Maison Tardieu-Laurent was founded in 1994 by Michel Tardieu and Dominique Laurent in the small but beautiful village of Lourmarin in Provence, although today it is completely in the hands of the Tardieu family and is one of the premier wine producers of the Rhone. This is from the famed appellation of Chateauneuf-du Pape and boasts all of the fabulous flavour attributes that this region can offer. The cepage is mourvedre, syrah and grenache. The wine exhibits savoury red fruit, a regional earthiness and hallmark silky tannins. Tardieu-Laurent are regarded as one of the consistenly high performers of the Rhone Valley.

Encouraged by the success of the Shiraz Viognier, Clonakillas Tim Kirk decided to release a new wine, beginning with the 2006 vintage -- a straight Shiraz from the same estate vines that produce the Shiraz Viognier. It was named Syrah, the French name for Shiraz. The winemaking is simple. A single fermenter is filled with the best Shiraz from the north-east facing T&L vineyard. "Simply a classic wine from a classic estate.- Campbell Mattison"A very great wine.- James Halliday The whole berries (no stems) are fermented warm by native yeasts. They then spend up to a month macerating on skins followed by 18 months maturation in French oak, one-third new. The Syrah is typically a darker, more brooding wine than the Shiraz Viognier, with a distinct wild berry and potent spice character. This is Clonakillas Hermitage to the Shiraz Viogniers Côte Rôtie. Total production is no more than 300 dozen each year.

Deep red-purple in colour showing dark plum, clove, sarsaparilla root, brambly fruit on the nose and palate, lifted by a touch of fresh sage. An elegant full -bodied wine with flowing cranberry and rhubarb flavours, subtle fennel/liquorice and a hint of minerality. Breathtaking poise that finishes rich with lingering, fine tannins.

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.

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.