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.

The Bishop has the fingerprints of Ben and his father Colin all over it. Ripe, rich, concentrated and supremely complex, the Bishop is the wine for all those full-bodied red fans out there. Ripe liqueur cherries on the nose compete for attention with vanilla, mocha and coffee aromas while the palate is full of sweet berry fruit flavour and a soft, luscious finish that seems to persist for an age. While exuberant and lively when young, the Bishop is known to handle medium term cellaring extremely well and reward any with the patience.

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.

Chris Ringland Shiraz 2005 represents an outstanding expression from the vineyard. The vine is powerful, voluptuous and ripe, yet the tannins are plush and mature, with moderate acidity. This vintage will have great longevity potential.

The Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz is a relatively new addition to the Penfolds stable, sourced from the Barossan sub-district, Marananga. Simply a revelation, this wine is an inky, black beast in the glass with lashings of dark chocolate and coffee accented fruit, yet this years offering shows a lingering, soft structured finish that will see the wine cellar very nicely.

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.

An exceptional Barossan Shiraz from the artisan cult producer, Spinifex. The Miette (mee-yet) Shiraz has a delightful balance and charm with flavours of cherry, blueberry and hints of earthy spice, held by finely structured tannins. Succulent, layered and fleshy, the Miette label is a great introduction to the hand-crafted wines from Spinifex.

John Duval, famously known as the craftsman of the mighty Penfolds Grange, continues to further forge his reputation as a maker of great Shiraz. 'Eligo' from the latin: 'To pick out, select or choose or choose the best' is the flagship wine of the John Duval stable with its main aim to produce a Shiraz with structure and an elegant expression of its terrior. Multi layered with lashes of dark berry fruit, the wine is intense yet still quite restrained. An excellent Barossan Shiraz!

The Stonehorse wines are vinified to make styles that emphasise fruit characteristics with complementary barrel maturation. The oak is designed to support and add structure to the palate without compromising the drink ability of the wine. A full bodied wine with a supple mouth feel, dark berry characters, spice box and liquorice mingle on the palate.

Two Hands Ares Shiraz is a wine that showcases the very best parcel selection that Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz can get their 'Two Hands' on. A wonderfully powerful, rich and dense Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, the Ares Shiraz is matured in 100% French Oak, not a common practice in the Barossa. With the full-bodied nature of the wine, the extra bottle age makes the Ares Shiraz a perfect bottle to open now.