Produced from low yielding, hand harvested vines and made using traditional techniques, D'Arry's Original is a smooth, textured, full bodied red which typifies the generous McLaren style. Always one of those little cellar stars that you can buy up a case or two, hide under the house for a decade and be quietly content that d'Arry's Original will be shining in a decade.

We managed to secure the last stocks of this Trophy and double Gold-medal winning vintage. In the winery: Selected bunches were hand picked in the third week of March and gently crushed into open top fermenters.In the glass: Vibrant, dense red black.On the nose: Appealing mix of super-ripe black fruit with classic mint herbaceousness. On the palate: Excellent balance with a powerful black fruit core cloaked with bright spice and herb and underlying cedary oak.

McLaren Vale is home to some of Australia's biggest reds and here's a prize example from the bestselling 'Black Pig' - a cassis-rich Cabernet with wall-to-wall black cherry and bramble tones and a delicious lick of menthol.

Michael Fragos grew up in McLaren Vale, and spent 14 years at Tatachilla before taking over at Chapel Hill in 2004. A three-time ‘Bushing King’, Michael has also been named best winemaker on the planet! James Halliday notes that his “wine quality is unfailingly excellent” . This one has an expressive nose of blackcurrant, bay leaf cigar box and chocolate. The palate is medium to full-bodied, beautifully structured, with a powerful complexity, fine-grained tannins, velvety texture and long, long finish.

"Coriole has earned its reputation as one of the blue-blood producers of McLaren Vale” (James Halliday). "What Coriole does better than any other McLaren Vale maker is to fashion wines of such balance and finesse ... equipped with the structure, balance and layers of fruit to unfold slowly” (Jeremy Oliver). We're not arguing with these fine critics! Clark Hill, named after the land on which the Coriole estate was built, is an impressively rich blend of lush Cabernet planted in 1988, and spicy Shiraz planted in 1969 when Coriole was set up. Savour subtle lavendar aromas and a melee of plum, cassis and redcurrant flavours lifted by elegant, exotic spice.

"Outstanding vlaue" Cabernet with scores of 92 and 95pts. "This delivers a lot for a meagre tariff....a fine example, and further proof of how well the variety can perform in the region. 92pts" (Marcus Ellis, The Halliday Wine Companion). Huon Hooke calls it "... a very concentrated wine with density and power, fruit doing most of the talking, The palate is very lively, vibrant, driving and long, and promises much for the future. Cellaring recommended. Outstanding value, too! 95pts.” (Huon Hooke. The Real Review). From d’Arenberg’s Osbourne family – a founding member of Australia’s First Family of Australian Wines.

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.

Planted in the late 19th century, the High Trellis vineyard was the first d'Arenberg vineyard to be trained above knee height. For the past four decades, a Cabernet Sauvignon has been produced from the vineyard to critical acclaim, even winning the Jimmy Watson trophy in 1969. Something that d'Arry reminds current winemaker, and son, Chester about often!

Winemaker Paul Gordon is making good use of the beautifully sited mature Hamilton vineyards to produce superb McLaren Vale reds such as this ripe robust deeply flavoured Cabernet.