St Hugo Vetus Purum Shiraz
The bouquet is delightfully complex. In its aromatic depths are plum, spice and clove notes, with a hint of vanilla and even roasted meat. Immediately supple and beguiling, the flavours keep building with plum, spice and clove layered over chocolate and vanilla notes. Medium to full-bodied, the wine has an assertive texture with abundant fine tannins. Seductively poised, this wine reflects all that is great about Shiraz grown in ancient Barossan soils.
Torbreck The Struie
This Torbreck Shiraz cuvée is a skilful blend of fruit from a 40 year old Eden Valley Shiraz vineyard and an 80 year old Barossa Shiraz vineyard – a marriage of elegance and intensity. While the Eden Valley region is most associated with the white wine variety,;Riesling, it also produces elegant, tautly structured Shiraz which is highly prized by winemakers.
Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac
While it is true that lovers of Pauillac wines can sometimes be divided over their love of the wines from Lynch-Bages, it will go without question that the wines produced from the magnificent 2009 vintage are sure to be coveted by all. Vintage conditions were simply perfect and have allow this Pauillac producer to embrace its love of plush, fruit forward wines and yet deliver a wine of immense power and structure.
Wynns Michael Shiraz
Wynns Michael Shiraz is a 'best-of-vintage' Shiraz from Wynns vineyard sites in Coonawarra and is named after David Wynn's youngest son. Made in the years that best show Coonawarra's unique terroir, this latest release displays the qualities that have made the 'Michael' one of the most highly regarded of all Australian Shiraz with aromas of red currants, cherries and raspberry that mesh every so well with the olive and white spice characters. The palate follows with an elegant structure bursting with dark brooding spice and succulent ripe tannins.
Yalumba The Octavius Shiraz
Australia's oldest family owned winery, Yalumba produce a quintessential Barossa Shiraz here with the Octavius. Refined and elegant, its full of incredible fruit complexity that never looks over-ripe or jammy. A true Australian classic.
Penfolds Bin 149 California Collection Cabernet Sauvignon
Powell & Son Chattertons Shiraz
Penfolds Bin 798 RWT Shiraz
The initials RWT stand for Red Winemaking Trial, the name given to the project internally when developmental work began in 1995. RWT is made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and plush texture. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa shiraz at the highest quality level. Built for the long haul, with the precision, concentration and balance to age for many years. Onyx, ruby rimmed colour. Floral and berry notes on the nose, with a palate of dark cherry and blackcurrant fruits affording viscosity and concentration. Peak drinking: 2025 - 2050.
Barr-Eden Estate Love Over Gold Shiraz
Barr-Eden Estate is a storied piece of land situated at the crest of Mengler’s Hill, one of the highest points of viticulture in Australia. Well-known grape-grower Joel Mattschoss first acquired fruit from the site, which sits atop the ancient goldfields of the Eden, in 2014, to produce the first small batch Love Over Gold wine with Frenchman Pierre-Henri Morel. After the passing of the estate’s owner, Barossa icon, Bob McLean, in 2015, a venture began between the two, along with friends Michael Twelftree and Tim Hower, to become the new custodians of this special property of great pedigree. The vines at Barr-Eden Estate were planted in 1928 and 2018 is turning out as an excellent Eden Valley Vintage. The bunches are formed with a long framework and very loose clusters and picked at optimum ripeness. Bunch thinning manages low yields and high quality fruit. Coming from a 95-year-old vineyard, the old vines are able to withstand heat spikes, as well as its elevation which brings cooler night temperatures. Destemmed by hand, berry by berry and fermented slowly over weeks. Ten percent whole-bunch Gentle pigeage was performed twice daily with the natural ferment progressing at a cool temperature. Once ferment was complete and after 24 days, free run was drained to a 2 year old extra tight grained French puncheon. Love Over Gold possesses a core of ripe and defined fruit with tannins that are coating and very long, it will age effortlessly over 20 to 25 years.
Penfolds Great Grandfather Tawny Port
Penfolds Great Grandfather Rare Tawny was created in 1994 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Penfolds. Subsequent blending material has been sourced from stage six of the ‘Grandfather Solera’ and individual batches of maturing Grandfather that are identified as having exceptional quality. These components are further aged before being blended and introduced into the ‘Great Grandfather Solera’. After an initial launch of exactly 1994 bottles to commemorate the year of its inaugural release, Great Grandfather is only ever released in limited quantities to ensure the age and quality of the style is never compromised. With a minimum average blended age of 30 years, Penfolds Great Grandfather Rare Tawny delivers a beguiling mix of age, structure, strength and complexity with each and every sip. Specially selected South Australian vineyards. Many of the vineyards selected for the production of the first release of Great Grandfather are still utilised for the current release. These vineyards are selected for their consistently high quality and reliability year after year. As Great Grandfather is produced using a Solera system and sourced from additionally matured Grandfather stocks, it will always retain every variety used, albeit in small amounts. Of the some 13 varieties identified the major varieties which form the backbone of the blend from year to year are Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro and Cabernet. A specially selected ex-still fortifying spirit that has a distinctive aroma and flavour is then added. The selected spirit has an abv of 80-85% with the power and intensity to accompany and enhance the 30 years of age concentration and complexity without presenting as the dominant character. While spirit is the main driver of style in younger wines it becomes a less dominant contributor in wines of this age as the aged components take the forefront. The current Great Grandfather Solera contains a vintage span of 42 years with individual components covering 1960 to 2002 included. This large span of vintages ensures consistency and that the required level of age and youth for complexity and freshness is maintained. Lustrous deep tawny in colour with an obvious yellow-green edge. The aromas are intense, fragrant and seductive. Alluring toffee/praline notes. Rich fruit characters of quince paste, fig, raisin and candied peel. Toasted almonds and roasted chestnuts. The aromatic elements conspire into a wonderful integration, that complexes and evolves in the glass. Seamless and integrated from start to finish. Dark fruitcake, milk and dark chocolate, coffee, vanillin and aniseed all in abundance. Toffee/brûlée sugar with orange zest and marzipan add length and balance to the palate. The richness and weight of the wine are held in harmony by the spirit-acid balance, which conveys the long, persistent finish.