The Malleea (an aboriginal word for 'green paddock') is a very fine exapmle of the classic Australian Cabernet/Shiraz blend. The 2008 is rich, dark magenta in colour, with ripe plums, spice and vanillin oak on the nose. The palate is like a complex fruit cake with layers of fresh berries, black olives and hints of chocolate.
A magnificent example of what the Coonawarra has to offer, with a distinctive intensity of both varietal and regional characters melded with a balance and harmony that belies its ability to be enjoyed for many years to come. Intense dark berries throughout the palate with dark chocolate and plum, fine tannins and lingering acid hold together in perfect balance for an extended lingering finish.
Lloyd Reserve Shiraz is produced from a single vineyard at Coriole, planted in 1919 by Geoffrey Kay. It was first retained as a separate wine in 1989, and is one of Langton's Classified Wines of Australia. This vineyard typically produces a wine of great intensity and can be cellared for many years. The wine is matured in French oak with typically about 40% new.
From a 37-acre vineyard, Château Pavie Macquin is stunningly situated on the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion on the right bank of Bordeaux. 2010 has produced a formidable wine: a blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is a top release of the harvest year and a highlight from St-Émillion in 2010. Tannins, restraint and inward concentration are motifs, this is a wine for the patient, sophisticated collector who wishes to embellish a cellar with pedigree wines that need time and maturity to come to the fore.
Kellermeister's Wild Witch has garnered a cult following over the past years due to the brooding, rich, full-bodied and limited nature of the Barossa classic. The inky, viscous, foreboding black fruit is sourced from low-yielding, dry grown vineyards specially selected for producing the very best Kellermeister can get their hands on. Resting for two years in the finest French oak to really develop its flavour and character. Almost 'magical'.
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.
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.
Bannockburn Shiraz is a multi-layered wine showing blackberry, black cherry and spice on the nose which follow through to the palate. Soft tannins and medium length.
The Levantine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is redolent with blackberry, blackcurrant and cocoa-rich chocolate. The supple, balanced middle palate evokes truffle, bramble and earthy complexity. An outstanding example of the Yarra Valley region, its chewy, satisfying tannins are beautifully-integrated with fleshy fruit characters, hedonic spice and lingering, persistent length.
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.