Deep red with a bright purple edge, Estate Vineyards Syrah '18 has an incredibly inviting fragrance of dark cherry, raspberry, vanilla and allspice. The palate is immediately fullflavoured; a celebration of fresh boysenberry, blueberry, mocha and fine tannin that extends to a long and satisfying finish. With an exquisite level of detail and finesse, Estate Vineyards Syrah '18 is the perfect addition to any occasion. Estate Vineyards Syrah '18 was harvested between 19 March and 17 April 2018 from Te Mata Estate's own vineyards in Hawke's Bay's Bridge Pa and Woodthorpe Terraces Triangle sub-regions. The individual parcels of syrah from each plot were destemmed for fermentation and remained on skins for extended maceration before pressing. It was then run off to a mixture of new and seasoned French oak barrels for five months' maturation, during which time it was regularly topped and racked. The wine received a traditional egg white fining before bottling. Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family owned, producing internationally recognized wines exclusively from its Hawkes Bay vineyards. A temperate maritime climate with low rainfall, due to the rain shadow from mountains to the west, ensures Te Matas sites make the most of every vintage. At the heart of Te Mata Estate are the Havelock Hills Vineyards - the first legally-protected vineyards in New Zealand. Te Mata has five sites on these free draining, north-facing slopes. Soils to the east are mostly sandy loam over a sandstone base, and towards the west are sandy loam over a thin layer of clay and a silica pan. The distinctive shape of the hills is due to their comparative youth, in geological terms. At the meeting point of two tectonic plates, sandstone has been pushed up then worn away relatively quickly leaving a landscape of steep and gentle slopes, and terraces ideal for grape-growing. Under vine for over 120 years, and including some of the oldest grape growing sites in New Zealand, the Havelock Hills are protected for their distinct character, special ambience and unique viticultural heritage.

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.

A spicy, medium-bodied Syrah, closer in weight to many Northern Rhône wines than what we typically expect from Heathcote. It offers loads of spice, energy and drive, and the complex aromas and flavours of dark plum, olive, bay leaf and tobacco. The Syrah No. 2 comes mostly from short- and medium-length macerations (one to two weeks) and is made with 100% whole cluster, natural yeast fermentations and no sulphur additions until well after malolactic. Bottling occurred after 12 months ageing in neutral oak and in a range of different formats: 1000lt, 2000lt, barriques, 500lt and 600lt. Place of Changing Winds is the vineyard project of Bibendums founder and owner Robert Walters. It is a single site in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria where Walters and his team began planting in 2012. The POCW site is very close to Bindi and lies on the same geological belt and yet there are very clear differences. When it comes to geology and climate, things change very quickly. Regardless, this is certainly an area with a proven track record for quality Pinot and Chardonnay. This made the choice of varieties pretty simple. To be precise, the vineyard is in a little hamlet called Bullengarook, between Mount Bullengarook and Mount Macedon, in the hills above Gisborne, about one-hour north-west of Melbourne. The practice: No compromise, no regrets is the motto here with Rob drawing on his years of experience observing many of the great growers of Europe and translating what he considered to be best practice to his particular setting. To understand how to establish and manage this kind of vineyard took a lot of research and has been the result of some 25 years of engagement with the best European growers. All of the vineyard practices are designed to maximise life in the soil, which in turn, ensures a strong connection between the plant and its environment. They are also designed to maximise the health of the vine and to drive the vine roots down, where they can explore the sub-soil (for water and minerals). The name: Our vineyard lies in an area that was called Warekilla by the original inhabitants, the Wurundjeri people. In their language, Warekilla meant Place of Changing Winds (a characteristic of the site that still holds true today).

Spicy, peppery characters are driven by fragrant cherry and redcurrant fruit, refined tannin and lingering acidity, creating a medium wine. A superb, modern expression of dynamic, savoury Shiraz. Made from young and old Shiraz vines, this label showcases great aromatic power, rich berry flavours and pepper finishes with length. This label receives Shiraz grapes from differing areas on the property therefore does not show variations in taste from climate differentiation. The Riversdale Estate family are the sixth generation to work the land and contribute to agriculture. The Estate boasts the largest privately owned vineyard in the Coal River Valley with 40 hectares of vine plantation. The gentle undulating land to the waterfront provides a unique maritime influence, micro-climate and an ideal environment for the large vineyard. These characteristics contribute to the growing and making of award-winning wine.

The fruit used to craft Hill Top Syrah was handpicked, de-stemmed and crushed into open top fermenters to extract maximum colours and tannins from the skin. After being aged in French oak barrels for 18 months, this elegant Syrah features a deep ruby red colour with purple-crimson hues along the edges. The attractive bouquet exudes juicy aromas of stewed plums and spicy cedar oak, which intermix with rich plum and mulberry flavours on the vibrant palate, to culminate in a long, sweet and lingering climax. This wonderful red wine tastes great with various food items such as beef, pork, cured meats and parmesan cheese.

Black cherry with a dense, tight structure and plentiful tannic heft. Peppery and herbal on the palate, but still very compact for its vintage. Seems to have some acetic influence on the nose too.

Beautifully sculpted, racy, red-and-blackberry-fruit along with a lifted rosehip note as well, and some inky depths on the driven finish. Gets more and more perfumed and lively with air, it's another terrific effort from one of Australia's most gifted wine people. The wine, naturally fermented with a judicious use of whole clusters (on average 30%) in a combination of stainless steel, wood and concrete fermenters, also sees a shorter maturation than the Esprit and Bête Noir, et al. The 2018 was cropped from five high, exposed parcels in the Barossa and Eden Valley, where the soils are generally poor and skeletal - for the most part light, gravelly and silty sands over deeply weathered base rocks of varied origins. Vine age varies from 25 to 115 years old (averaging 50 years old), and all fruit is hand harvested. Spinifex was started in 2001 with the opportunity to source some great old vine Mataro growing in deep white drift-sand on the Barossa Valleys Western Ridge. Owned by husband and wife team, Peter Schell and Magali Gely, their focus is on regional wines from the traditional Mediterranean grape varieties that have been grown successfully in Australia for over 150 years - Shiraz, Mataro, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Ugni Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne and Semillon. They aim to make wines that display signatures of vineyard provenance and vintage, show regional typicity and have a consistent thread of 'house style' that reflects their preferences and experiences with wine. The wines they choose to make are predominately blends, the synergies derived from blending wines of differing character enhance the subtle complexities, even textures and profound personalities delivered from great old vine vineyards.

BLOODY HILL Villages Syrah Coldstream, Yarra Valley

A full-bodied palate of rich black fruit and the characteristic dark chocolate of the variety. A core of sweet fruit tannin drives through the palate giving length and depth to the wine.

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.