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Beautifully sculpted, racy, red-and-blackberry-fruit along with a lifted rosehip note as well, and some inky depths on the driven finish. Gets more and more perfumed and lively with air, it's another terrific effort from one of Australia's most gifted wine people. The wine, naturally fermented with a judicious use of whole clusters (on average 30%) in a combination of stainless steel, wood and concrete fermenters, also sees a shorter maturation than the Esprit and Bête Noir, et al. The 2018 was cropped from five high, exposed parcels in the Barossa and Eden Valley, where the soils are generally poor and skeletal - for the most part light, gravelly and silty sands over deeply weathered base rocks of varied origins. Vine age varies from 25 to 115 years old (averaging 50 years old), and all fruit is hand harvested. Spinifex was started in 2001 with the opportunity to source some great old vine Mataro growing in deep white drift-sand on the Barossa Valleys Western Ridge. Owned by husband and wife team, Peter Schell and Magali Gely, their focus is on regional wines from the traditional Mediterranean grape varieties that have been grown successfully in Australia for over 150 years - Shiraz, Mataro, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Ugni Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne and Semillon. They aim to make wines that display signatures of vineyard provenance and vintage, show regional typicity and have a consistent thread of 'house style' that reflects their preferences and experiences with wine. The wines they choose to make are predominately blends, the synergies derived from blending wines of differing character enhance the subtle complexities, even textures and profound personalities delivered from great old vine vineyards.

The wine is gorgeously fruited and inviting on the nose showing blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla and cedar characters with seductive spicy complexity. It is succulent and fleshy on the palate with terrific fruit intensity, finishing superbly long and velvety. Up front and immensely appealing.

Torbreck The Steading is a decadent blend of three traditional Barossa varieties. Grenache and Mataro from old bush vines provide wonderful richness and fruit flavours with only free run Shiraz used to allow the Grenache to shine through.

Juveniles is a unoaked blend produced from old vines. Fragrant intense and concentrated it has flavours of blackberry, earth and Asian spices. The length and texture make this great drinking now.

Chris Taylor and his team have harnessed the old and new perfectly with their exciting and engaging range of wines. Their La Reto Tempranillo is a lovely balance of old world Spanish characteristics and a modern, perfumed attractiveness. Red berries, plums and hints of liquorice are all present along with a delicious minerality to give this wine that extra dimension.

The palate is plump, rich and full-bodied. It is so generously flavoured with complex ripe dark fruits. This intense fruit is supported by apparent but not intrusive oak, adding further complexity and richness. There are natural fine chalky tannins giving the wine a robust structure. It is seamless with all elements in perfect harmony. A very lengthy finish completes this solid wine. This is an extremely balanced Shiraz with fruit, oak and tannin working together. Intense deep magenta-black with purple hues. Very lifted with complex and classic Barossa notes of fruit cake, dark plum, chocolate and blackberry along with toasty oak and a hint of clove spice.

Though part of the Barossa, the Eden Valley is a slightly cooler climate than the neighbouring Barossa Valley, so generally produce Shiraz that is slightly more elegant in style. That said, the Eden Hall Shiraz is a wine that is not only rich, vibrant and full of life today, it will also hang in for the long haul.

Chris Ringland Shiraz has been one of Australia's most loved wines over the past few years with its immense concentration of bold, forboding fruit. Chris Ringland, the man behind such famous names as Three Rivers Shiraz, creates a wine that is made from mature Northern Barossa vines and shows dark mass of concentrated black and blue fruits, laced with sweet mocha and wrapped in a smooth, velvety texture. Not for the faint of heart, the CR Shiraz is improving vintage on vintage.