For lovers of great Australian Shiraz, but with a balanced savoury kick, the Innocent Bystander Syrah is your wine. Made by the crew at Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley, this Syrah (Shiraz) has wonderful redcurrant and cherry fruit flavours with an underlying tone of herbs and savouriness.

This wine, a Piebald, meaning black and white, is a co-fermentation of the blackest Syrah grapes, with a hatful of the purest white Viognier. Deep in colour, the wine is almost black, yet is also vibrant and bright. The nose is perfumed with apricots, spice and liquorice; a pretty, fragrant wine with a sweet juice and velvety palate. The finish is elegant with savoury spice and a fine tannin length and persistence.

Aromas and flavours of red berries, cranberries, spices with a hint of pepper and Northern Rhone style violets. The concentrated fruit is balanced by fresh acidity and a long juicy finish.

Located within Murrumbateman in the now prestigious wine region of Canberra District, comes Eden Road who are well known for cool-climate, elegant style wines. Here their 'The Long Road' Syrah is actually sourced from vineyards that are both within the Canberra District and other nearby regions, like Hilltops. The result is a Syrah that is lifted in both aroma and flavours of ripe red cherries and strawberry. 14 months in older French oak has also provided a subtle savoury note with extreme elegance.

Alain Graillot within the short span of just under 20 years has become royalty in the northern Rhône appellation of Crozes-Hermitage. His wines are sought after the world over and are famous for their concentration, freshness and sheer class. Here he brings his expertise to Australia and the Graillot Syrah No.2. Not a second wine to the Graillot Syrah, but more of a different style. The No 2 is a more generous style, with quite muscular fruit and tannin weight. With 10% new oak employed, the No 2 is fruit-forward and a simply stunning drink today that will also reward the patient cellarer.

The Syrah fruit that goes into Equinoxe is all hand harvested from an organic vineyard in the sub region of Les Chnes Verts. This site has not seen any herbicide or pesticide for 10 years. Part of the blend sees large format oak and shows bright aromatics and a surprisingly dense, structured palate with vibrant cherry and blackberry fruit and notes of black olive and spice. An intense young Crozes, full of character and punch.

The McWilliam's 660 Canberra Syrah has a perfumed nose of violets and spicy red fruits with toasty oak. A silky medium bodied palate displaying floral red fruits with spicy oak and long gentle tannins.

Domaine Astruc's Syrah Reserve has a deep, intense purple colour and a spicy nose full of blackcurrant, violet flowers, cloves and toasty notes. The palate is full bodied with soft tannins with ripe floral flavours and liquorice finished with a long finish. This Syrah will go well with game, meat pies, grilled red meat, beef stews and hard cheeses.