoral practices of breeding the world's best chickens, Adam Marks gained the inspiration to create great Australian wines in the very same manner, adopting an artisanal approach to production, employing traditional, age old methods. Gold Label is the flagship Shiraz by one of Victoria's most adroit, small batch producers. An opulent effort vinified from parcels of the most intense fruit, bottled without fining or filtration, which may deposit a harmless sediment, so decanting is a must.

Selkirk is a small Scottish border town, ancestral home of Bremerton's Willson family. A source of fruit to some of Australia's most esteemed labels and memorable vintages, Rebecca Willson and her team have taken the quality of their wines to new standards. She keeps the pick of the crop for the Bremerton label. Langhorne Creek Shiraz has long been the secret ingredient to many triumphs on the national wine show circuit. Meticulous vineyard management and controlled yields achieve the quality of fruit that's so central to the creation of Selkirk.

Old Adam is the zenith of Langhorne Creek viticulture, it holds a place within the pantheon of great Australian Shiraz. The Willson family established a reputation for excellence, after providing fruit for many of the nation's most memorable vintages and illustrious wines. Old Adam is the pick of the Willson crop, isolated from the finest parcels off the very best blocks, treated to the most fastidious barrel selection. An extremely limited release wine to be cherished and savoured, a most remarkable rendering of new world Shiraz.

Established to an auspicious north westerly slope overlooking McLaren Vale, planted to a propitious patch of paringa loams, the felicitious vines at Braydun Hill are stimulated by a rare confluence of environmemtals and clime to yield meagre harvests of simply exceptional Shiraz. Livestock are an inseparable part of the ecosystem, sheep are moved into the vineyard after vintage, where they ruminate until budburst, providing the perfect feed for viticulture. Healthy vines and immaculate fruit, the Shiraz of choice to match wagyu beef and juicy pink lamb.

For many generations, Braydun Hill was a grazing site. Cattle, sheep and angora enriched the soils, preparing the land for viticulture. Tony Bradley-Dunn brought his experience at hand making wines from fruit picked off hedgerows on the English countryside to McLaren Vale, where he planted the Braydun Hill property to vines in 1998. From the inaugural vintage of 2001, Braydun Hill have received overwhelming acclaim for the oustanding quality of Shiraz.

Carol and Tony Dunn established their McLaren Vale homestead to herds of angora goat in the 1990s. Conspicuous trophy victories and industry accolades however, proved unnegotiable at a time when the market for mohair and fine fleece was on the decline. Viticulture was the next port of call, rootstock was sourced from Don Oliver's property, a source of Shiraz for the mighty Penfolds Grange, several hectares were planted and the inaugural harvest arrived in 2001. An elegant fruit forward style to match melted cheese recipes or crumbed cotoletta of lamb.

Tony Dunn learned to make small batch wine from fruit picked off hedgerows on the English countryside. After converting his McLaren Vale grazing property to viticulture in the 1990s, Dunn called upon his bucolic experiences amongst the English country laneways, to craft vintages of superlative limited release Shiraz which have claimed conspicuous national and international wine show accolades. The pick of Braydun Hill crop is reserved for bottling behind the Premium Single Vineyard moniker, a generously proportioned wine of elegance, structure and striking poise.

No estate winery can make the case for synergy between grazing and viticulture as well as Braydun Hill, decorated with significant industry accolades for superlative Shiraz as well as the excellence of their angora wool. The vineyard itself is the quintessence of clean and green, pesticide free and a self sustaining biosphere. Everything is done on a small yield basis, vines are micro managed and the hand picked grapes are all sorted before inclusion. A seamless McLaren Vale Shiraz, treated to an extended term of oak, fashioned to a stately accord old and new world styling.

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.

At Braydun Hill, no effort is spared in the pursuit of perfection. Shiraz is the fruit of choice, selectively hand picked off sacred rootstock, which can trace a lineage to the most memorable vintages and superior marques in the land. Those parcels which can best exhibit the level of exuberance essential for a sparkling style, are crafted through true Methode traditionelle into a luxuriously effervescent wine, brimming with glorious mousse, opulent perfumes and multi dimensional palate, framed by an elegant veneer of oak and supported by, velvetine, liquorice tannins.

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.

McWilliam's acquired the eminent Laira property in the 1990s and are now one of the largest landholders in Coonawarra. The stately Laira Vineyard is widely regarded as one of Coonawarra's very finest plantings of Shiraz. The only locally grown grape variety until 1950, Shiraz has played an important role in establishing Coonawarra's international reputation as Australia's preeminent red winegrowing region. Laira offers the timeless and enduring style of Coonawarra Shiraz, a distinctly regional wine of great length and superb balance.