Woodlands Cabernet Merlot is one of the regions best examples. The Watson brothers are the custodians of a family heritage in Margaret River that continues to this day. The Cabernet Merlot has attractive and complex aromas of dark berry and plum supported by well integrated vanillin oak. The palate shows similar characters with outstanding length of flavour and perfect balance. Drink now or cellar short term.

The Masters wines are the top tier of Peter Lehmann's original classic Barossa varietals, made for the long haul and released with bottle age to capture their full potential. These wines are named after a person or event that has played an intrinsic role in the Peter Lehmann story. Over his 50-year career, Peter Lehmann has inspired countless people by sharing his talent, wit and passion for winemaking. It is these characteristics we honour with "Mentor". For this wine, they blended Barossa Cabernet with Shiraz and a dash of Malbec to create a wine with layers of texture and flavour. By drawing fruit from a number of Barossa sub-regionseach with their own unique terroirthe Mentor captures the immense regional definition of a great Barossa red. Having worked closely with the growers over the years, they share Peter's belief in growing wine, not just grapes, and work with the winemaking team to keep yields low and produce a complex wine, with rich and firm dark fruit flavour.

It’s big and brooding. Think: blackberry compote, blackcurrant liqueur, charred herbs, dark chocolate. Rich cassis and plum jam, framed by cocoa and roasted spice. But it’s not just a fruit bomb—there’s a savoury edge too: dried thyme, graphite, and the iron backbone of old-school Cab. The skin contact gives tannins that are both fierce and finessed—grippy, chewy, and begging for meat or time.

St Hugo Cabernet Shiraz displays a dark ruby red with purple hues. The bouquet of dark forest fruits such as plum, blueberry and cassis lead into a beautifully complex palate of blackcurrent, sweet plum and chalky tannins. There is a underlying savoury oak hint and a finish of lingering dark chocolate.

Named after the famed Johann Gramp's grandson, Hugo, this is the very best Cabernet Sauvignon in the stable. From the very best sites in the region of Coonawarra, this wine shows classic regional mint and blackcurrant on the nose with a silky supple palate, elegant fruit characters, toasty oak and long, fine tannins.

When it comes to Australian Merlot, Katnook is among the very best. Lovely plum dark berry and cedary cigar box characters slip seamlessly into a finish that seems everlasting. Aged for 22 months in French oak, the swathes of blackcurrant are a delight to the senses.

'Wonderful example of a full to medium bodied yet soft and supple Barossa cabernet shiraz blend. It shows how these two varieties really work well together. Lush mulberry and blueberry fruit characters with coffee and chocolate complexity. The texture and layers of fruit richness sit so harmoniously with the liberal application of oak. Ripe, chalky tannins' (2010 Vintage) - 95 Points. - Weekend West, Perth, 20 Sep 2014, by Ray Jordan