Bleasdale's Senior Winemaker Paul Hotker is James Hallidays Winemaker of the Year 2018. The magnificent fruit for Bleasdales Powder Monkey comes from Hotker's finest Shiraz block, directly behind the winery the oldest in Langhorne Creek. Powder Monkey is named in honour of a young Frank Potts who, at age nine, joined the British Royal Navy as a powder monkey diminutive crew members charged with carrying gunpowder during battle. Later, in 1850, an older and wiser Frank Potts would found the first winery in Langhorne Creek.

Bright, deep garnet. Spice laced, smoky, savory notes dominate when the bottle is first opened. With air aromas transit through black tea, charred meat, green pepper corn, wood smoke and suede, to roasted nuts, red and black cherry and high transient notes of citrus oils and jasmine. Restrained and relatively closed on the palate initially. Mid-weight, with a keen balance of both flesh and bones fruit and structure - tangy dried herb edged fruit opens up to polished, fresh black fruits. Focused and pure, has great line.

Geoff Merrill Henley Shiraz shows a deep brick red colour lined by cherry red hues. A whiff of the wine reveals generous scents of berry fruits and toasty French oak. Ripe fruit flavours combine with fine and powerful tannins on the full flavoured palate, to provide an elegant structure. This delightful Shiraz ends in a captivating finale. It tastes marvellous with lamb shanks in a red wine jus, chocolate-dipped honeycomb, and sharp Cheddar cheese.

Wirra Wirra's flagship Shiraz has won many accolades over the years, including the 'world's best Shiraz'. It's loaded with distinctive McLaren Vale blueberry and chocolate characters, supported by plums, violets and spice, and tannin structure destined for 10 more years in the cellar.

The scintillating bouquet exhibits tobacco, dark chocolate and oak aromas. The palate packs rich and intense black fruit flavours. This McLaren Vale Shiraz is a delight to consume.

Another hearty expression of Barossa's generous fruit from the impressive Teusner stable. Black olives, black pepper and blackberries, there's a dark side to this feisty Shiraz. Concentrated and thick yet artfully constructed with balance and efficiency.

Shiraz By Farr is one of Victoria's premier cool-climate Shiraz's, made by the iconic Geelong winemaker, Gary Farr. The nose is incredibly complex showing notes of red and black fruits, spice, black pepper and iodine. In the mouth the wine is incredibly fresh. Wonderfully braced fruit and fine framing tannins and an outstanding length.

The Canberra District and the Rhone blend of Shiraz and Viognier have been famous bedfellows for the past few decades - for good reason. The unique terroir is harnessed wonderfully by the team at Lerida Estate at their Lake George vineyard and the result is this remarkably intense red wine. Cold soaked, co-fermented with hand plunging and then left to rest on skins for 10 days before resting in French oak for 15 months. It is no wonder flavours of freshly stewed plums, cinnamon, pepper, apricot and vanilla are simply bursting out of the glass.

It is sweetly fragrant and instantly appealing on the nose showing dark and purple fruit aromas together with tar, game, cocoa and spicy oak nuances. The palate is rich, intense and fleshy, displaying excellent power as well as rounded mouthfeel, wonderfully complemented by velvety texture and silky tannins. Impressively flavoursome and very long on the finish with loads of delectable flavours. At its best: now to 2027