Tintara from South Australia's McLaren Vale represents both history and innovation in McLaren Vale. With a heritage that dates back to 1861 and with a vision to produce contemporary wines, the result are red wines like this Tintara Cabernet Sauvignon. Full of life and vigour with the typical regional chocolate and mocha characters, this McLaren Vale Cab is a perfect little cellar starter or great paired with lamb shanks.

Deep Red with Brick Red hues. BOUQUET Classical Cabernet aromas of cassis, cedar, bay leaf and dark chocolate dominate the nose with hints of supple leather, nettle, and freshly tilled earth. PALATE Smooth milk chocolate, ripe plum and blackcurrant, sit within a savoury but firm tannin structure. Balanced acidity completes the wine, offering great length and persistence.

Begins with a frisson of fine French oak and smoky sandalwood before plunging into a full fruit basket; plums, mulberries, blackberries, and blackcurrants. The palate pulses with fruit filled verve. Rosehip, and cocoa notes. Leather, bay, and thyme.

While normally associated with Grenache and Shiraz blends, Mourvèdre recently has begun to stand on its own two feet as a stand-alone wine. Quite evocative in nature, Chapel Hill's Mourvèdre is a dark and brooding red with wonderful hints of spice and violet tones. Walking the line between medium and full-bodied, this wouldn't be out of place next to either a thick cut steak or a plate of picked Mediterranean vegetables.

d'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz is a firm favourite with many McLaren Vale Shiraz lovers and for good reason. This is another great example of the rich, full-bodied style with aromas of ripe blackberry and spice that mingle with minty peppery notes. The palate is full-flavoured, supple in texture with a velvety finish.

McLaren Vale and Shiraz - the perfect match. Steve Maglieri is the icon behind the Serafino name and his Shiraz is a typically wonderful full-flavoured and full-bodied red with the black and red fruits you can handle. A rich and voluptuous palate with a silken, textured finish that is a perfect match to big, rich beef dishes or a robust lamb ragu.

Serafino is the winery behind industry icon, Steve Maglieri. Arriving in McLaren Vale in 1968, Steve embarked on a career that has seen his wines win multiple awards across the world. His Cabernet Sauvignon contains fruit that is hand selected from multiple vineyard sites throughout McLaren Vale to deliver a wine that is full-bodied and full of richness. Copious amounts of blackcurrant and blueberry fruit await with supreme textural oak balancing the opulence.

Another impeccably good offering from Chester Osborne combining rich and voluptuous McLaren Vale Shiraz with lifted fragrant Viognier. d'Arenberg is one of the pioneers of this style, the 'Magpie' continues to go from strength to strength.

The McLaren Vale can be considered the true home of Grenache blends here in Australia witho some of the oldest vines in the world being dry grown there. Steve Maglieri's Serafino label provides a rich and delicious GSM blend a nose of rose petal and tobacco. The palate flows on with dense coffee and cedar notes that glide across the tongue.

Chapel Hill's Cabernet Sauvignon is a superb McLaren Vale wine which rivals others well beyond its price range. Generous blackcurrant, dark cherries, cedar and spice mixed in with fine, firm tannins. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to improve with a few years in the cellar.