Made by Rockstar winemaker Ben Riggs, the McLaren Vale Shiraz is as true an expression as one could hope for. The fifth release of the wine is based around a core of pristine fruit with dark red berries, hints of spice, earth, tar and leather and with seamlessly integrated oak. Ripe tannins are apparent but not overwhelming, meaning this is a wine which can be enjoyed now or in the next 10-15 years.

Farnese Edizione gives a very deep garnet red colour. The nose is intense and persistent with notes of cherry and blackcurrant, herbs, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, liquorice and hints of mineral. The palate has great structure, good balance between alcohol and freshness, velvety tannins, very persistent with a long finish, ready to drink, or can be put in the cellar for a few years.

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.

Yalumba Paradox Shiraz is an inky, crimson wine full of aromas of mixed spice and crushed black pepper, violets, fennel and hints of blueberries. The palate is like layers of velvet, with great structure showing lush red berries, olives and anise.

Greenock is a long standing subregion in the Barossa Valley known for rich, silken, dark-fruited wines. When you mix that terroir-driven history with a winery like Kalleske you have a match made in heaven. Able to fully utilise the deeply concentrated flavours produced by the Greenock fruit, the skilled team has bottle a full-bodied Barossa Shiraz that is overflowing with fruit, balanced tannins and seamless oak. Given some time and a nice decant and this single vineyard Shiraz will open up wonderfully.

John Duval rose to winemaking fame as the craftsman of the mighty Penfolds Grange, before going it alone to further forge his reputation as a maker of great Shiraz. The aim of The Entity is to produce a wine true to the region. Rich and complex it shows ripe, spicy fruit characters with a complex savoury oak influence framed by fine lingering tannins.

William Downie and the Thousand Candles team are keen to expand our understanding of premium wine from the Yarra Valley. A shy complexity; a layered sense of tone and colour, and a nervous acceleration as the wine slips seamlessly from beginning to end. A wine that tells the story of its place more so than its varietals. A wine that pushes the boundaries, from one of Australia's most innovative and skilled wine makers.

Laughing Jack Greenock Shiraz is sourced from vineyards exclusively in the Greenock sub-region of the Barossa Valley. Located in the Valley's western edge, Greenock imparts warm, plush fruit characters with a dark chocolate and leather backbone. The Laughing Jack shows all of these qualities in abundance, especially the dark chocolate aspect with real concentration of flavour. A very powerful wine.

Glaetzer-Dixon's wine maker Nick has taken four generations of Barossa shiraz wine-making knowledge and applied it to carefully selected parcels of shiraz grapes from the Coal Valley in Southern Tasmania. The Mon Père Shiraz is a pre-eminent cool-climate shiraz, with flavours and textures evocative of Northern Rhône valley wines.

The Jim Barry McCrae Wood is a fine example of the bold Clare Valley Shiraz style. Intense and concentrated, it is well worth putting away for five years at least!