You don’t often see Bordeaux’s inky Petit Verdot blended with spicy Shiraz. But here in Australia, there are no rules so winemakers are free to blend them. The result? Gorgeous layers of dense black fruit with a rich helping of smoky spice. This is a beautiful wine that “tip toes and tapdances over your palate”.

Tim Atkin MW says Sicily is “now one of the most exciting wine regions in Europe, blessed with a combination of abundant sunshine, varied terroirs, good indigenous grapes.” Plus, it has the investment to make the most of these advantages. This gorgeous Syrah comes from David di Prima, whose grandfather Gaspare planted the vines decades ago. The vineyards lie on high hills overlooking the Lago Arancio (Orange Tree Lake) reservoir. Originally a river, it was dammed in the 1950s. On rare occasions the water level drops to reveal the ruins of a Moorish temple. With deep colour, cherry, spice and chocolate character, this Syrah goes well with grilled red meats and full flavoured local dishes such as aubergine caponata or cucuzza squash bake.

Wine Spectator calls Portugal “the most exciting wine place on the planet”, with its terrific range of native grape varieties and wines that always offer standout value. The rich, mouthfilling Lobo e Falcão fits firmly in that category. It’s made at a 17th century estate owned by the Lobo de Vasconcellos family, once the location of the king’s falconry. Special barrels of wine were kept for the king when he visited. Today, talented winemaker Joana Lopes makes this red specially for us, blending Syrah with Portugal’s exciting native grapes. Previously awarded a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Award, the 2018 has lovely intensity of flavour due to another low yield year. Generous wild berry fruit and spice with a velvet texture – a very moreish red.

Sourced from perfectly ripe Shiraz grapes from plots across the region, creating the beautifully formed fruit we've come to expect from this varietal. Oozing blackberry and bramble components from nose to tail, soft and silky to the touch. Fire up the BBQ - you've found the perfect wine match.

Rich and ripe, blueberry and chocolate flavours, tempered by savoury tannins and well balanced acidity. Pikes Wines is a beautiful location at Polish Hill River, near Sevenhill in the wonderful Clare Valley. With a history dating back to 1878, the Pike family has a past rooted in winemaking. Current custodians, Neil & Andrew form a formidable partnership creating wines that express terroir magnificently. Neil Pike grew up amongst his father, Edgars vineyards in Langhorne Creek and Padthaway . After doing a vintage in 1978 at Wynns Coonawarra he decided to study wine production and marketing at Roseworthy College. After he graduated in 1981, Neil worked as a winemaker making wine for several Clare Valley wineries before starting Pikes with brother Andrew in 1984. He has now completed 38 vintages in the Clare Valley. Andrew was introduced to the wine industry through his father Edgars vineyards in Langhorne Creek and Padthaway. Andrew attended Roseworthy Agricultural College, graduating in 1976 with a Diploma in Agriculture, and immediately joined Wynns Coonawarra Estate. After almost 4 years at Coonawarra, he joined Penfolds Wines in 1979 where he established a new vineyard project in the Clare Valley. The seeds for Pikes Wines were immediately sown, as he quickly realised Clares potential. Andrew become General Manger Vineyard Operations for the Southcorp Wine Group where he was responsible for over 6000 ha of corporate vineyard and all grape supply on a global basis. During this time he was also involved in the establishment of Pikes Wines in the Polish Hill River Valley sub region of Clare. In 1998 Andrew resigned his position at Southcorp to assist his brother Neil in the running of the Pikes family business.

Shows more traditional Australian brooding dark fruit character of blackcurrant, stewed cherry and satsuma plum on a backing of liquorice, spice and smoky, bacony oak. Black pepper is infused through the tannin, lending a distinctly savoury edge to the finish. Length is excellent. Luxury is affordable. The Lane Vineyard, near Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills, is 400 metres above sea level. Shaped by this altitude and southerly latitudes the cooler climate is ideal for growing grapes destined to become wines of distinction, wines with impressive structure, minerality and natural acidity. North facing single vineyard sites maximize autumn sunlight for later ripening varietals, South facing sites favor aromatic whites and sparkling wines. Significant diurnal temperature variation during grape ripening is a distinguishing feature of this vineyard. Longer sunlight hours and temperate daytime temperatures contribute to intense fruit flavours while the sudden fall in evening temperature preserves natural acidity and structure.

Deep, dark red in colour. The nose is pure and unobstructed by newoak, lifted with dark fruit flavours of blackberry, chocmint, and anise. Dustings of white pepper spice, vanilla, and black olive tapenade provide an intriguing savoury counterpoint to the more primary fruit characters. On the palate is a concentrated, uscious rolling texture packed with fresh blackberry, dark chocolate and liquorice flavours. The wine is juicy and plush with silky tannins that linger, providing a drying, savoury finish.