A lovely approachable wine from the guys at III Associates. Plum flavours drive the wine with a soft, plush mouth feel and intergrated tannins. Lovely toasty oak is also prevalent with nice blending of the Cabernet fruit.

Deep rich red showing a youthful purple rim. Lifted notes of blackberry, chocolate and spice, with secondary characters of blueberry, leather and soy provides a complex and intense introduction to the wine. The palate is full bodied, displaying classic spice and ripe berry notes, integrated oak and concentration for which Australian Shiraz is renowned. It has spice and savoury notes with plentiful ripe succulent tannins on the finish.

Chapel Hill makes great value wines in the maritime climate of McLaren Vale. This Shiraz is a beauty. Dark berries and vanillin oak are evident in the bouquet with spice coming through on the palate.

Chapel Hill's Cabernet Sauvignon is a superb McLaren Vale wine which rivals others well beyond its price range. Generous blackcurrant, dark cherries, cedar and spice mixed in with fine, firm tannins. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to improve with a few years in the cellar.

d'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz is a firm favourite with many McLaren Vale Shiraz lovers and for good reason. This is another great example of the rich, full-bodied style with aromas of ripe blackberry and spice that mingle with minty peppery notes. The palate is full-flavoured, supple in texture with a velvety finish.

A black curtain of density introduces this thumping Cabernet from Brothers in Arms, unveiling five spice, mint chocolate and full bodied black fruits coated in grippy tannin.

Some would say McLaren Vale is the spiritual home of Australian Grenache. We are not about to start arguing when Grenache like this one from Chapel Hill are produced. Generous rich red fruits with smattering of dried herbs and a fleshy mid-palate. There is real concentration and complexity to this wine.

Produced from low yielding, hand harvested vines and made using traditional techniques, D'Arry's Original is a smooth, textured, full bodied red which typifies the generous McLaren style. Always one of those little cellar stars that you can buy up a case or two, hide under the house for a decade and be quietly content that d'Arry's Original will be shining in a decade.

Now sourcing fruit from premium regions across Australia, this Cabernet blend shows varietal mint on the nose with floral notes in the background. The palate has good weight and texture, the flavours of blackcurrant and herb framed by firm tannins.

An amazing parcel of rich, dark, concentrated McLaren Vale Shiraz has gone into 'The Prize' ... look forward to a mouthful of powerful dark fruit, a tempting dark chocolate richness, and a silky, spicy, long, long palate. This is a beauty. Enjoy.