Bright red colour with tints of purple. The mineral notes in the wine are accentuated with the period of maturation in the bottle. The nose is of sharp spice and berries. On the palate it has good acidity and freshness. The persistent tannins give harmony to the wine, with an aftertaste of black pepper and currant. Light drying period of 20 days. The grapes are destemmed, pressed and vinified with delestage method. Alcoholic fermentation followed by malolactic one in vertical stainless steel vats. 3-6 months ageing in 20hl oak cask of Allier. Located in the heart of the Soave Classico DOC near Verona, Cantine Pra is run by brothers Sergio and Graziano Pra, the former tending the estates 25 hectares of vineyards and the latter in charge of the cantine. The Pra range of wines are considered to be one of the benchmarks for the region including the Soave Classico, an un-oaked Soave Classico Superiore, Monte Grande, the barrique aged Soave Classico Colle Sant' Antonio and a stunning Recioto di Soave Classico. A producer that is totally in tune with their terroir and what the varieties Garganega and Trebbiano are capable of delivering in the glass.

Big and beautiful! This Hewitson Mad Hatter Shiraz has dark plums, chocolate and mocha on the nose; it is rich and fills the palate with textured dark fruits with a hints of oak in the background.

Teusner Albert Shiraz is made from old vines in the northern Barossa; rich black fruits and tarry cassis with smoky undertones, the finish is long and luscious. Could easily be cellared for the medium term.

Taylors St Andrews Shiraz from the Clare Valley is a classic and is consistently a show-stopper. The bouquet shows rich plum and cherry fruit with earthy spice and the palate is perfectly balanced with soft silky tannins.

The now much sought after Righteous range of wines from Kym Teusner was first established in 2005 with the Grenache and this is the latest incarnation of this foreboding Barossa wine. Sourced from an 80 year old bush-vine vineyard, the Righteous Grenache was gently crushed and fermented in open fermenters with regular pump-overs. Maturation was completed in a mix of French and American oak and has resulted in a modern classic Grenache.

Cullen, world famous for their Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot, have introduced another Cab Merlot, a distinguished offshoot of the Langton's classified Diana Madeline. Majority Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot and touch of Petit Verdot gives the wine a luscious, bright cherry flavour with red berries playing their part. Aged in French oak, 40% of which was new, for one year. Delicious to serve with veal, lamb or beef today, but will also reward up to 10 years in the cellar.

La Grola is the extraordinary result of the meeting of two great personalities: the hill of La Grola and the Valpolicella's autochthonous grapes. The excellent exposure of the vineyards, which enjoy the sun's warm rays and the cool breezes that come from nearby Lake Garda, allows the grapes to produce their very best. Careful, craftsman-like ageing in the cellar yields a red wine with great elegance, harmony and finesse that can evolve positively for over a decade.

Margaret River is an under appreciated region for Australian Shiraz, and it's hard to see why with Cape Mentelle's Shiraz showing a vibrant core of blueberry, mulberry and hints of raspberry. It is well balanced with cocoa and savoury oak. The palate yet, is fine, elegant and focussed, finishing with chalky and structural tannins.

This Pinot noir is the flagship from Two Paddocks an organically grown barrel selection from the estate properties. As in the vineyard, the wine is hand crafted using traditional methods including a 25% whole bunch indigenous fermentation and hand plunging. Maturation is in French barriques for 11 months, using a mix of older and new (25%) barrels.

A stylish blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a touch of Shiraz and Petit Verdot, from low yielding vineyards have produced another wine of elegance and class. Blackberry, mint and tobacco flavours are framed by fine tannin. The Shiraz adds some supple softness and the Petit Verdot adding aromatic lift. Another triumph!

The V&A Lane wines from Wynns pay tribute to the wonderful and unique vineyards that are located around V&A Lane in central Coonawarra. This is a wonderful release from Wynns' iconic winemaker, Sue Hodder. A burst of spicy dark fruit hits the nose with ripe cherries, plums and black fruits on the palate. The richness of the fruit is held in check by fine tannins and deft use of good oak. A brilliant wine for right now or many years in the cellar.