Two words come to mind when you mention great Australian Merlot. Jim Irivne. Jim's Grand Merlot is the benchmark of complex and elegant Merlot in Australia and his Eden Valley vineyards are the perfect place to produce this iconic wine.

The Bethany Cabernet Merlot from the Schrapel family's Bethany winery exhibits herbal blackberry and cherry flavours with subtle oak in the background. Drinking well now, but also can handle a little bit of medium term cellaring to really coax those soft, ripe tannins to infuse beautifully with its primary fruit.

Deep crimson red with a perfumed nose of dark fruits, spice and white pepper. The palate fills with ripe black fruits, blueberries, plums and finishes with silky smooth tannins.

This wine by JJ Hahn showcases the lovely softness, elegance and sensitivity that is Merlot. This vineyard has continually produced fruit that doesn't show excessive ripeness on the nose or on the palate and has always surprised us in the most difficult of years.

The Eden Hall Cabernet Sauvignon from the Eden Valley is a wonderfully striking Cabernet with swathes of lifted violets, ripe plums and blackcurrant all supported by a quality oak regime that has integrated brilliantly. While youthful the wine is plump and juicy, it will age very nicely and improve with some careful cellaring over the next decade.

Château Tanunda Dahlitz Merlot displays lifted aromas of blueberry and plum supported by juicy dark berry fruits and chocolate and a hint of vanilla on the palate. The extensive finish is framed by elegant, fine-grained tannins from fifteen months' maturation in a combination of new and seasoned French oak barrels.

Deep red with Burgundy colours. Aromas of rhubarb, raspberry, pink musk, Turkish delight and candied orange peel. Full bodied and supremely textured with layers of sweet red fruit flavours. Dense, long and chewy tannins that coat the mouth endlessly.

Vibrant red colour with a subtle tinge of purple. Initial aromas are of delicate perfume and peppery spice typical of superior cool climate Shiraz aged in top quality French oak. The palate has a smooth velvety tannin structure, compelling firmness and tremendous depth of red fruit flavour, with dark plum, cherry and black berry characters predominant as a young wine.

The combined effects of site soil and climate on the vine. The Barossa has some very distinct sub-regions which exhibit their own unique influence on the wine. A journey through the Terroirs is a lesson in the Barossas versatility. We have chosen Eden Valley to highlight its rich, darker flavours unique to this high altitude, cooler climate and rocky, clay loam soils.

The 2018 Harold opens with intense aromas of black olive, cassis and coffee, complimented by subtler tones of lavender and violets. It is immediately apparent that this is a powerful, dark, brooding and soulful wine. The texture is rich yet lithe, and the freshness in the wine carries the depth with poise. Liquorice, dark chocolate and blackberry dominate the classically brackish palate. The cool vintage conditions provide balanced acidity and soft, ripe tannin. It is pure Northern Barossa Shiraz from a tiny, old plot in the heart and soul of the western ridge, Moppa. Decant and enjoy now or keep in the cellar for the next 8-10 years. I grew up in the Wimmera in Victoria at a time when the creeks and lakes flowed bountifully with water. We regularly fished for trout in these lakes and Dad, being a tragic angler, would never be short of gear. Sometimes we would share 20 fishing rods between our family of five, which eventually caused issues as we could not tell which rod was biting. We decided to name the rods, and in doing so they took on their own personalities. Harold Fisher was an old, traditional, grain farmer that Dad sold tractors to, and he wasnt renowned for his abilities as a scholar or fashionista. It was obvious to name a rod after Harold, but little did we know that this rod was to become as much a part of the family as the rest of us. A legend in and out of the water, Harold was purchased in the 1950s and is still used to this day. He is old and grumpy yet freakishly talented. The 2018 Vintage once again proved that timing is everything. Following a wet growing season in 2017, we had minimal autumn and winter rain, setting us up for a potentially difficult year. However, spring provided us with bountiful water and the season was set from there. We experienced another dry and hot summer, which restricted our yields but amplified the quality of the harvest. For Izway, a late March start resulted in cool picking conditions, lower alcohols and incredible purity and energy in our wine. The result is another spectacular vintage characterized by intensity and elegance. Izway wines was conceived on a handshake between two Aussie wine makers in a chateau in Beaujolais. Brian Conway and Craig Isbel met during vintage at Chateau de Bluizard in 2002 and after many nights drinking pastis they decided to start their own winery in the Barossa Valley.