For 150 years the Barossa has created some of Australia’s greatest Shiraz wines. Dark Corner is not a Grange pretender, nor a wine you must cellar for 20 years. But it is a drop dead gorgeous, ready-when-you-are Barossa beauty at an amazing price. Its Gold medal at the China Wine & Spirits Awards in 2017 proves it.

L’Epiphanie de Saint-Estèphe comes from a very fine estate in Bordeaux’s legendary St-Estèphe appellation in the northernmost part of the Médoc – one of only two Second Growths. (There are actually no First Growths in St-Estèphe, so this is pretty much top of the tree.) First Growth Château Lafite is just across a stream to the south, which gives you an idea of the hallowed terroir we’re talking about. We can’t reveal which estate this wine comes from, but we can tell you that two of its Grand Vins from the legendary 2009 & 2010 vintages were rated a perfect 100 points by the great Robert Parker – wines that sell for nearly $200 per bottle! It's compellingly aromatic – a seductive scent of violets and ripe red fruit. The luscious palate delivers concentrated cassis and plum, with touches of mineral and cherry on the long, sensuous, minerally, finish. It's a sublime example of the lavish St Estephes from this great estate, silky smooth, velvety, complex and long.

The word 'Nacional' is reserved for treasures that fly the flag for Portugal. Touriga Nacional certainly does that. Ten years ago the Freitas family planted the grape on their acclaimed Fava vineyard. In 2015 it produced a wine so special that it was bottled under the vineyard name for the first time ever. It won a string of Gold on its debut - making over 60 Golds in 10 years for this fine family estate. The 2016 won Grand Gold, and the 2017 here has won Gold, Double Gold, Grand Gold and Best in Show ... ! Dating back to 1920, Casa Ermelinda Freitas is run by fourth generation Leonor Freitas, who has been awarded a 'Comendadora' (equivalent to a Dame) for her services to Portuguese wine. Her daughter Joana follows in her footsteps. Aged in barrel, this rich red is packed with spicy berry, herb and mineral character. A top match with slow cooked beef or lamb.

ark Richardson, red specialist at Tyrrell’s calls Heathcote “undoubtedly Australia’s most exciting new red wine producing region.” Buying up vineyards here was the brainchild of Bruce Tyrrell – and it has yielded a red that wins huge numbers of loyal fans every year.

A rich, classically styled, medium to full-bodied Shiraz with ample richness, a softly textured supple mouthfeel, and lifted flavours of ripe dark plum, liquorice, dark chocolate and toasty vanillin oak gliding across the palate.

Sam Trimboli has been creating bestselling wonders for us for nearly 20 years, so when we asked him for an exceptional Shiraz the great man was happy to oblige. Once again this 2018 'Special Reserve' is made with Shiraz sourced from premium vineyards owned by many of Australia's leading independent growers.

There’s bundles of flavour in this classy Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvédre. A special blend that offers soft layers of fruit, and rich and velvety charm – The Black Pig delivers again!

This limited-edition label, inspired by Taylors Wines very first release, celebrates both the heritage and the commitment of three generations of the Taylor family's dedication to making fine Australian wine. A soft and fleshy Shiraz boasting a lively palate of juicy red berry fruits, plum and spice, along with subtle chocolate and savoury characters from the oak maturation.

John Quarisa has been variously described as a “magician” and a “sorcerer” by Halliday. His wines do have a magic knack of winning Gold. His secret? Over 20 years of experience as a winemaker and wine judge – and a great attitude. As John says, “you just can’t take life too seriously”. His ‘Enchanted Tree’ Shiraz certainly has the magic Midas touch, winning a rare Double Gold. It's dark and sumptuous, with silky raspberry and plum flavours, with a dash of creamy oak and lovely sweet spice.