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Z-Force is named in tribute to the Z Special Force, which was a special Australian Army unit created in World War Two to operate behind enemy lines. Z-Force’s members were from many countries and specialised in unique guerrilla warfare. Although disbanded after the war, Z-Force pioneered numerous operational techniques and tactics, many as daring as they were brilliant, that remain a model to this day. The surviving members of Z Special Unit last marched together on Anzac Day in Sydney 2010. The extraordinary bravery of their unit and its lost brothers are honoured in this wine, which is Zonte’s Footstep finest. Each bottle of this wine sold helps support the work of Legacy South Australia.

McLaren Vale's Dog Ridge is well known for their highly-prized old vines, and these few hand-selected French barrels of DogRidge Shiraz are made exclusively from the pre-clonal Original Plantings at DogRidge from the 1940s. DogRidge is co owned by Dave and Jen Wright, and Fred and Sarah Howard. Dave is the Viticulturist, Fred the winemaker, and they certainly make a winning team!

The Nugan family is dedicated to showcasing the best vareitals from our finest growing regions. Dry warm sunny days with cool nights produced optimum fruit flavours. After picking, the Shiraz was crushed and softly bag pressed in traditional style to avoid the extraction of bitter tannins. The wine was fermentated in static fermenters, followed by further maturation with new and seasoned French and American oak prior to final blending.

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.

Mitolo Wines is a family owned business, borne of and led by the founder and owner Frank Mitolo's vision; to create a range of wines of individuality, integrity and utmost quality. The G.A.M. is deep purple, the nose is an intense combination of smoked herbs, liquorice and blackcurrants leading to a full bodied palate with notes of cassis and cracked pepper. Premium McLaren Vale at its best.

In the glass the 2010 S has a black core with a deep red rim. There are elegant aromas of red black fruits, and spicy earthy notes with a hint of grilled meats, graphite and controlled oak. On the palate the fruit continues with rich plums, and blueberries and delicate spice and chocolate which all roll on to a juicy palate with fine tannins that go on ... and on. Smidge recommends drinking this wine betwen 2014 and 2030.

The Beast is so named for it primal power but, like the fabled beast, it has an inner depth and complexity. Made from 100% Shiraz, The Beast is a perfect expression of the Barossa Valley style, walking the fine line of power between the savage and the sublime.

The Col Cross Story Somewhere in McLaren Vale youll find a very special block of old vine Shiraz. If you search for it, an olive grove to the west and an ancient chapel will be your guide. The shallow soils overlying a bedrock of limestone and the gentle sea breezes consistently provide us with fruit of exception quality. Dense, classic Shiraz characters of blackberry and dark cherry mesh seamlessly with spicy anise and cedary French oak. A concentrated palate of generous dark fruits and black cherry, the old vines contribute complex spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. A full bodied mouth filling wine that is perfectly balanced by a lingering structural finish.

This is a smart wine. It feels very harmonious, there's fruit intensity but it's not *too* fruity, there's present oak but it's not *too* overpowering, there's spice and tannin but they're not *too* drying. Everything has been worked into this classy number in thoughtful moderation and the result is a wine greater than the sum of its parts. From the well known, hand-tended, vineyards of the Willunga sub-region of McLaren Vale, picked in the (widely lorded) year of 2021 - it's safe to say we were holding this one to a pretty high standard. Well, this wine exceeded even our lofty expectations. Juicy dark mulberry and black cherry, vibrant spiced plum and chocolate characters are expressed with both intensity and complexity. Subtle, but ever present, oak characters manifest themselves in slight chocolate and vanilla notes along with fine grained tannins and build to a silky, spice driven finish. Happy to sit in the cellar for 15+ years, but why delay happiness right?