Aromas of plums, spice and background peppery hints lead to a richly flavoured palate of blackberry, plum and anise fruits. Firm, supportive tannins will hold this release in good stead for further cellaring.

Ingoldby McLaren Vale Shiraz is deep red in colour with purple hues. Red berries and plums on the nose, a spicy, peppery, plummy palate with good length of flavour and a smooth, lingering finish.

Rich, sweet cherry and blackberry fruits overlay the supple palate. Subtle use of oak adds fine soft tannins to this well-structured wine.

Water Wheel is a historic winery located in the traditional wine region of Bendigo in central Victoria. Winemaker Peter Cumming continually produces a Shiraz with aromas of ripe berries, white pepper and chocolate that are also reflected on the palate which also displays attractive regional and varietal character. The depth of fruit and oak balance is excellent. Always a consistent performer, Water Wheel Shiraz is not only enjoyable upon release but is a reliable medium-term cellaring option.

Made by iconic winery Howard Park, the fruit for MadFish Gold Turtle Shiraz is sourced from the South West of the state where Shiraz thrives. This wine has sweet berry and spice characters complemented by a touch of white pepper and well handled French oak. Lovely!

Jim from Mount Pleasant accentuates a Shiraz with a cleanly structured mulberry and redcurrant with soft liquorice notes and a persistent high quality backbone.

Penny's Hill Cracking Black Shiraz continues to be what all McLaren Vale Shiraz should be. Deliciously intense, with all its components looking their best and beautifully synchronised. There's lengthy concentrated blackberry fruit, liquorice and pepper. Superb!

Upon much deliberation, our overall masked winner revealed a style and character that provided us with a fairly clear cut insight into the modern day advances of a region etched in history and tradition. Cosme Palacio consistently produces one of our favourite Riojas that always offers incredible value for money. Produced predominantly from Tempranillo grown in cool, relatively high altitude sites, this is modern Rioja that's bright and ready to go thanks to a touch of bottle age. It's medium bodied with fine tannins and juicy in the mouth. Black fruits dominate the flavour profile with some delicate cedar and earthy notes adding complexity to a delicious example from this much loved region.

Artelan is a range of contemporary wines that reflect the personality of Rioja Alavesa, the highest subzone of the Rioja DOCa. Rioja Alavesa is one of the greatest wine terroirs in Spain, combining altitude, a high percentage of limestone in the soils and a predominance of old vineyards. The result are wines that display great freshness, elegance and depth of flavours.