Chris Ringland's Barossa Ranges Shiraz is steeped in the Barossas post-colonial story and the high art and science of winemaking. Typically deep in colour with intense dark berry, paneforte, espresso roasted chestnut aromas, it displays a plush and concentrated palate with blackberry, mocha, paneforte spicy flavours and dense fine chocolaty tannins. Despite the opulence, flamboyance, richness and concentration, the wine has superb percussion and freshness. The wine is a small vinification of around four to five hogsheads or 1500 litres. The "unusually thick skinned" Shiraz is entirely sourced from Chris Ringland's dry-grown vineyard on the edge of the Barossa Valley, but technically in Eden Valley, along Flaxman's Valley near Randall's Hill. The wine is "painstakingly hand-made" in open fermenters and regularly pumped-over to extract colour, flavour and tannins. After draining and pressing through a traditional basket press, fermentation is completed in 100% new French oak hogsheads. A period of up to 50 months oak maturation follows to achieve optimum complexity and balance between oak and fruit. The extraordinarily high release prices (higher than Penfolds Grange), limited production and reputation make Chris Ringland Barossa Ranges Shiraz the stuff of legend.

DOMAINE PIERRE USSEGLIO Reserve des Deux Freres, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No.2 Yarra Valley Shiraz One of three wines from Yarra Yering featured in the original 1990 Langtons Classification, Dry Red No. 2 is recognised as the first Côte Rôtie style wine made by anyone in Australia. Its fruit is sourced from 1973 plantings of Shiraz, often backed by small amounts of Mataro, Marsanne and Viognier. A highly collectable and cellar-worthy offering from one of the cornerstone wineries of the Yarra Valley.