The Pike brothers established Pikes winery in the Polish Hill sub-region of the Clare Valley in 1984, renovating an old stone shearing shed to house their winery and cellar door. Neil is the veteran winemaker (he’s done 38 vintages in Clare); Andrew the seasoned viticulturist (he spent 22 years working for big names like Wynn’s Coonawarra and Southcorp before establishing Pikes). Together they turn out formidable wines that earn plenty of show medals and critical acclaim. Their richly textured 2017 'Wilfred's Block' really is magnificent. A definitive Australian blend of inky, slatey Cabernet and sumptuous, spicy Shiraz, it’s a contemplative wine – the layers of flavour will reveal themselves slowly – and perfect for winter sipping. It will cellar well until 2032, but is still drinking beautifully now. Decant, pour into big glasses, and savour with good food and good friends.

First made back in 1997 and still definitely one of the sentimental favourites in the Kilikanoon portfolio, the Prodigal continues to set the standard for Clare Valley old-vine Grenache. Each fruit parcel was harvested and kept separate throughout the winemaking process until final assemblage. A fresh and lively palate, yet dark and brooding at the same time, the combination of ripe cherries, dark chocolate, kitchen spices and kirsch perfectly in sync with the fine chalky tannins and oak influences rounding out to a long flavoursome finish.

Over three generations the Barry name has been famous throughout the wine world and synonymous with the Clare Valley. A founding member of Australia’s First Families of Wine, the Barry family celebrated the 60th anniversary of its winery in 2020, the year it also scooped the title of Halliday’s ‘Winery of the Year’. Jim Barry bought his first vineyard here in 1959, and even helped the Taylor family open their winery a decade later. Son Peter took over Jim Barry in 1985, and today brothers Tom and Sam, with sister Olivia, have raised the bar even higher. Enjoy a new Jim Barry exclusive, an absolutely delicious Single Vineyard Grenache. The grape has become the hottest thing in wine in recent years, with a new generation of winemakers create fresh, super approachable modern styles. When Grenache – rare in the Clare Valley – came up in discussion, buyer Ben Cohn, an ardent devotee of the grape, was stoked. The wine was crafted using fruit from the family’s limestone-rich McKay’s vineyard in Watervale – and sings with fresh red fruit and elegant, sandy tannins. It boasts fresh raspberry & spice on nose & palate with bluefruits, plum & orange rind hints. Great length too. Serve it slightly chilled, and it makes a great match with Thai Pork Belly. It’s exquisite. We share it at a special launch price (especially exciting for UNLIMITED members).

A rounded red blend made from Grenache, Tempranillo and Malbec.

This wine is generous and rounded at first with juicy, deep berry compote fruits then yielding to a tightly woven frame of firm yet generous tannins. There are alluring, coconutty oak and fine dark chocolate characters, with a deep, soft centre of ripe berry fruits. Elegant acids and light, long tannins carry the palate to deliver a lingering finish.

Medium red with a purple hue in the glass, Jim Barry The Forger Shiraz opens with a brooding array of purple fruits with a hint of violet lift then countered with notes of cinnamon and sweet oak char. The palate is packed with the rich brambly fruit which follows on from the nose. Fine, chalky tannins give the wine a plush, velvety texture that fills the length of the palate. The Forger has a rich, lingering, persistent finish and is ideal for cellaring.