Coriole has been the pioneer of this variety in Australia - and for good reason! Spicy dark cherry and plum flavours, the palate is perfectly balanced with dusty drying tannins.

Tucked away nicely in the Adelaide Hills, Sidewood Estate have made an art form out of crafting some of the very best single vineyard cool-climate wines available in Australia. Owen and Cassandra Inglis purchased the boutique property in 2004 and immediately set about making their vision become a reality. Their Sidewood Shiraz displays that vision to perfection. Attention to detail is the key here which enables flavours of red cherry, currants and dark plum to shine through along with hints of cinnamon and spice. The texture is beguiling and gives promise to a wine that will age for up to a decade.

Legendary Victorian winemaker, Don Lewis, teams up with Narelle King to create Tar & Roses. (Try and guess who is which?!) Their rich and fruit driven Heathcote Shiraz has quickly become a favourite of many Shiraz lovers, and not surprisingly at this low price!

What the Hunter Valley and David Hook does so very well - meduim bodied reds that have good savoury length and nice integrated tannins.

From Orange in NSW, this Shiraz is a good introduction to the qualities of this emerging area. It shows aromas of plum and spices and the palate is all about the fruit with little intrusive oak.

The nose shows complex savoury, earthy, bramble aromas with lifted American oak. The palate is medium bodied with bright red currant and hints of spice and blackberry.

Produced from one of Australia's premier Shiraz growing regions, McLaren Vale, comes Woodstock Shiraz. A big, richly flavoured Shiraz with spice and red berry fruit flavours. Sweet, ripe tannins and a complex acid structure gives the wine brilliant concentration and complexity. A perfect medium term cellaring option.

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.

This classic Yarra Valley Shiraz from Yeringberg is showing those trademark Shiraz characters of cracked black pepper and great fruit weight, there is also some good concentration and a long powdery tannin finish.

Idiosyncratic and completely hand crafted Pinot from cooler sites in Western Australia. Picardy is widely regarded as the finest of all Pinot Noirs from WA, it is a must drink for any Pinot obsessive or just those with an adventurous palate. Supple, fragrant and vibrant, Pinot from this area also has a distinct black tea and savouriness character.