Penfolds RWT Shiraz is a big juicy Barossan Shiraz refined by the use of older French oak barrels. 1998 is considered to be one of the classic vintages of the modern age. Drinking wonderfully now but with many years still to come in its development, this is a great addition to any cellar.

Meshach William Burge was Grant's great grandfather and was a central figure in establishing the Burge family in the Barossa Valley. This Shiraz named in his honour is sourced from old vines, some nearing 100 years old, and shows aromas and flavours of complex swiss chocolate, savoury spices and red currant. Grant Burge's flagship shiraz will reward the patient cellarer with 20 years in the bottle in front of it.

One of the benchmarks of Barossa Shiraz, Peter Lehmann's Stonewell is a classic example of the rich concentrated old vine style. While bold on the palate, there is always an inherent complexity to the Stonewell that enables it to be compared with all of the great Australian wines produced today.

WOLF BLASS WINES Platinum Label Medlands Vineyard Shiraz, Barossa Valley

To retain the stylish varietal model he seeks with Shadrach, Grant Burge used a high proportion of Coonawarra fruit in 2000. Who can argue with the result! A minty complex wine, with depth and elegance.

The initials RWT stand for ‘Red Winemaking Trial’, the name given to the project internally when developmental work began in 1995. Naturally, now no longer a ‘trial’, RWT Shiraz was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. Its style is opulent and fleshy, contrasting with Grange, which is more muscular and assertive. RWT is made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and plush texture. RWT wines are built for the long haul, with the precision, concentration and balance to age for many years.The palate is generous, with voluminous and enveloping tannins, so silken they betray their density and persistence. This sturdy foundation provides a perfect canvas upon which to display the spoils of the harvest, layers of flavours roll over the palate in waves. Varietally correct and true to origin. Blue fruits, boysenberry, plum and mulberry are front and centre, a signature of RWT. A suggestion of crème brûlée and panforte provide a sweet counterpoint to complex notes of exotic spice and cedary oak.

Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1,460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz.

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.

With plenty of blackberry, plum, mulberry and menthol-like fruit and fine, rusty, almost unyielding tannins, this is a strong, firm wine by Wendouree with plenty of lasting power. The Shiraz component derives from vineyard plots that include bush vine material. Parcels of very old vine Malbec bring further distinctiveness. The wine is vinified in open fermenters and matured for 12 months in new and used French oak.

Graveyard Vineyard is the jewel in the Brokenwood crown, responsible for the company's flagship wines. The vineyard was planted with Shiraz vines in 1970 - extremely heavy clay soils, yields are low, but fruit flavour is intense through employment of meticulous vinification techniques. Strong lifted aromas of sweet earth and dark cherry greet the olfactory senses. Oak features, but will soften and integrate given some patience. Initial flavours of dark chocolate and ripe plums are beautifully lashed to ripe tannins lending an edge of cedar.