The best

• red wine
• white wine
• champagne
• rosé
• whisky
• spirits
• beer

deals in Australia

Winemaker Tim Kirk's ethereal and evocative Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier is perhaps one of the most important advances in the development of Australian Shiraz since the release of 1952 Penfolds Grange Hermitage. The fruit is sourced from two adjacent estate-owned vineyards. The original vineyard has south-east and south-west aspects whereas T and L Block faces north-east. Lying at 600 meters above sea level, the soils are granitic with sandy brown and red loams over friable clay. Traditional 'Burgundian' winemaking techniques are employed "to highlight the inherent flavours in the fruit". The aim is "to produce wines with natural balance and roundness". Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier is medium to full-bodied with highly aromatic ginger, white pepper, apricot fruit, underlying savoury French oak and fine slinky dry tannins. The Viognier component melts into the Shiraz and is rarely more than a "subliminal influence". The style captures the essence of contemporary winemaking philosophy and regional expression.

Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz is a very powerful, concentrated cellaring style with plenty of fruit richness, chocolaty tannins and underlying malty oak. The 1.6 hectare Block 6, which forms part of the Kay Brother's larger 22 hectare Amery Vineyards, was originally a pumpkin patch of old bush vines. The Block 6 fruit is batch vinified in three to five tonne traditional open fermenters originally built by the Kay Brothers in 1895. Some parcels are hand plunged while others are fermented under header boards. At completion of fermentation the wine is drained and basket pressed into a combination of one third each new, one year old and two year old American and Eastern European oak. Maturation takes place for around 18 to 24 months before assemblage and bottling under screw cap.