It’s wine like this, made using fruit from premium sites throughout the region, that make South Australia a first choice destination for lovers of big, generously rich and velvety Aussie reds - consider it the state’s great gift to the wine world, not just at home but all over the globe. This red shows distinctive characters of black fruit, eucalypt and spice, smoothed out by delicious dark chocolate and a touch of smoky oak.

Once your wine arrives, slow right down. Be patient with this wine and it will reward your handsomely – decant for half an hour and the transformation is magical. Once the juice loosens up and releases its hidden depths, it develops an aroma that is just divine. Discover liquorice, blackcurrant, cherry, blackberry and bitter cocoa mirrored on the palate with turbo-charged punch and power. And the finish? It goes on forever…

Punnets of strawberry, blackberry and raspberry flavour are miraculously shoehorned into a standard size bottle, while ageing in American oak adds a spicy, toasty finishing touch. 'Big Mac' McPherson grew up in the world of wine, tutored by his father Jock, who had established a winery in the Hunter Valley. Andrew went on to set up wineries at home and abroad and work for some Australia's top names. These days he crafts characterful wines by himself at great value prices. The Full Fifteen is perfect with roast beef or lamb and a wonderful companion to barbecues.

A frequent Gold medal winner, Stones & Bones is so-called because it’s grown in a landscape littered with ancient boulders and dinosaur fossils. In the modern Portuguese tradition, the wine is a blend of local and international grapes. Touriga Nacional, the backbone of vintage port, joins forces with Syrah, Tinta Roriz and Alicante to produce truly mammoth, rich fruit flavours. Equally impressive is the winemaker, Diogo Sepúlveda, who relaxes after work by cycling or playing football, or, more unusually, bull wrestling! Having worked in Pomerol, then in the Barossa with heirloom Shiraz vines, his credentials for making this rich, old vine Portuguese red are second to none. For maximum enjoyment, decant and serve with a rich beef casserole.

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.

Inviting and complex aromatics welcome you into this wine; brambly, leafy notes backed up by deep dark fruit with subtle spice and char interplay on the nose. There is a deceptive density to this wine's aroma that hints at what lies beyond. The 2016 release builds on that breakthrough style - the wine shows plush generosity but there is a layering of flavours and complexity to this vintage that invites not just a second but third look. Generous, accessible primary fruit sits pretty up front but let the wine breathe and suddenly these dry, fine and lightly chewy tannins build on the back palate, lending a savoury edge to the dark fruit finish of this baby.

Shiraz and Grenache blend beautifully in many of the warmer parts of South Australia. This AAA is Paxton's 9th release, crafted similar to a Rhone-style wine yet it is packed with Au's Terroir. Bright with juicy red berry fruits and spices on the palate with well integrated oak and tannins, giving this wine a remarkable lengthy finish.

Dense inky black heart with a very deep dark red black tinged hue. Streaming out of the glass are intense blackcurrant and mulberry aromas which are complimented by hints of red liquorice, cedary tobacco characters and bay leaf notes. Rich yet gorgeously refined the medium to full bodied palate is layered with ripe blackcurrant, red liquorice and mulberry fruits which meld into a back drop of cedary tobacco, subtle earth and bay leaf characters. Fine grained seamlessly integrated tannin structure. Understated in its power, it possesses wonderful finesse finishing long and elegant. Drink over the next 6-8 years. Alc. 14.5%