Order of Australia recipient, Bill Calabria and family craft this long-time favourite Cabernet Sauvignon. This year, they have selected fruit from Lanhgorne Creek & Coonawarra for the popular Long Libve the King. Calabria Family Wines celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2000. Bill is an old friend, who Tony Laithwaite first started working with back in 1984. This Cabernet is a luscious wine, rich with sweet dark berries and plum, classic eucalyptus, plus good grip and length.

Scores of 91pts, 92pts and a star for Special Value point to the quality of this straight Cabernet Franc from the ever-impressive Pikes of the Clare Valley.“Bright and fresh style with good balance of brambly herbal character, pepper and dark plummy fruit, with suggestions of black olive and some more ferrous, earthy elements. Bold perfume, more sleek and almost crisp... Long strides of tannin, and there's a freshness through the finish. This is really pleasing.” Mike Bennie, The Halliday Wine Companion. The Wine Team here certainle agree with Mike. Very pleasing indeed!

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.”

Andrew McPherson has a well-deserved reputation for being a great brilliant technical innovator and made wine all over the world before settling back in Australia. He was chief winemaker for many years, but that honour now belongs to Jo Nash. Wild Daisy is as lively as its pretty label – Cabernet with a portion of cherry-fresh, Italian inspired Sangiovese, so what you enjoy is an Aussie version of one of Italy’s pricey, ‘super Tuscans’. It’s a delicious drop, a top choice at a barbecue, with pizza or pasta. Great solo too.

Cape Jaffa was a pioneer both in the Mt Benson region and in terms of its focus on biocynamics and sustainability. The first of the Mount Benson wineries,Cape Jaffa’s fully certified biodynamic vineyard provides 50% of production, with additional fruit sourced from a certified biodynamic grower in Wrattonbully. This is a lovely drop for warmer weather. As Shanteh Wale says in The Halliday Wine Companion, this is “made for drinking and good times. Serve slightly chilled" but it is not without complexity. "Blackberries, prune, plums and thistle. Picked oregano, margoram and green olive.”