"Skilfully made, pushing the boundary of ripeness to a point where the richness of the Barossa (and shiraz) is expressed without becoming overdone. Blackberry, blueberry, sweet spice and almost (but not fully) dried fruit aromas fill the bouquet, and the palate is a flowing wave of juicy plummy flavour with a seasoning of French oak and supple, fine-grained tannin." 95 points, James Halliday Wine Companion, August 2017.

Irvine Estate is home to Barossa vineyards that date back to 1867. The estate is famous for its majestic Merlot but Irvine Estate is sending ripples around the industry with its old-vine Shiraz as well. Indeed, an Irvine Shiraz impressed recently by winning a Trophy for the BEST Barossa Shiraz at the Barossa Valley Wine Show, ahead of BIG Barossa names like Teusner, Grant Burge, Peter Lehmann, St Hallett and Thorn Clarke! We’re especially thrilled to introduce Ruth’s Block Shiraz to you today because it is made exclusively for us. You won’t find it in any bottle shops. As our buyer Dan Parrott says, “Having a winery the calibre of Irvine make a wine just for us is a big deal. Mostly because they don’t need to. They already sell everything they make. So when Irvine agreed, it was mostly because they like us.” It’s nice to be liked! And it means some exceptional wines for you – at extraordinary prices. Like this one right here.

Red wine artisan, Marco Cirillo, has produced a single vineyard Shiraz with as minimal intervention as possible. Using 90% whole berry and 10% whole bunch as well as natural yeast fermentation without fining or filtering, this Shiraz screams of its terroir. Expressive fruit up front of plums and red berries with small waft of leafy characters. The palate dances across the tongue without hindrance from over use of oak and is a supreme wine for the price.

Wild Folk - the natural choice in wine - are pure expressions of the variety and the vineyard. Minimal intervention in the winery ensures a joyful glass of just what mother nature intended. Wild yeast fermented, no additions, vegan friendly, preservative free, unfined and unfiltered, nothing but fermented grapes at their finest. This is such an honest expression of Shiraz from the Barossa exhibiting both freshness and flavour. It combines dark berries, spice and a soft framework of tannins that make for an explosive mouthful of deliciousness. Drink over the next two years with your favourite charcuterie or something char-grilled on the barbecue.

With fruit sourced from vineyards across the Barossa, this Shiraz expresses the characters of the variety and the Barossa. The wine is matured in old French oak and tanks, with each parcel kept separate until the final blending prior to bottling in October 2017. Deep, dark hues of purple and burgundy, with dark plum, lashings of pepper, whispers of vanilla and allspice. Firm tannins powder-coat the palate, gently drying and setting up persistent flavours of red plum, star anise and aniseed.

Based at their Home of the Brave winery in the Barossa, First Drop describe their wine-making philosophy as a sensibility for tradition with a passion for innovation. This Shiraz is garnet red with purple hues. Complex nose of dark cherry and blackberry aromas with a hint of forest floor and spice.

This wine has an intense bright purple hue and an inkier royal red carpet colour closer to the centre of the glass. The aroma is an astonishing and lifted brace of blackberries, spice and even a perfume like touch of blueberries. Pure fruit and spice that is not in any way overwhelmed by winemaking artefact. The wine has a concentration of aromas that come from not over-ripe fruits. The smells change quickly in the glass and are fascinating to follow but the mouth beckons. There is quite a remarkable entry to the palate. A seamless soft but structured shiraz, lots of blackberries again for sure but also a mid-palate dark chocolate spice that whooshes through the mouth that you want to slow it down and check it out. There is some cream and spice from the French Oak and an almost chalk like tannin structure but it's all about the pure fruit.

In 1847, the people of Krondorf began a wine industry that helped lay the foundation for what the Barossa is today. As custodians of this legacy, their winemakers craft modern expressions of signature Barossa varietals. Look for fresh aromas of raspberry and dark berry, bright and textural redcurrants with a hint of spice. Elegant and refined with subtle oak, a persistent length and a supple tannin finish.

Add another South Australian red to your favourites list with this Little Giant Barossa Shiraz. This one has it all including berries, plums and floral aromas and a complex savoury palate that will be a winner with Shiraz fans.