The Canberra District and the Rhone blend of Shiraz and Viognier have been famous bedfellows for the past few decades - for good reason. The unique terroir is harnessed wonderfully by the team at Lerida Estate at their Lake George vineyard and the result is this remarkably intense red wine. Cold soaked, co-fermented with hand plunging and then left to rest on skins for 10 days before resting in French oak for 15 months. It is no wonder flavours of freshly stewed plums, cinnamon, pepper, apricot and vanilla are simply bursting out of the glass.

Penfolds Bin 389 is the classic South Australian red! Often referred to as 'Baby Grange' or 'Poor Man's Grange', Bin 389 was the wine that helped to build Penfolds' solid reputation with wine drinkers around the world. A magnificent blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from the very best regions and vineyards available to Peter Gago and his team, the robust nature of the Cabernet grape give structure and body to the wine while the opulent Shiraz fruit provides suppleness and intensity. A true icon of Australian wine first created by the legend himself, Max Schubert, Peter Gago is quoted as saying 'Through thick and thin, across all vintages, Bin 389 always delivers - benefitting from over half a century of practice!

Margaret River is an under appreciated region for Australian Shiraz, and it's hard to see why with Cape Mentelle's Shiraz showing a vibrant core of blueberry, mulberry and hints of raspberry. It is well balanced with cocoa and savoury oak. The palate yet, is fine, elegant and focussed, finishing with chalky and structural tannins.

The Hill Block straddles the ridge running through the Chapel Hill estate. The wine was then aged for 19 months in 100% tight grained French oak. The proportion of new oak was kept low to encourage the continued expression of the characters that are unique to the vineyard site.

Old vine Barossa Valley Shiraz doesn't get much better than this. The Kaesler name was reborn by winemaker and visionary Reid Bosward in 1997, breathing new life in the over 100 year old vineyards. A Quirky name matched with unrivaled concentration make The Bogan Shiraz as must have for all big Australian Shiraz lovers.

First made in 1959, Penfolds Kalimna Shiraz is an icon in the field of warm-climate Shiraz. Always ripe, robust and generously flavoured. The Bin 28 is named after the Kalimna vineyard that was purchased back in 1945 and from which the original fruit was sourced from. Today, the Bin 28 is a great example of the Penfolds dedication to multi-region, multi-vineyard blending. The Barossa Valley will always remain an integral part of the Bin 28 blend providing rich, vibrant primary fruit flavours.

Kay Brothers Amery Hillside Shiraz is big, rich and uncompromising in the traditional McLaren Vale style. Intense fruit a good measure of oak and beautifully balanced overall - a Shiraz to live for a decade or more.

The Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz is a relatively new addition to the Penfolds stable, sourced from the Barossan sub-district, Marananga. Simply a revelation, this wine is an inky, black beast in the glass with lashings of dark chocolate and coffee accented fruit, yet this years offering shows a lingering, soft structured finish that will see the wine cellar very nicely.

The V&A Lane wines from Wynns pay tribute to the wonderful and unique vineyards that are located around V&A Lane in central Coonawarra. This is a wonderful release from Wynns' iconic winemaker, Sue Hodder. A burst of spicy dark fruit hits the nose with ripe cherries, plums and black fruits on the palate. The richness of the fruit is held in check by fine tannins and deft use of good oak. A brilliant wine for right now or many years in the cellar.

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.