Metala Original Plantings Shiraz is sourced from the original Metala Old Block and Cellar Block vines planted in 1891 and 1894 respectively. The superior vineyard sits right on the edge of the Bremer River, flooded during the winter, it's nourished by rich alluvial soils that provide natural irrigation to the vines. Planted on single wire trellises, which was at the time, cutting edge viticultural practice and nearly unheard of in the region, the ancient low-yielding vines enjoy a natural balance of fruit and leaves. Only ever released in exceptional vintages, the 1994 is an extremely rare flagship wine.

A superb accord of elite parcels Cabernet Sauvignon from the oldest De Bortoli blocks in Yarra Valley. Fruit is sourced from two estate vineyards, suitably named Old Hill and Old Back, both established 1971. A beguiling overture of seductive dark Cabernet fragrances and fragrant jube berry flavours over fine integrated tannins. Like her eponymous opera star, Melba is conspicuous for her alluring perfumes, exceptional taste and intense crescendos, before an exquisite, memorable finish.

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.

The development of the Riverina as a major winegrowing region was primarily due to the foresight of the McWilliam family. The estate's founder was greatly impressed by the soil profiles and access to irrigation. From bountiful vineyards within the McWilliam's portfolio of premium viticultural assets, the team has assembled a forward drinking Shiraz Cabernet wine with rich ripe fruit flavours and malleable tannins. Inheritance finishes long and lingering, the perfect accompaniement to grills and red wine sauté.

McWilliams has established strong relationships with good growers who train their vines to deliver the best quality wine grapes. Inheritance collates components which are brought together and vinified into a ripe, fruit driven red wine with a flavoursome palate that drinks just beautifully when served chilled.

McWilliam's inject a degree of excellence into all their production regardless of pricepoint. The winemaking team focuses on applying generations of accumulated expertise towards their expanse of vineyards in a manner that few other operations across the country can mobilize. Inheritance is fashioned to be approachable to all, an affable and flavoursome Cabernet Marlot that's built for immediate enjoyment, innately food friendly, simply splendid with bolognaise.

Peter Robertson was a Lancaster gunner during World War II. Over the course of thirty missions, he was introduced to wine by his pilot, John Seppelt of Great Western. Robertson turned to farming after the war and planted the Hilltops first vines in 1969. Robertson's Barwang property has since produced some of the most memorable vintages. Parcels from two elite blocks are vinified into a richly concentrated, classically structured Cabernet Sauvignon, showing great length of black fruit flavours, olives, currants and eucalypt, over a structure of elegant oak and sound tannins, a wine of opulence and grace.

Low alcohol wines for aspirants of fine Shiraz? The underlying strength and success of McWilliam's for generations has been the philosophy that wine is made in the country, cultivated and crafted by people who live and work amongst the vines. The skill of the team is born out by their ingenuity at effecting unique styles which begin within the vineyard and are exactingly handled to the highest standards. Enter Balance, an engaging, low alcohol and low carb wine, brimming with Shiraz plums and spice, elegant fruit and convivial tannins.

In commemoration of the year Samual McWilliams planted his first vines, 1877 is a national flagship, crafted from the best fruit of vintage. The choicest parcels of estate grown Shiraz are sourced from superior mature vines on the original McWilliams plantings at Barwang among the Hilltops. Since inaugural release, 1877 has accumulated a breathtaking list of wine show trophy wins and countless gold medals. A wine of immense power and drive, its refined line of tannin holding it all together in an act of balance and precision.

A shared interest in crafting exceptional quality wines inspired leading industry identities Alister Purbrick and Andrew McPherson to identify the choicest Victorian sites. Much of the estate plantings are old vine, a large portion of their production are destined for discerning enthusiasts overseas, the pick of crop is reserved for the most astute aficionados right here in Oz. Principle contender for best value Shiraz in the land, a palate of remarkable length, its plum and dark currant fruit characters are seasoned by complex spice notes and framed by delicate, carob oak.

Rich and flavoursome red wines continue to be an Australian favourite, McGuigan excel at delivering, year in and year out. The first thing you notice about Black Label are the lovely berry and spice aromas, followed by a generous palate of ripe red/ black fruit characters and tender tannins. Black Label is nicely balanced with splendid concentration and persistence of flavour.

Whilst the main McGuigan winery is situated within the heart of the picturesque Hunter Valley, McGuigan's multi award winning wines can source fruit from a wide and varied expanse of good vineyards. The primary aim of the innovative winemaking team is to produce a range of complimentary wine styles that deliver exceptional quality and consistency. To achieve this goal, parcels of Merlot grapes from choice sites have been assembled into Bin 3000, achieving a vibrant plummy wine with luxurious mouthfeel and gentle tannins.

Tempranillo is an early ripener which tends to develop fuller flavours and aromatics when grown to the cooler climes of Victoria's Ovens Valley. Mayford Vineyard was established within a mildly temperate amphitheatre, with a view to crafting limited yields of hand made wine. Tempranillo was a natural fit with its late bud burst and early maturity, planted on a bony ridge which restricts berries to pea size, keeping the vines inherent vigor in check. A flagship boutique effort, treated to an old world vinification, achieving an evocatively new world styling.

Since 1979 Maxwell have built a reputation for producing hand made, rich and robust red wines that combine exquisite fruit quality with structure and finesse. Shiraz is a specialty and their superlative efforts have brought Maxwell much acclaim for their definitive McLaren Vale regionality and purity of expression. The shared sentiment around the Maxwell wineworks, is that life's too short to drink bad wine. A generously proportioned Shiraz with excellent depth of flavour, long, velvety tannins and splendid palate length.

Named for the labyrinthine conifer maze along old Ellen Street adjacent to the Maxwell wineworks, Minotaur is a McLaren Vale icon, treated to a minimalist old world vinification and two years repose in a selection of the finest French oak puncheons. Exquisitely perfumed with dark tarry fruit bouquets, cherries, cigar box and caravan spice, its voluminous palate continues to unravel layers of complexity as the wine breathes and evolves. Fewer than 200 dozen are ever vintaged, an immense Shiraz of power, purity and persistence.

In 1871 Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell proposed a thought experiment which involved a hypothetical creature known to physicists as Maxwell's little demon, it has stirred debate in the science community ever since. Maxwell of Mclaren Vale have built a solid reputation for hand made, rich and robust red wines that combine exquisite fruit with solid structure and finesse. Little Demon is a triple entente of Shiraz Grenache and Mourverdre, rich, round and effusive, absolutely exquisite, even in its youth.

From nineteen invaluable rows of Reynella clone Cabernet Sauvignon, the descendants of John Reynell's original import of vine into McLaren Vale circa 1838. Planted to the crest of a cave, excavated 1916 to cultivate mushrooms in the dense limestone bluffs overlooking Maxwell vineyards. Aged twenty months in a high proportion of new French oak hogsheads, the classic Cabernet characters of currant, cherries and cassis, a generously proportioned palate underpinned by soft, chocolatey McLaren Vale tannins and seamlessly integrated cedar vanilla oak.

Experience is a wonderful thing. After many generations of trial and error, the French have learned to make a delicious drink from a harvest of pure Grenache. Maxwell employ the same approach to create a juicy, rich red wine with a gossamer palate. Maxwell's old Grenache vines have grown for nine decades on a classic contoured hill with south facing aspect. They were bush vines with their thick trunks and sprawling arms until a few years ago when they were lifted up and put on a trellis wire to keep them ripening evenly as they grow older.

Single block Shiraz from a parcel of Shiraz clone 1654, planted near the intersection of Olivers and Chalk Hill Roads at the very north of Maxwell vineyards. Deeply influenced by the unique alluvial grey brown loam soils over Tortachilla limestone, Eocene is treated to the luxury of two years age in a selection of the finest French oak hogsheads. Vibrant and animate, highly articulate of its single site provenance, generous with intense weight of fruit, the syrup blackberry, raspberry and plum flavours cascade over the length of opaque, bittersweet chocolate tannins.

Just between the southern estate boundary of Ellen Street and the Maxwell wineworks, a small vineyard of craggy, gnarled Shiraz vines planted 1953 yields a tiny harvest of the most concentrated Shiraz. Matured twenty months in a high proportion of new French and American oak hogsheads, Ellen Street's redolent nose of ripe blood plum, aniseed and vanilla presages a refined palate brimming with the trade spice complexities of old vine McLaren Vale, cinnamon and chocolates, blueberries and clove, all resolving on an expansive, elegant finish.

A plump Merlot with plummy fruit, delicately wooded, and amicably food oriented, the grapes for this wine are sourced from around the premiere Hawkes Bay region, so well recognised for the production of satisfying reds due to the favourably warm and dry climate. Vines here yield crops of the best Merlot due in part to the conditions during flowering and fruit set. Smooth drinking, softly tannined, fruit driven and approachable, Matua Merlot is very pleasant in it's youth, develops exquisite harmonies with ageing, and is excellent with all good faire.

Grown in New Zealand's North Island region of Hawkes Bay, New Zealand's warmest grape growing region. The 2003 vintage was a small harvest of very mature and ripe fruit that exhibited good varietal flavours. The vines had extensive leaf removal in the fruit zone to expose the grapes to sunlight, assisting in developing colour and flavour. A well balanced finish with firm and chewy weight and a medium tannin finish, completes this fine accord of noble red wine grapes.

The sixty year old Shiraz vines from Greenock which are the source of Eleventh Hour were ready to be uprooted due to the lack of yields and the reluctance of wine companies to pay extra for the exceptional quality fruit. Following repeated requests by Massena for access to the grapes, the growers finally decided to stop the bulldozer and retain a small area of these vines at the eleventh hour. For well informed cohorts of the Cotes du Rhône, think a warm season in Cornas meets Maxime Graillot's Crozes Hermitage from the splendid Domaine de Lises.

Welcome to the final word in libatious indulgence, the artisanal exploit of an ancient technique which concentrates fruit into a wine of remarkable intensity. This is Amarone country, where the traditional grapes of Valpolicella Classica, Corvina, Rondinella e Molinara, are spread out on bamboo racks in winter, appassimento style, to air dry the berries into little treasures bursting with flavours and perfume. Its opaque ruby colour precedes an unctuous palate of plum and cherry syrup richness, seasoned by curls of cocoa and coffee oak.

The exclusive mix of indigenous Veneto grapes, Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, made to the extravagant Amarone technique, articulating the wanton intensity of the Super Venetian style. Masi were at the very genesis of the commercialization of appassimento, a painstaking process of concentrating the flavours and natural fruit sugars in grapes as they dry under the Veneto sun, achieving a powerful red wine of heightened opulence and amazing richness. Its heady perfumes presage a velvety palate, layered with dulcet dark fruit.

MASI vinifies a modern style of red from an assemblage of traditional Veronese grapes, mostly Corvina with a lesser component of Rondinella and minor portion of Molinara. MASI drinks well with many dishes, from grilled meats to pasta. Bonacosta refers to the area at the foot of the slopes where MASI grow grapes for Amarone. The gentle aspects are endowed with rich top soils, as the vines are rejuvenated by soft valley breezes which stimulate the fruit to develop vital flavours and cozy tannins.