Michael Fragos grew up in McLaren Vale, and spent 14 years at Tatachilla before taking over at Chapel Hill in 2004. A three-time ‘Bushing King’, Michael has also been named best winemaker on the planet! James Halliday notes that his “wine quality is unfailingly excellent” . This one has an expressive nose of blackcurrant, bay leaf cigar box and chocolate. The palate is medium to full-bodied, beautifully structured, with a powerful complexity, fine-grained tannins, velvety texture and long, long finish.

Mountadam can boast being the “foremost producer of chardonnay in the Eden Valley” (Halliday), but their deeply layered, textural and complex reds are also creating great excitement amongst the trade. Try for yourself here with this 'exuberant' yet underrated Cabernet showing lovely florals of violets, dark brambly fruits and fine supple tannins. "A morass of mulched leaf, anise and black currant, dabbed with olive. A lovely, energetic feel, finishing with verdant cigar box tannins and a whiff of mint to menthol. This has spent up to 24 months in oak and is in it for the long haul. It will be nice to taste it again when the curranty exuberance calms... 93pts" (Halliday Wine Companion, Ned Goodwin MW).

The winery takes its name from the family’s grand 1845 Corryton Park Homestead in Eden Valley, and the family name of siblings Trent and Amelia Burge – who along with highly celebrated Grant Burge are creating another chapter of winemaking glory for the Burge family name. This fine fresh, beautifully structured Cabernet Sauvignon uses fruit both from vineyards in the Valley and higher altitude ones around their Eden Valley homestead. Awarding it Double Gold the Gilbert & Gaillard judges noted its “Rich red colour with ruby reflections. Ripe black fruit on the nose, with hints of undergrowth and earth. The palate is deliciously fleshy, with invigorating, sweet tannins complementing the fruit admirably. A fine, solar vintage.”

This wine defines charisma! Juicy plum and dark cherry fruits combine with licks of mint and fennel that overlay a slatey-granite earthiness. It’s a deep, dark, dangerously intense Cabernet with integrated tannins and dense dark fruits wound up in savoury spice. The wine show judges and critics are consistently awarding the Black Magic Woman Reserve Cabernet Gold – again and again and again!

At Mt Bera, at an attractive homestead built in the 1880s, in Adelaide Hills, Greg and Katrina Horner have planted a diverse range of varieties, and their vineyards are managed according to organic/biodynamic principles. This 2017, nicely mature Adelaide Hills Cabernet, is called Wild & Free but more for the biodynamic approach to the vineyard management rather than wine style.

Located in High Eden, a sub-region of the Barossa, approximately 550 metres above sea level, Mountadam was originally established in 1972 by the late David Wynn for his winemaking son Adam. Since 2005, it has returned to being a family owned and run winery, with David and Jenni Brown overseeing its success. The wine is named after David’s father, Milton Brown. Traditionally known as the best Cabernet or Cabernet blend from the Estate the 2021 vintage saw this wine as a straight Cabernet Sauvignon due to the high quality of a single block. “Deep crimson and packed with bramble-edged blackberry, blackcurrant and black cherry fruits. Hints of brown spice, violets, briar, licorice, cedar, sage and vanilla bean. There's a lovely density with great tension between that High Eden mineral line and the ripe black fruits with fine, granite-dust tannins... that fruit weight is impressive. 95pts. Great Value.” (Dave Brookes, The Halliday Wine Companion)."

"Outstanding vlaue" Cabernet with scores of 92 and 95pts. "This delivers a lot for a meagre tariff....a fine example, and further proof of how well the variety can perform in the region. 92pts" (Marcus Ellis, The Halliday Wine Companion). Huon Hooke calls it "... a very concentrated wine with density and power, fruit doing most of the talking, The palate is very lively, vibrant, driving and long, and promises much for the future. Cellaring recommended. Outstanding value, too! 95pts.” (Huon Hooke. The Real Review). From d’Arenberg’s Osbourne family – a founding member of Australia’s First Family of Australian Wines.

McLaren Vale is home to some of Australia's biggest reds and here's a prize example from the bestselling 'Black Pig' - a cassis-rich Cabernet with wall-to-wall black cherry and bramble tones and a delicious lick of menthol.