Clarendon Hills is the living vision of one of the world's greatest Shiraz winemakers, Roman Bratasiuk. The dream was realised in 1990 and is now home to some of the most outstanding and hard to get single vineyard wines in Australia. The Astralis is the flagship wine in the Clarendon Hills portfolio, and while this vineyard is not treated any differently to the others, it garners the most worldwide attention due to its incredible expression and timeless elegance. From an Easterly aspect and planted on a 45 degree ascending slope, Australis has phenomenal varietal length and will repay the patient cellarer for more than 15 years.

One of the earliest and most condensed in history thanks largely to a dry and warm growing season. A very wet July was followed by some of the driest spring months on record, led to some great flavour and colour development and the resulting wines are packed with delicious ripe flavours.

Sitting proudly next to the iconic Woodhenge gate at Wirra is a classic Aussie residence. Originally built after severe storms destroyed the winery buildings in 1940, the then owners, the Sparrows, built this residence with left over materials from the fallen winery. Over the years, Sparrow's Lodge has been home to vintage vagabonds and the occasional winemaker and it is the good times that have been had within its walls that is celebrated in this wonderful, rich, vibrant and full-bodied McLaren Vale Shiraz.

Pirramimma Stock's Hill Shiraz has bright cherry aromas with sweet oak and a hint of spice give this wine real appeal on the nose. The palate is rich with flavours of blackberry and chocolate balanced by grippy tannins. Great value!

Chapel Hill's Cabernet Sauvignon is a superb McLaren Vale wine which rivals others well beyond its price range. Generous blackcurrant, dark cherries, cedar and spice mixed in with fine, firm tannins. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to improve with a few years in the cellar.

Coriole has been the pioneer of this variety in Australia - and for good reason! Spicy dark cherry and plum flavours, the palate is perfectly balanced with dusty drying tannins.

The nose is aromatic with mandarin, melon and lemon rind. The palate is fresh and rich - stone fruits and citrus with clean, crisp acidity. Texture and mouth feel with weight and layers of flavour.

Chapel Hill's Michael Fragos loves using The Parson Shiraz to showcase McLarenVale's diversity and varietal character. The Shallow soils over livestone in maritime influenced vineyards between McLaren Vale and Masline Beach and also around Bowering Hill, provide explosive blueberries and liquorice with finesse and a wonderfully framing tannin structure. Up in the foothills of the Mount Lofty ranges, a Kangarilla vineyard offers Indian spice complexities that many higher priced wines would simply love to have. The added length and savoury tannins of this component and the use of some French oak result in a beguiling final release that is extraordinary.

Grenache is Australias signature grape variety and were slightly obsessed with it. Utilising a range of premium vineyards across The Barossa and McLaren Vale regions of South Australia, Thistledown have crafted a wine that captures all that is good about Grenache. Aromatic, deceptively light but with beautiful wild fruit, and slurpy, supple tannins.

Shingleback owners John & Kym Davey produce a lovely, rich McLaren Vale Shiraz here with aromas of ripe cherry fruit, milk chocolate and licorice. Plush and sweet fruited on the palate, the tannins are soft and supple. Wonderful drinking.