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.
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.
Yarra Yering is not only a Victorian icon, but a true Australian wine treasure. The Underhill Shiraz is sourced exclusively from the 1974 planted block of Shiraz at the western-most extremity of the vineyard. Drawn from soils with a higher clay base which has resulted in a wine of a more masculine bent offering darker fruits and spice with chewier tannins and a savoury undertone.
Torbreck's Woodcutter's Shiraz is produced from hand-tended low-yielding vines. Bold and hearty it shows ripe sweet fruit flavours with supple tannins. Has quickly become a firm favourite of all the full-bodied Barossa red wine lovers out there.
First made in 1959, Penfolds Kalimna Shiraz is an icon in the field of warm-climate Shiraz. Always ripe, robust and generously flavoured. The Bin 28 is named after the Kalimna vineyard that was purchased back in 1945 and from which the original fruit was sourced from. Today, the Bin 28 is a great example of the Penfolds dedication to multi-region, multi-vineyard blending. The Barossa Valley will always remain an integral part of the Bin 28 blend providing rich, vibrant primary fruit flavours.
One of the benchmark wines to come out of the Coonawarra, the Penfolds Bin 128 is a delightful cool-climate shiraz. Matured in French Oak, with flavours of white pepper and floral spice, the 2014 Bin 128 is a rich and full-bodied Shiraz.
This classic Yarra Valley Shiraz from Yeringberg is showing those trademark Shiraz characters of cracked black pepper and great fruit weight, there is also some good concentration and a long powdery tannin finish.
The Bin 389 style evolved as a result of experiments, by Max Schubert, in the 1950s to develop a highly individual wine using a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with compatible oak treatment. Bin 389 combines the elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz and demonstrates the traditional Penfolds' trademark - balance between fruit and oak, giving the wine character and longevity.
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.