One of the great wines of Australia, Hunter Shiraz is powerful as it is subtle. Everything is in balance: Pure ripe blackberry fruit flavours, some spice and earthy characters and round soft tannins.

Recognised as one of the first vineyards in the Hunter Valley, Audrey Wilksonson has a long and storied history in the region. They continue today to produce wines of region character with fine craftsmanship. Their Hunter Valley Shiraz is a wine in perfect harmony. Majority French oak is used to mature a wine that has flavours of intense cherries and violets overlapping powerful mulberry and that traditional Hunter character of forest floor and earth.

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.

A perfect marriage of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon fruits, this is a modern Australian style of red wine. The Cabernet gives the wine structure and length, while the Shiraz imparts it deep plum fruit sweetness, along with dark berry and chocolate flavours. This is a nice and well rounded drink.

Crafted from grapes grown on the best block of 50-year-old Timbervines Vineyard, Margan White Label Shiraz proudly flaunts a brick red colour. Matured in old French oak barriques, the wine captivates you with aromas of tobacco leaf, blackcurrants and cassis flowing from the nose. Its rich & savoury palate is full of white pepper, licorice & blackberry characters, firm tannins, and cigar box notes, subtly balanced by crisp as well as lingering acidity. Try pairing it with smoky pulled pork or venison carpaccio for an enhanced taste.

From a fantastic vintage in the Hunter Valley, the Tyrrell's Wines Shiraz 2014 has been crafted in a distinctive Hunter Burgundy style by red winemaker Mark Richardson. In the glass: Medium density red.On the nose: Black cherry, plum, earth, leather and pepper.On the palate: Unashamedly medium weight and very savoury with a fine, velvety texture showing red and black fruit flavours with earth and spice elements, fine tannins and a persistent finish. A true Hunter Burgundy style.

The fruit for the 2016 Vat 9 Shiraz was sourced from Tyrrells super premium vineyards on the Ashmans property with an average vine age of 50 years. Predominately from the Weinkeller and Short Flat vineyards. Winemaking The blocks were all hand picked and sorted in the vineyard before arriving at the winery. All the fruit was then destemmed but not crushed, followed by fermentation in traditional open top concrete vats. After fermentation the wiens were matured in newer 2700L French oak casks for ten months.

In the glass: Vibrant deep purple. On the nose: Blackberry, black cherry, plum, pepper and earth.On the palate: An elegant Gold medal winner with a velvety mouthfeel, intense and juicy layers of black fruits and peppery spice with seasoned oak and fine tannins.