Church Block first appeared back in 1972 under the watchful eye of Greg Trott and was taken by one of the original vineyards that ran alongside the small Bethany Church, across the road from Wirra Wirra's old ironstone cellars. Over the last 4 decades, it has become one of Australia's favourites. The 2005 Church Block is showing just what a little patience can do. After six years, the velvet texture is the dominant feature with integrated tannin taking a backseat.

An elegant wine with perfectly ripened blackberry and plum fruit, liquorice and hints of dark chocolate. Maturation in high quality French and American oak has created a complex layered finish with fine tannins and notes of vanilla and spice. Sourced from vines planted in 1947 this wine was matured in a combination of French and American oak for 18 months. Expressive aromatics of liquorice, dark chocolate and blackberries emerge from the glass with underlying toasty vanillin oak and spice. Full bodied, rich and velvety in its mouthfeel the palate delivers a generous flavour profile of ripe blackberries, liquorice and dark chocolates over some smoky vanillin cedar, a touch of mocha and spice. Silky smooth, polished tannins only enhance the wines sumptuous qualities. Superb length with a long aftertaste of blackberries, liquorice, dark chocolate, toasty vanillin oak and spice.

Elegant with a complex bouquet and palate. Ripe berry fruit with subtle oak notes and soft integrated tannins. The bouquet has ripe black fruit, mocha and fruitcake spice, with orange rind on show; the palate is dense and unctuous, the bitter chocolate providing a pleasant foil to the ripe black fruit on display.

The bouquet is gorgeously expressed, showing dark plum, blackberry, vanilla pod and cedar characters, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate that is supple and beautifully rounded. The wine offers terrific fruit intensity and creamy mouthfeel, finishing persistent and silky

Chester Osborn at d'Arenberg keeps producing great wine, time and time again, and this Shiraz has the best of both worlds with both power and elegance.Deep red black. Strong, inky aromas of black cola and liquorice. Ripe black fruits with blackberry power ruling, with subtle black cherry-like acidity, deep youthful tannins providing latent tension and well-judged supporting oak.

The art of élevage is the skill of blending in the cellar, raising the potential of exceptional grapes to deliver something profound in the bottle. Meticulously blended parcels of wine, and the mystery of specially selected oak barrels deliver intense flavours, complexity and palate length. Intimate knowledge of the finest Shiraz vineyards in McLaren Vale and exquisite blending of barrel aged wines create a flavour sensation of blackberries, plum jam, cocoa, dark graphite and cedar wood characters leading a rich, smooth and concentrated palate enhanced by an expansive mouthfeel and velvety tannins. Balanced, decadent and extremely luxurious, this is a wine for serious celebrations.

Leconfield regularly produce fine full flavoured Shiraz. This release from McLaren Vale shows spicy berry-like varietal character with some minty-chocolately regional hints balanced tannins and well judged oak.

A bold McLaren Vale Shiraz showing voluptuous blackberry and plum flavours with hints of coffee and chocolate. Rich and satisfying, it can be enjoyed now or cellared for more complexity.