A big 1.5l MAGNUM of a "lovely contemporary Barossa Reserve Shiraz" (Halliday) with three Golds and 2 x 95pt scores. The Schild Estate can boast Shiraz vines planted by Ann Jacobs in 1847. The Schild's first arrived in Australia in 1866, and the family moved to the Barossa and purchased vineyards here in 1952. They did not make their first 'Schild' branded wine until 1998, but the estate's reputation grew steadily. Although no longer owned by the family, the estate's vineyards are all still under the family's control. This Ben Schild Reserve is named in honour of Ben Schild, who died suddenly back in 1956, leaving son Ed Schild to manage the business. This 2021 boasts three Golds and several scores of 94-95pts. It is, as Sam Kim Wine Orbit writes: "Instantly appealing ... plump and opulent in the mouth with plush texture backed by loads of silky tannins... with seductive complexity. 95pts" WinePilot complements its "sumptuous palate... bright and vibrant with tremendous juicy ripe fruits..." For Dave Brookes, The Halliday Wine Companion, “There's a real creaminess that I like here. It's not an oak creaminess, more so a plum and blueberry cream with underlying hints of dark-chocolate-dipped cherries, black forest cake, vanillin oak, panforte, olive tapenade, violets and earth. Luscious and mouth-filling with fine tannins and a velvety flow at the back end. It's a lovely contemporary Barossa shiraz. 95pts, Great Value.”

Kellermeister's Wild Witch has garnered a cult following over the past years due to the brooding, rich, full-bodied and limited nature of the Barossa classic. The inky, viscous, foreboding black fruit is sourced from low-yielding, dry grown vineyards specially selected for producing the very best Kellermeister can get their hands on. Resting for two years in the finest French oak to really develop its flavour and character. Almost 'magical'.

This wine is a memorial to the majestic old vines which were tragically uprooted from their Barossa Valley earth during the infamous Vine Pull scheme of the 1980s. Our century old estate vineyard bears the name Black Sash and pays tribute to the survivors those vines which serve as a living reminder of the value of resilience in the face of adversity and the relevance of tradition in an environment of constant change . This evocative wine captures this spirit. It has been handcrafted with the use of traditional methods from the fruit of old vines and delivers a rich, opulent palate, a fleshy core of dark fruit sweetness and a finish of superb length.

Kaesler’s new Reach for the Sky collection seeks to combine thoughtful winemaking and regenerative viticulture to create vibrant and unique wines that reflect the diversity of the Barossa, while honouring the ancient vines from the estate. At Kaesler our younger vineyards have been planted using cuttings from our icon vineyards (Old Bastard, Alte Reben etc). It’s part of the journey to ensure we don’t lose our unique genetic material as we know it’s so special to our wines and to the Barossa. Reach for the Sky parcels are selected from blocks that stylistically suit a more bright, fresh and vibrant style of wine that is made to be soft and approachable. VINTAGE CONDITIONS The 2021 vintage was in a word ‘Brilliant’. Barossa saw cool and dry conditions which has produced excellent quality reds and whites. Great growing conditions combined with good yields created a memorable harvest, with all wines showing a wide array of aromas and flavours. Soft supple tannins are in abundance in the reds which has ensured easy drinking in their youth, with careful cellaring also reaping rewards. The highlight for 2021 was the overall quality, a genuine 10/10 season. WINEMAKING All three varieties are picked and fermented separately prior to blending before it goes to bottle. Getting the blend right can be one of the most challenging part of the winemaking process as once its blended, it can’t be undone! Fortunately we were blessed with excellent quality for all three varieties from the 2021 vintage, which is a major reason why we have similar percentages of each variety in the blend. Best enjoyed slightly chilled! APPEARANCE: Deep crimson, bright hue. BOUQUET: Lifted red cherry, some dark brambly fruit with savoury spice from the Moucredre coming through. PALATE: Rich plum, with a dense middle palate with a soft pure fruited finish. Fresh and vibrant, it hovers between medium and full bodied, the blend displays all the hallmarks of each of these great varieties perfectly. FOOD MATCH: Tender red meat dishes with roasted mushrooms, or a charcuterie board is a great match.

The Glaetzer family have been part of the Barossa winemaking scene since 1888 and now Ben takes over the reigns and produces Shiraz of the utmost intensity and concentration. Named after the ancient Egyptian god Amon-Ra who was the champion of the poor and troubled and was central to personal piety, the temple of Amon-Ra is believed to be the first to plant a vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple. This incarnation is rich, full-bodied and viscous to the palate, yet with sublime oak integration and a balance on the back palate that is quite lifted allowing it to be paired with many meals and a prime candidate for medium to long term cellaring.

Henschke have in recent years begun to identify and single out great quality parcels of Shiraz fruit that deserves to be bottled seperately and released as part of their Vineyard Selection. The Tappa Pass Shiraz is sourced from old low yielding Barossa vineyards that shows amazing depth and concentration. Rich, lush and intense it will develop further complexity with bottle age.

A story that has intrigued Sons of Eden for years is the fable of the legendary founders of Ancient Rome, Romulus and Remus. These twins were abandoned at birth and reared by a she-wolf. Romulus murdered his twin in a fit of rage over the naming of Rome, the city which both had built. Legend presents Romulus as the stronger, more powerful of the brothers, while Remus was more refined, focussed and elegant. Sons of Eden believe the twins characterise the distinctive and unique flavours and attributes of Shiraz from the twin valleys - the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley. Deep crimson in colour with a complex aroma of dense cherry and red berry fruits together with nuances of dried herb and vanilla bean. A powerful and fleshy palate of plums, red berries and spice are balanced with persistent silky tannins.

Yalumba has always had a passion to keep exciting barrels or small batch wines separate from the blending table, regardless of quantity. This is where the Steeple Vineyard Shiraz was discovered. Sourced from antique vines within the Yalumba Steeple Vineyard on the Barossa Valley floor, this Shiraz is a strong expression of terroir, with a dynamic scent, energetic freshness and cooling earthy tannins.