McWilliam's Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz continues lead the pack of great Hunter Valley Shiraz. A lovely return to old form, this Maurice has a striking purple hue to it in the glass. To the nose aromas of liquorice and spice with hints of cedar will beguile. Layers of complex flavours dance across the palate including savoury, spicy dark fruits like dark plums and cherries. A classic of classics.

First Creek are really winning over a lot of new fans, especially wine drinkers who may have previously not given the Hunter Valley its fair dues. In the glass: Deep garnet to purple. On the nose: Black and blueberry fruit, and spice. On the palate: Medium to full-bodied with luscious texture and soft tannins. Showing black cherry, blueberry and vanilla alongside red liquorice notes. Long and moreish.

Many of the Hunter Valley local will tell you that 2018 was one of the best vintages on record, and this Shiraz exemplifies that. Medium bodied, perfectly balanced, and layered. Abundant red fruit, earthy and spicy notes. Great integration of oak. Long lived.

Run Amok Shiraz Cabernet is a blend of Hunter Valley Shiraz and Hilltops Cabernet Sauvignon. Both were fermented in open fermenters and blended prior to bottling. The resulting wine has a purple hue with aromas of earth and spice. The palate reveals flavours of plums, blackcurrants, oak and spice. Pair with rich, creamier dishes such as lamb shanks or fattier meats of wild game.

Bimbadgen Ridge Shiraz Cabernet Merlot is a medium bodied wine that combines the firm fruity characters of Shiraz with the length and finish of Cabernet and soft fleshy Merlot.

Run Amok Shiraz shows the power and elegance of a great Hunter Valley vintage. Deep purple in colour with aromas of red and dark fruit. The palate displays flavours of earth, spice and dark berries with assertive tannins. Pair with rich meat dishes such as pork or roast duck, or alterntively, cellar it for your next gathering and enjoy!

Typical earthy Hunter Shiraz, with leather and tobacco notes.

We’re always excited to see aged wine that has retained it’s fruit profile, and this has done just that with aplomb (...or is it ‘a plum’?). Deep and brooding blackcurrant, dense black cherry, fruit cup, black forest cake, and raspberry compote define the wine. The freshness of the fruit stands out immediately in this Hunter Valley shiraz, while showing some age with stunning licks of leather, cigar box, and savoury spice. There is a richness of forest floor, decaying flora, mushroomy-umami. Powerful and precise and complex. While this has definitely got a fair bit left in the tank it’s smack-bang in the middle of its drinking window right now - savour it, don’t save it.