"Replacing the Petit Chapelle cuvee and first made in 2015, the 2016 Hermitage La Maison Bleue is smoking good. Black fruits, charcoal, powdered rock, currants and chocolate notes all give way to a big, concentrated, impressively structures barrel sample that has tons of potential. I expect the tannin will have integrated by the time this is released, but a few years of bottle age still recommended." - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2015 Steading has a fragrancy, purity of fruit, mid-palate concentration and savoury tannin profile that makes it an exemplary wine. Vibrant aromas of violet, star anise hints of violet and spice all unfold to reveal an impressive array of underlying fruit flavours. Silky, succulent dark fruits, black olive, savoury earth, liquorice and Asian spice. These complex yet elegant flavours are all neatly interwoven with a perfect balance of acidity and supple, silky tannins. The 2015 Steading will continue to develop with time in the cellar, and provide those with patience great enjoyment well into the next decade.

The initials RWT stand for Red Winemaking Trial, the name given to the project internally by Penfolds when developmental work began in 1995. No longer a trial, RWT Shiraz was launched in 2000. Its style is opulent and fleshy, made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and plush texture. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa shiraz at the highest quality level.Peak drinking: 2022 - 2050

Barr-Eden Estate is a storied piece of land situated at the crest of Mengler’s Hill, one of the highest points of viticulture in Australia. Well-known grape-grower Joel Mattschoss first acquired fruit from the site, which sits atop the ancient goldfields of the Eden, in 2014, to produce the first small batch Love Over Gold wine with Frenchman Pierre-Henri Morel. After the passing of the estate’s owner, Barossa icon, Bob McLean, in 2015, a venture began between the two, along with friends Michael Twelftree and Tim Hower, to become the new custodians of this special property of great pedigree. The Grenache vines at Barr-Eden Estate were planted in 1997 - at 545m elevation this is some of the highest Grenache in South Australia. 2021 was mild, with a slow ripening season over a long Indian Summer. The fruit was handpicked, destemmed and tipped into a one tonne fermenter. Gentle pump over and slow extraction until full dryness. Only the free run was placed into a 3 year old French oak barrel. The Barr-Eden Estate Love Over Gold Grenache 2021 has a soft palate with extremely precise and thin tannins that caress and carry on the freshness and intensity, the fruit has carried its freshness and vibrancy.

Just release from the cellar, RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz is entering its next phase of evolution—showing greater depth, harmony and refinement while retaining its signature power and precision. The once-vibrant nose has settled into a savoury complexity: cured meats, green olive, rosemary and subtle tar now merge with warm patisserie notes of cinnamon pastry, burnt sugar and toasted French oak. The palate remains medium-bodied but has broadened in texture, with the acidity softening and the chalky tannins now more integrated. The French oak influence is seamless, lending structure without overwhelming. Still showing vitality, but now unfolding the layered character that defines RWT’s long-lived style. A poised and elegant expression of single-region Barossa Shiraz, with many graceful years still ahead.

Excellent Shiraz boasting Golds, high points and critical praise: "Opulent and sumptuous... Mouth-coating and luscious. 96pts"(Sam Kim Wine Orbit). "A super concentrated Shiraz from the Barossa, it was a low yielding season resulting in fruit of great concentration and power....smooth and velvety. 95pts (Ray Jordan WinePilot). "... packed with ripe Doris plum, black cherry and boysenberry fruit notes. Hints of dried cranberry, baking spice, licorice, fruit-and-nut chocolate, tapenade, violets and roasting meats. Full bodied, with compact, powdery tannins and some fine acidity. Nice red plum notes flow in on the palate, adding detail and a few lumens to the ripe fruit on show. Long finish too.95pts.” (Dave Brookes, The Halliday Wine Companion). The Schild Estate can boast Shiraz vines planted by Ann Jacobs in 1847. The Schild's first arrived in Australia in 1866, and the family moved to the Barossa and purchased vineyards here in 1952. They did not make their first 'Schild' branded wine until 1998, but the estate's reputation grew steadily. Although no longer owned by the family, the estate's vineyards are all still under the family's control.

Two Hands Ares Shiraz is a wine that showcases the very best parcel selection that Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz can get their 'Two Hands' on. A wonderfully powerful, rich and dense Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, the Ares Shiraz is matured in 100% French Oak, not a common practice in the Barossa. With the full-bodied nature of the wine, the extra bottle age makes the Ares Shiraz a perfect bottle to open now.

Coming from one of the best vintages in recent Barossa history, the Old Block from St Hallett shows what careful vineyard management can do for a wine. Rich, dark and conerntrated but with seamless tannin intergration.

One of Australia's true great wine treasures, Henschke produce a range of wines that are the envy of most. Keyneton Estate is often the first premium wine from this most famous of producers that people try. As such, the attention to detail and meticulous craftsmanship of this wine is a testament to the vision and passion of Stephen and Prue Henschke.

St Hallett Old Block Shiraz, first vintage 1980, is a stalwart of the Barossa and a stalwart of Langton's Classification of Australian Wine. A blend of oldvine Shiraz (average age 90 years) from key sites in the Barossa and Eden Valleys, Old Block is one of Barossas finest.