Superior vintages from a tally of graceful old sites. The pick of elite vineyard Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir, a precious parcel of heirloom clones of course, planted to a single, bespoke site of propitious free draining quartz slopes. Whole bunches of fruit are traditionally open fermented and basket pressed, treated to the top cut of French coopered oak, bottled unfiltered and unfined. Its perfume of pudding fruits, punnett of ripening cherries, boysenberry and mossy forest floor, sheathed behind a veil of oaken vanilla cedar and freshly milled spice.

Merlot is planted to rocky outcrops where top soils are thin, resulting in a restricted water holding capacity which encourages lower yields, simply ideal for achieving great intensity of flavour and colour. Working with the challenging natural surroundings, the winemaking team try to capture the flavour and balance of the grapes in their purest essence.

There are few places on earth, so predisposed to yielding vintages of world class Shiraz. Slaughterhouse Paddock is the second oldest block of vine in all Heathcote, originally a cattle yard adjacent to the township meatworks, its soils enriched for viticulture by the passage of livestock. Hand picked whole bunches are open fermented in the traditional old world style, building sound structure and infusing splendid weight of fruit. A fleshy Terra rosa palate of intensity and concentration, preceded by peppermint and eucalypt perfumes, adorned by the dulcet vanilla sweetness of new American oak.

Single vineyard wine from the Newlans Lane block at the very heart of Heathcote, the original block of Shiraz planted to the earliest survey of red Cambrian soils, established for the historical Heathcote wineworks. The old, dry grown vines, replenished by propitious underground aquifers, are treated to just the right amount of moisture to yield harvests of impeccable quality fruit. A sensational accord of old vine Shiraz and French oak, coalesce into a seductive complexity, white pepper notes and dark fruit flowing seamlessly on the lingering mocha finish.

One of the earliest commercial winemaking operations ever established in Victoria. Heathcote Winery can also boast some of the oldest Australian plantings of Viognier. The winery building dates back to 1854 when it serviced miners seeking their fortune in the heady days of the Victorian gold rush. Shiraz with a splash of Viognier is predominantly sourced from estate vineyards on the periphery of Heathcote township, harvested just when the chunky tannins, cherry acids, natural grape sugars and bold red Heathcote earth characters are at their peak.

Not many country towns can boast a winery on the main street, but at Heathcote it's a part of the scenery. Heathcote is renowned throughout the world for producing much of Australia's finest Shiraz. Enter the Cravens Place, an elegant effort, stylish and quintessentially Heathcote. Sourced principally from sites at the warmer, northern periphery of Heathcote township, Craven's Place is fashioned to be a supple, bright and approachable wine. Ageing in choice oak barriques contributes to the complexity and allows the quality of Shiraz to realize its full potential.

Financial powerhouses Robert Kirby and Louis Bialkower collaborate with winemaking superstars Larry McKenna and Tod Dexter, to work on a selection of Heathcote's most spectacular parcels of Shiraz. The Messrs Kirby and Bialkower are fascinated by fine wine, especially the soft and medium bodied styles of French. What distinguishes Heathcote Estate Shiraz stylistically, are the techniques of vinification borrowed from the old world methods of Burgundy, open top ferments, whole bunch inclusion and hand plunging.

A Shiraz of power and elegance, Heathcote Estate claimed a significant gold medal at the prestigious London International. Inspired by the amazing depth and character of Terra Rosa Shiraz, the Bialkower and Kirby families determined the most idyllic location to propogate vines for an ultra premium Shiraz to rival Australia's finest. The shared vision of excellence is reflected by a single minded focus towards quality across all parts of the process. A superlative effort by one of Australia's great winemaking collaborations, the Messrs Dexter and McKenna.

The ultimate excellence of wine is the only priority at Heathcote Estate and no expenses are spared, only the most outstanding quality fruit is ever considered. A sublime bottling of the swarthiest juices, pressed from the fermented musts of the most exquisite parcels Shiraz, grown to the most exceptional terroirs, a single, superior planting of vine along Drummonds Lane at Heathcote. A year's maturation in the pick of luxury French oak puncheons, achieves a alluringly perfumed wine of jet black fruit flavours over an elegant carriage of polished, rosewood tannins.

The artisanal approach employed by Heathcote Estate induced winemaking maestros Todd Dexter and Larry McKenna to join founders Robert and Mem Kirby. Together, they realize an uncompromising pursuit of assembling the finest growths of Australian wine. Block F is an exceptionally detailed, single site Shiraz, from an elite parcel of vine, planted to a north facing slope of ancient, green Cambrian shards along Drummonds Lane. Its tightly packed, gunflint and graphite rich, savoury tannins in support of a broad spectrum of vibrant fruit flavours.

What defines Heathcote Estate Shiraz stylistically, is the sterling excellence of fruit, as treated to the old world vinification techniques which emulate the great growths of Burgundy and the Medoc. The intensely concentrated grapes of Block C are all hand picked and gently destemmed into traditional open top fermenters, a measure of whole bunches added for tannin richness. Hand plunged and pressed into 500 litre French oak puncheons for completion of malolactic and a term of age, its opulent, expansive palate, brimming with black fruits, milled spice and ripe, fleshy plum.

An assemblage of the choicest parcels, harvested off blocks of gingerly coddled vine, planted to sandy loam soils on the sheltered flat plains of Langhorne Creek, with a smaller component grown to grey marl soils of Limestone Coast. Heartland was created by a small group of leading wine identities. The directors include winemaking maestro Ben Glaetzer and eminent industry pundits Grant Tilbrook, Scott Collett, Geoff Hardy and Vicki Arnold. All Heartland wines are vinified from fruit grown to the directors very own mature vineyards.

The top cut of Shiraz, from vines up to thirty years of age, grown to sandy loam soils, planted to splendid sites at Langhorne Creek, including the eminent Teangi and Pasquin vineyards. A black jube and lozenge style of Shiraz, beautifully of articulated dark fruits, cherries and cassis, supported by lithe hints of spice box and anise. Seductively rich on the palate, as flavours of dark chocolates and plum unwind along the impressive length of supple, focused tannin. Uncannily European in style, a palate of old world savouryness and wonderful, textural mouthfeel.

Heartland are a seminal estate, owned and operated by a small but dedicated group of leading South Australian industry identities, all are great friends and have long shared a passion for making great wine. Director's Cut is the estate flagship, all of Heartland's stakeholders make a contribution to the final compilation of fruit. Representing the finest of vintage, Directors Cut means Cabernet Sauvignon of exquisite balance and remarkable poise, exactingly crafted by Ben Glaetzer, one of the nation's most illustrious and accomplished winemakers.

Made by Ben Glaetzer, one of Australia's most respected and consulted winemakers. Glaetzer has accumulated many of the nation's most significant awards, including Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year and the prestigious Qantas Medal. All the of the identities behind Heartland Wines are eminent industry peers. Scott Collett is proprietor of the prestigious Woodstock operation in McLaren Vale. Viticulturalist Geoff Hardy is one of the nation's premier winegrowing specialists and a fifth generation descendant of the great Thomas Hardy.

There's a legend about Comte Maugiron who owned the steeply terraced hills of Cote Rotie. He was blessed with two beautiful daughters, one a blonde, the other brunette. When the good Count retired he passed the two Cotes to his daughters. They are still referred to as Cote Blonde and Cote Brune. Head's Blonde comes from a single vineyard at Stonewell, a site of sandy loam mixed with quartz over limestone base, unique blonde soils, which translate into a wine of accentuated perfume and profound complexity.

Alex Head works from a short list of idiosyncratically named sites to make pure, single vineyard wines of individual character and charm. Always very limited in production and highly attractive to the most devout Shiraz aficionados, the wines of Mr Head are crafted to accomodate the vagaries of vintage and their influence on the fruit of the vine. Assembled from a barrel cull of single site batches, Red represents Mr Head's entry level Shiraz, immediately approachable and exquisitely balanced, a whole that's so much greater than the sum of parts.

Malbec loves the prevailing maritime climes of the west coast, yielding an amazing quality of wine with vibrant fruit character and the most affable tannins. Grapes are picked by hand and open fermented with a component of whole bunch inclusions, hand plunged for up to a fortnight in one and two tonne open fermenters, gently pressed for completion of ferments into French oak barriques for twelve to fifteen months maturation. A wine of suppleness and finesse, its brooding perfumes presage a palate that fills the mouth with serious weight of opaque fruit.

Mostly Shiraz with a cogent proportion of the torrid Tempranillo, bunches are de stemmed and separately vinified in open vessels, treated to extensive pumpovers and cap management for optimal extractions, pressed off skins and sent to a mix of seasoned and new French oak barriques for fifteen months before assembling into the finished wine. Violets and milled spice notes of Shiraz, deep plum flavours and a peppery edge to the fleshy fruit sweet palate, Tempranillo brings savouryness and an animate tannin structure.

Hay Shed Hill is a mature old vineyard at the heart of Willyabrup Valley, the premier sub region where Margaret River's first vines were planted and the great local traditions of Cabernet Sauvignon established. The mission is to produce world class wines which reflect the place of origin, wines of depth and flavour that are true to the season and mesoclime. The vines were originally planted right, the right varieties on the right slopes to the right soils. Cabernet grown to the Hay Shed Hill property rank alongside the most splendid editions of Margaret River.

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.

Block 2 was planted to the renowned Houghton clone of Cabernet on a steep northerly slope of optimal sunlight in the early 1970s. The old, dry grown vines have sunk deep roots into the gravelly loam soils and yield a harvest of superlative fruit with each vintage. Grapes are de stemmed into open top fermenters, treated to hand pumpovers and maceration on skins for optimal extraction, followed by eighteen months maturation in French oak barriques. A voluminous palate, substantial by Margaret River standards, driven by fleshy dark fruit and underpinned by the ripest tannins.

A single vineyard Shiraz, vinified from hand picked fruit grown to a unique property in Valley Eden, meticulously crafted by a family managed winemaking operation at Moculta. The Hartz Barn wineworks have served the local community as a supermarket since 1885, pointedly known locally as the Henschke General Store. Originally settled by Lutherans, Moculta is the site of two ancient churches, Gruenberg and Gnadenberg. The Hartz Barn vineyard is fortuitously positioned not far from Henschke's legendary Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace.

Tintara tastefully embraces the best of new age winemaking whilst artfully retaining and utilizing much of the original plant and techniques from Hardy's distant past. Tintara Shiraz is fashioned from premium fruit grown to some of the better vineyards across the valley. A delicious wine that's been hand crafted with a view to enhancing the fine quality, intensity and distinct qualities of McLaren Vale Shiraz, all carried on a balanced structure of pliant, juicy tannins, achieving a palate of measured opulence and refined persistence.

Tintara is a winery of two worlds. A living treasure house of tradition on the one hand, a testimony to new age winemaking on the other. Tintara Reserve is only ever produced in the best of years, vintage 2006 being the first release since the superlative 2003 edition. Sourced predominently from ancient McLaren Vale vines, well over a century old, Hardy's employ the original Tintara apparatus to hand craft some of Australia's most precious grapes into a rich Shiraz wine with a remarkably smooth palate, extraordinary complexity and conspicuously gentle tannins.

The first Tintara vines were planted by Dr Alexander Kelly in 1862. Thomas Hardy recognised the potential that lay within the rich loamy soils of McLaren Vale and purchased the splendid property. Built against the rolling hills at the foot of Mount Lofty Ranges, the ancient Mortlock Flour Mill has been converted into the present day operating winery, its ingenious sloping design harnesses gravity in the winemaking, translating into a gentler handling of the juices. Tintara is a rarity in every sense, each sip remains a truly memorable experience.

Oomoo was among the first of Thomas Hardy's great bestowments to the nascent Australian palate. In its day a rich and robust red wine, Oomoo has been reintroduced in commemoration of Hardy's third golden jubilee. This multi award winning Shiraz has been widely acclaimed as one of the great value red wine buys in Australia and abroad. Hardys take the pick of the crop from the best vineyards in McLaren Vale and set it aside for Oomoo, a Shiraz of reliability and abundance of ripe fruit flavours, stylishness and satisfying, savoury tannins.

Following the extraordinary success of Oomoo Shiraz, Hardy's have assembled the holy trinity of noble Rhône Valley red grapes into a complex and stylish wine. An assembly of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre, grown to mature vines in McLaren Vale, some up to seventy years old. Spicey, fruit driven characters are the hallmark of Oomoo GSM, undominated by any one varietal, expressing all three. Seasoned oak is employed to let Oomoo's primary fruit profiles speak for themselves. A generous wine with weighty palate and flourish of piquant spice.

Oomoo just gets more popular with each new release. The reason behind it's runaway success is no big secret to anybody who has ever enjoyed Oomoo, a splendid wine with superb fruit character and an affable structure that's fashioned to be a joy to drink. Oomoo comes to Coonawarra in search of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon, the nose is highly appealing with requisite violet and cassis perfumes, the palate is brimming with melt in the mouth cherry bramble flavours, the oak is stylish, the tannins inseparable and judiciously firm.

Shiraz is harvested from specialized Hardy vineyards throughout the cool of night to preserve fresh fruit flavours. The wine is lightly exposed to oak, which infuses soft vanillan flavours, supply evident on the nose and palate. A smooth drinking and easy to appreciate Shiraz that offers a naturally clean alternative to all wine lovers. Through the development of innovative winemaking techniques and without the use of any preservatives, Hardys have fashioned a beautifully balanced and well integrated, additive-free Shiraz wine.

Hardy Wines command an impressive array of viticultural assets throughout Australia from which to allocate the right fruit for each unique winestyle. Hardys have developed vineyards that are highly specialized to yield grapes exclusively trained and husbanded for a non preservative wine. Focusing on ripe and healthy, highly flavoured Cabernet fruit grown to the sultry microclimes of Riverland and the Riverina, Hardys have fashioned a scrumptuous wine without the use of any additives, purely for the purpose of enjoying good Australian Cabernet without additives.

The tradition of HRB Shiraz dates back to the 1850s, when Thomas Hardy established his Bankside wineworks on the banks of the River Torrens. Hardy believed that assembling wines of different regional character would complement and enhance the qualities in the final blend. A unique code was assigned to each, beginning with the inaugural A001 HRB Reserve is fashioned from Shiraz grown to choice slow ripening vineyards. The finished wine is complex and savoury with an understated power that is very much in the fashion of the enduring Aussie Shiraz style.

HRB Reserve Blend is sourced from the pick of Hardy vineyards, precious sites which yield harvests of world class Cabernet Sauvignon. Coonawarra brings plum and red cherry fruit to the mix, stealthy tannins and textural richness. Margaret River adds bold bramble and blackcurrant characters, a beautifully perfumed blueberry nose and penetrating fruit driven palate. Held back and bottle aged under the Hardy cellars until current release, HRB represents an indulgement in the Australian Cabernet experience.

A solidly fruit focused, complex Shiraz Viognier, with a tot of Durif providing Je Ne Sais Quoi. Dry, arid conditions prevailed around southeast Australia's winegrowing regions, yet below average temperatures were experienced – very similar to the conditions of the classic 2002 vintage. The result was a refined and delicately flavoured Shiraz Viognier, with amazing depth of flavour and virility. 27.6% Hilltops, 25.7% Limestone Coast, 12.9% Heathcote, 11.4% Orange, 7.8% Riverina, 6.1% Barossa Valley, 3.1% Eden Valley, 3.1% Fleurieu, 2.3% Yarra Valley.

Established 1917 amongst the unique agricultural landscapes which form the environs of Griffith, Hanwood Estate stands today as a pillar of winemaking excellence, passionate about making wines of distinction. Within the expanse of operations at Hanwood lies a small winemaking facility, dedicated to handling minimal amounts of the choicest fruit, treated to state of the art vinification techniques and traditional standards of excellence. Hanwood assembles the pick of Shiraz from local vineyards, Heathcote and Gundagai, Hilltops and the Coonawarra.

McWilliam's extensive vineyard resources translate into wines which are consistent in quality and style from year to year. Hanwood Estate fashions tightly fruit focused, complex wines with great structure and superb integration. The highly awarded winemaking team reaches out from Hanwod's environs along the Riverina to assemble grapes from sites trained to yield small, intensely flavoured berries which can be vinified into a stylish effort that's highly representative of the great Australian tradition of mouthfilling Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

From a parcel of old Touriga Nacional vines on Block 13 of Farm 130. Grapes are carefully de stemmed for three days of cold soak, vinified through the action of natural yeasts and hand plunged thrice daily over a week of ferments, pressed and settled into seasoned French oak for fifteen months maturation. A juicy style characterised by red cherry and violet perfumes, juicy red berry characters within a light, fragrant structure dominated by its freshness and roundness of palate, a supple red wine showing great purity of fruit over a smooth length of fine savoury tannins.

Crafted from a single parcel of Durif at Block 2609 on Delves Farm, yields are low, the tiny berries are intense with flavour and wrapped in ripe juicy tannins. Grapes are de stemmed and inoculated, plunged thrice daily over a week of ferments, pressed and settled into seasoned French oak barrels for fifteen months maturation. A mouthfilling wine of black cherry and blood plum characters, dark chocolates and spice, full bodied and seductive, its structured Durif tannins in support of a mouth filling, savoury fruit driven palate, defined by its linearity, persistence and drive.

The inaugural release of Hanging Rock Shiraz was vintage 1987 and what an event it was, immediately claiming gold and inspiring comparisons to Grange by the industry press. From from fruit grown to the estate Athols Paddock, a complex Heathcote style, more Syrah than Shiraz, boasting several trophies and over fifty gold to its distinguished history, big, powerful and rich, yet exhibiting an elegance and finesse that's rare in Australian wine. Have it today alongside braised hare with a tarragon red wine jus, venison or osso bucco.