Deep and bright colours with a purple hue, the Optimist Shiraz also offers aromas of lifted satsuma plum, raspberry, violet flower, with a hint of cherry oak. The palate is bursting with bright fresh blue fruits, a rich middle palate with lots of satsuma plum and dark cherries. A long fine tannin structure throughout gives an excellent backbone to this food friendly style of Barossa Shiraz. Awards: • Trophy

A significant contribution of fruit from vines which are 100 years old make this one very special blend indeed. There’s a class and sophistication to what is a delicious medium bodied and brightly fruited red. Its savoury nature is so moreish and this really does offer a great alternate red wine drinking experience. Alex Head - Head Wine Winemaker - The Barossa Valley has been witness to the coming of a ‘new wave’ or ‘new breed’ of young talented winemakers. We’ve been intently following Alex Head throughout this time, producing a unique set eye opening Barossan wines, inspirationally drawn from his passion towards Northern Rhone Syrah. Soil and aspect is therefore very much key, imparting style and character and this new release Head Red is no exception.

Grant Burge reds are always distinctively Barossa and this one is no exception. Vibrant colour earthy nose with blackberries and a touch of pepper and a richly flavoured palate with robust tannins.

Beginning with Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz's vibrant purple colour, this wine exudes classic Barossa character. The bouquet offers aromas of kirsch, chocolate, berries and warm earth while the palate is laden with rich, ripe and lingering blackberry spice and peppery flavours.

Concentrated and intense yet built in an elegant framework. Grenache provides beautiful lifted sappy red fruits with floral accents, Shiraz provides mid-palate richness with some spicy overtones and Mataro rounds out the blend providing structure and savoury meatiness.

The Dirtman Shiraz by Gibson Wines is named after Rob Gibson, owner and winemaker. With love of viticulture and the soil, Rob has always been referred to as The Dirtman. This attractive Shiraz has wonderful rich, dark cherry notes with plums and a touch of apricot thrown in. The texture on the palate is vibrant with a length that is simply perfect.

St Hugo GSM is aromatic and bright, yet exudes the style and pedigree which are hallmarks of the St Hugo label. This Grenache Shiraz Mataro blend shows lifted fruit aromas of Turkish delight and briary complexity. The palate is plush, full and complex. Ripe fruit flavours are complemented by silky tannins and subtle oak.

Intriguing aromas of rose petals and a summer pudding of lifted red fruits, berries and a hit of cinnamon and Asian spice. The palate is opulent, with intense red berries balanced by soft velvety tannins and supple oak with great balance from the acid reknown in Barossa Grenache. 'The cold, wet 2011 vintage hit the Barossa Valley particularly hard, wiping out huge tracts of vineyards. Dandelion's blend, then, came as a delightful surprise a tender, juicy, seductive drop that made the bottle seem too small. It's a blend of grenache (85 per cent), shiraz (10 per cent) and mataro (aka mourvedre or monastrell). The back label hints at how winemaker Elena Brooks and the Dandelion crew saved the day, "handpicking selected bunches" (that is, avoiding the rotten ones) of the three varieties for co-fermentation and ultimate success. What a moreish wine this is'. - Canberra Times, 15 May 2013, by Chris Shanahan.