With a nose of rich spicy pepper and liquorice generous in intensity, Jacob's Creek Shiraz shows a medium-bodied palate displaying welcoming plum and cherry fruit flavours leading through to a softly textured finish.

A savoury, spicy Shiraz from Margaret River offering lively flavours of dark cherry, plum and pepper. Medium bodied and seamless in texture, it is a great drink now style with finesse.

Tucked away nicely in the Adelaide Hills, Sidewood Estate have made an art form out of crafting some of the very best single vineyard cool-climate wines available in Australia. Owen and Cassandra Inglis purchased the boutique property in 2004 and immediately set about making their vision become a reality. Their Sidewood Shiraz displays that vision to perfection. Attention to detail is the key here which enables flavours of red cherry, currants and dark plum to shine through along with hints of cinnamon and spice. The texture is beguiling and gives promise to a wine that will age for up to a decade.

The trailblazers of the Adelaide Hills have created another outstanding wine. A superb expression of modern cool-climate Shiraz; Shaw & Smith is elegantly spicy and brimming with supple red-fruit flavours matched by fine tannins. An absolute ripper.

The nose shows complex savoury, earthy, bramble aromas with lifted American oak. The palate is medium bodied with bright red currant and hints of spice and blackberry.

De Iuliis (De - uli - iss) wines are known for their trademark regionality and commitment to showcasing the very best the Hunter Valley has to offer. Their Shiraz is a fine balance between power and subtlety. Spice driven aromas with mild hints of the berry fruit to come on the palate. Blackberry, raspberry and dark cherry come to the fore and are in harmony with the round, soft tannins.

Restrained red fruit with a background of menthol, leather and tobacco on the nose leads to a big mouthful of cherries, vanilla and plums with good intensity. A nicely balanced wine, drinking very well.

A great Margaret River Shiraz with temperate ripening conditions promoting fruit intensity, richness and fine tannins. The palate is restrained and balanced with flavours of plum and aniseed spice.

From Orange in NSW, this Shiraz is a good introduction to the qualities of this emerging area. It shows aromas of plum and spices and the palate is all about the fruit with little intrusive oak.

Pirramimma Shiraz is full-fruited and powerful, with sweet plum and mocha along with cinnamon notes and dark chocolate which are all typical regional characters of McLaren Vale.