An excellent example of cool-climate Shiraz with dark black fruit, spice and pepper characters. The oak and tannins are well balanced ensuring that this wine is drinking well now and has plenty of life ahead.

Coming from one of the best vintages in recent Barossa history, the Old Block from St Hallett shows what careful vineyard management can do for a wine. Rich, dark and conerntrated but with seamless tannin intergration.

One of the benchmarks of Barossa Shiraz, Peter Lehmann's Stonewell is a classic example of the rich concentrated old vine style. While bold on the palate, there is always an inherent complexity to the Stonewell that enables it to be compared with all of the great Australian wines produced today.

Alkina Spice Garden Shiraz, Barossa Valley A very welcome inclusion into the Premium Barossa Shiraz Club, Alkinas Spice Garden is 100% organic and biodynamic certified Shiraz from one specific block from which they produced just 44 cases (and some rare magnums). It looks and tastes like a high-gear Barossa Shiraz, with all the ripeness and power matched with a unique minerality.

The Torbreck Descendant has a powerful nose of blackberry and tar complemented by floral lavender and a violet lift. Full-bodied and concentrated with ripe silky tannins and plenty of extract this wine has a great future ahead.

From the sculptural, low yielding Hilder Mataro vines - believed to be 145 year old ancestor vines that have survived two world wars - comes Z Wines' inaugural release of a straight Mataro. This biodynamic vineyard is worthy of producing a single varietal fruitful and earthy Mataro. This minimal intervention wine was hand picked, wild fermented, basked pressed and spent only 8 months in high quality oak, including 20% new French oak. On the nose, herbal notes as well as spice, licorice and leather are evident. The dark fruits (plums and ripe cherry) take a back seat, but positively add to the interesting bouquet. Characters from the nose follow through to the palate, which is balanced and structured. The flavours are dominated by savoury herbal and leathery characteristics with background ripe forest fruits. The chalky acidity and tannins are prominent and very much a testament to the high quality fruit. You will find divine length and lingering flavours.

KRONDORF The Honorary Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley

Kings Mantle Shiraz is the crowning selection of the vintage. Exploring the length and breadth of the Barossa region, Krodorf Head Winemaker, Nick Badrice, identifies the finest and most expressive fruit of the vintage. This parcel of wine hails from 25 year old vines in the northern Barossa in the Ebenezer Koonunga district. Hand selected from Barossas finest parcels of fruit, the soil is red earth sandy loam over red clay with Ironstone interspersed throughout the profile. The flat landscape