The Canberra District and the Rhone blend of Shiraz and Viognier have been famous bedfellows for the past few decades - for good reason. The unique terroir is harnessed wonderfully by the team at Lerida Estate at their Lake George vineyard and the result is this remarkably intense red wine. Cold soaked, co-fermented with hand plunging and then left to rest on skins for 10 days before resting in French oak for 15 months. It is no wonder flavours of freshly stewed plums, cinnamon, pepper, apricot and vanilla are simply bursting out of the glass.

Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier began its life after a career defining trip to the Côte-Rôtie in the mid 90s which set Tim Kirk on the journey towards producing one of Australia's best Shiraz. Determined to show that Australia could produce elegant but still powerful Shiraz, Tim's work has paid off with his flagship being acclaimed worldwide. In only 15 years, the Shiraz Viognier has attained 'Exceptional' status with Langton's, the highest possible.

A cool climate Shiraz that resembles many of the finest french examples. Lovely graphite notes, pepper, spices, and elegant fruit weaved in for good measure. Medium bodied. Elegant and age-worthy.

Made from mature Shiraz vines grown on elevated sites at Kyeema, and Mount Nanima near Murrumbateman. Showing plenty of youthful charm now, this wine by Collector will be at its best at between five to twenty years of age.

McWilliam's Flagship 1877 Hilltops Shiraz poses a medium-bodied shiraz with bright acidity and fine slatey tannins. Rich in perfumed fruits and features a meatiness on the palate. Ideally suited for cellaring.

Mount Majura, from the emerging wine region of the Canberra District, considers Tempranillo as their flagship variety. With a dense core of dry savoury tannin, interwoven with fleshy cherry and blueberry fruit, and embroidered with a host of aromas, from sweet spices and pomegranate, to malt and leather.

One of the benchmark wines to come out of the Coonawarra, the Penfolds Bin 128 is a delightful cool-climate shiraz. Matured in French Oak, with flavours of white pepper and floral spice, the 2014 Bin 128 is a rich and full-bodied Shiraz.

Penfolds St Henri is one of Australia's greatest red wines. The Shiraz for St Henri is selected for subtlety and elegance and the finished wine has the structure complexity for extended bottle maturation. The 1991 is a classic St Henri vintage that is good to drink until 2022.

Jasper Hill and Ron Laughton are true pioneer's and icons in the central Victorian wine region of Heathcote. Georgia's Paddock is the larger of 'Jasper's' vineyards, with 12 hectares planted to Shiraz to produce a wine rich in character and complexity. Always known for it's extreme ageability, Georgia's Paddock Shiraz will comfortably lie down for over a decade to deliver a Heathcote Shiraz simply bursting with concentration.

The Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz is a relatively new addition to the Penfolds stable, sourced from the Barossan sub-district, Marananga. Simply a revelation, this wine is an inky, black beast in the glass with lashings of dark chocolate and coffee accented fruit, yet this years offering shows a lingering, soft structured finish that will see the wine cellar very nicely.