There's a lot to adore about this Cabernet Sauvignon from a beloved family-owned winery. Halliday deemed it worthy of 92 points, and it's picked up four gold medals from Australian wine shows. But if that pedigree doesn't impress you, one sip of this beautiful red will.

The Shingleback D Block Reserve Shiraz is named for the Davey Block of the Davey Estate vineyard and is the personal expression of the McLaren Vale from the eyes of winemaker John Davey. True reserve wines, the D Block is only made in exceptional vintages just like this 2009. In the glass the wine has a colour that is impenetrable purple red. On the nose there are aromas of mulberry and blackberry that mingle with dusty cashew, milky chocolate (typical of McLaren Vale), spice and forest floor. There are tight, fine tannins to counter the bold, fresh fruit which results in an alluring and unmistakable wine that expresses the essence of the vine, the time and the place.

The Hill Block straddles the ridge running through the Chapel Hill estate. The wine was then aged for 19 months in 100% tight grained French oak. The proportion of new oak was kept low to encourage the continued expression of the characters that are unique to the vineyard site.

Enjoy an excellent vintage Syrah from the superb Chalk Hill, where "The range of Syrah here is stellar." (Ned Goodwin MW) with Gold and high scores up to 96pts. "Offering fabulous fruit purity with seductive complexity, the wine shows Black Doris plum, blueberry, violet, dried herb, game and roasted hazelnut aromas on the nose. The palate is equally satisfying with excellent weight and plush texture, wonderfully framed by velvety mouthfeel and beautifully melded tannins. Graciously opulent with an impressively long, expansive finish. 95pts” (Sam Kim, Wine Orbit). "The growth of Chalk Hill has accelerated after passing from parents John and Diana Harvey to grape-growing sons Jock and Tom. Both are heavily involved in wine industry affairs" (James Halliday). The excellent Renae Hirsch heads an impressive wine team.

The Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz is an opulent concentrated and complex style with plenty of spicy fruit and a dash of chocolate. True to the style that Wolf himself made from the very beginning of this now iconic brand, this is very tasty and enjoyable now yet it has the weight and complexity to improve with cellaring.

Intense, textured and showing pure fruit flavours, Jester Shiraz is considered Mitolo's baby G.A.M Shiraz using the same barrels in which the G.A.M was previously aged in. The palate is full of bright, red berry flavours, a subtle herbal character and an overall savoury quality to the finish. Made to be upfront and approachable for early appreciation, the Jester Shiraz delivers excellent quality for the price.

Another impeccably good offering from Chester Osborne combining rich and voluptuous McLaren Vale Shiraz with lifted fragrant Viognier. d'Arenberg is one of the pioneers of this style, the 'Magpie' continues to go from strength to strength.

Chris Hatcher of 'Hatch Wines' has been a winemaker for almost 50 years including more than 35 years at Wolf Blass, 27 as Chief Winemaker. After many years of contemplating releasing his own wines, Hatch retired from TWE in June 2023 and then in October/November released my own label HATCH, his monicker for most of his life. Hatch McLaren Vale Vesey Shiraz is a powerful, rich and plush wine with great vibrance and purity. The palate is intense, opulent and silky, delicious now, however will be reward with medium to long-term cellaring. 'A dense vibrant purple, aromas which simply leap from the glass. Generous in style, indeed opulent, with a seductive and soft texture, silky tannins. This will easily age and improve for eight to twelve years. Love it'. - Ken Gargett

An amazing parcel of rich, dark, concentrated McLaren Vale Shiraz has gone into 'The Prize' ... look forward to a mouthful of powerful dark fruit, a tempting dark chocolate richness, and a silky, spicy, long, long palate. This is a beauty. Enjoy.