Coming from one of the best vintages in recent Barossa history, the Old Block from St Hallett shows what careful vineyard management can do for a wine. Rich, dark and conerntrated but with seamless tannin intergration.

The estate was started in 1955. Patrick and Christophe Bonnefond now control 65 acres in northern Rhone of which 18 acres is in Cote Rotie. Colline du Couzou comes from an assemblage of plots in the north and south of the Cote Rotie appellation. The fruit is 80% dedstemmed and consists of 95% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. The wine is aged in small barrels for 18 months.

Teusner Albert Shiraz is made from old vines in the northern Barossa; rich black fruits and tarry cassis with smoky undertones, the finish is long and luscious. Could easily be cellared for the medium term.

The fruit for the 2016 Vat 9 Shiraz was sourced from Tyrrells super premium vineyards on the Ashmans property with an average vine age of 50 years. Predominately from the Weinkeller and Short Flat vineyards. Winemaking The blocks were all hand picked and sorted in the vineyard before arriving at the winery. All the fruit was then destemmed but not crushed, followed by fermentation in traditional open top concrete vats. After fermentation the wiens were matured in newer 2700L French oak casks for ten months.

From a 37-acre vineyard, Château Pavie Macquin is stunningly situated on the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux. 2010 has produced a formidable wine: a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a top release of the harvest year and a highlight from St-Émillion in 2010. Tannins, restraint and inward concentration are motifs, this is a wine for the patient, sophisticated collector who wishes to embellish a cellar with pedigree wines that need time and maturity to come to the fore.

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.

Maison Les Alexandrins is a collaboration between two renowned winegrowers from the Rhone Valley - Nicolas Jaboulet and Alexandre Caso. Their wines are crafted in a signature style that is at once contemporary and timeless, and always from exceptional vineyards unearthed by Alexandre Caso, a specialist in the terroirs of the Northern Rhone. The terroir of Hermitage is complex and varied, comprising granite (giving minerality and fine tannins), pebbles (for aromatic richness and complexity), and limestone (for finesse and elegance). These three complementary terroirs all play a role in the final blend. Superb intense dark-red colour with shiny reflections. The nose is powerful and complex, with notes of blackberry and blackcurrant, subtly mixed with notes of wood evoking undergrowth with aromas of sweet spices, a lovely warm smokiness. Perfectly balanced between a powerful and refined structure, freshness and delicacy, with finely crafted tannins on a long, aromatic finish.

An excellent example of cool-climate Shiraz with dark black fruit, spice and pepper characters. The oak and tannins are well balanced ensuring that this wine is drinking well now and has plenty of life ahead.

One of the benchmarks of Barossa Shiraz, Peter Lehmann's Stonewell is a classic example of the rich concentrated old vine style. While bold on the palate, there is always an inherent complexity to the Stonewell that enables it to be compared with all of the great Australian wines produced today.