Maison Tardieu-Laurent was founded in 1994 by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent in the small but beautiful village of Lourmarin in Provence, although today it is completely in the hands of the Tardieu family and is one of the premier wine producers of the Rhone. This is from the famed appellation of Chateauneuf-du Pape and boasts all of the fabulous flavour attributes that this region can offer. The cepage is mourvedre, syrah and grenache. The wine exhibits savoury red fruit, a regional earthiness and hallmark silky tannins. Tardieu-Laurent are regarded as one of the consistenly high performers of the Rhone Valley.

Exceptionally potent and powerful, initially giving the (false) impression its alcohol is more than 14%. Retasting brings it back into perspective, the two varieties bonded, yet each preserving its varietal integrity and structural architecture. A classic Australian blend of exceptional quality, destined to outlive most who taste it.

This single vineyard, award-winning Levantine Hill Melissas Paddock Syrah, has its own inimitable characteristics of the unique site and inherent signature expression. It features a complex nose, featuring blackberry, liquorice, tar, spice and cherry oak. The resounding sophisticated palate features fine tannins leading to a long finish. There is a delicate nervy balance between savouriness and sweet fruit with an emphasis on balance and length for a resounding echo of flavour.

Vibrant purple red. Lifted fragrant and fresh black and redcurrant fruit followed by jasmine like florals, ground spices, summer pudding and pannacotta. A secondary look with air shows whole bunch notes of spice and sauvage adding complexity. The palate is juicy soft and round, laced with black fruit, raspberries, white pepper and spices. Very much medium bodied, this has beautiful line of acidity that adds length and balance to the velvety, gentle core of sweet fruit. A pure, fresh, fragrant wine.

Clarendon Hills is the living vision of one of the world's greatest Shiraz winemakers, Roman Bratasiuk. The dream was realised in 1990 and is now home to some of the most outstanding and hard to get single vineyard wines in Australia. The Astralis is the flagship wine in the Clarendon Hills portfolio, and while this vineyard is not treated any differently to the others, it garners the most worldwide attention due to its incredible expression and timeless elegance. From an Easterly aspect and planted on a 45 degree ascending slope, Australis has phenomenal varietal length and will repay the patient cellarer for more than 15 years.

Encouraged by the success of the Shiraz Viognier, Clonakillas Tim Kirk decided to release a new wine, beginning with the 2006 vintage -- a straight Shiraz from the same estate vines that produce the Shiraz Viognier. It was named Syrah, the French name for Shiraz. The winemaking is simple. A single fermenter is filled with the best Shiraz from the north-east facing T&L vineyard. "Simply a classic wine from a classic estate.- Campbell Mattison"A very great wine.- James Halliday The whole berries (no stems) are fermented warm by native yeasts. They then spend up to a month macerating on skins followed by 18 months maturation in French oak, one-third new. The Syrah is typically a darker, more brooding wine than the Shiraz Viognier, with a distinct wild berry and potent spice character. This is Clonakillas Hermitage to the Shiraz Viogniers Côte Rôtie. Total production is no more than 300 dozen each year.