Jim Barry The Armagh
Deep crimson. Classical blackberry, praline, ginger, sage aromas with mocha oak notes. Luxurious blackberry pastille, blackcurrant, black cherry fruits, superb fine chocolatey/velvet tannins and beautifully balanced mocha/vanilla/smoky oak notes. Finishes velvety/gravelly firm with raspberry, graphite/bush garrigue notes. A hugely impressive long-lasting Clare Valley Shiraz with lovely fruit definition, density and vigour.
OR Clonakilla Canberra District Shiraz Viognier
Winemaker Tim Kirk's ethereal and evocative Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier is perhaps one of the most important advances in the development of Australian Shiraz since the release of 1952 Penfolds Grange Hermitage. The fruit is sourced from two adjacent estate-owned vineyards. The original vineyard has south-east and south-west aspects whereas T and L Block faces north-east. Lying at 600 meters above sea level, the soils are granitic with sandy brown and red loams over friable clay. Traditional 'Burgundian' winemaking techniques are employed "to highlight the inherent flavours in the fruit". The aim is "to produce wines with natural balance and roundness". Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier is medium to full-bodied with highly aromatic ginger, white pepper, apricot fruit, underlying savoury French oak and fine slinky dry tannins. The Viognier component melts into the Shiraz and is rarely more than a "subliminal influence". The style captures the essence of contemporary winemaking philosophy and regional expression.
ROCKFORD Basket Press Rare Chance Release Shiraz
Robert O'Callaghan's Rockford Basket Press Shiraz is one of the Barossa Valley's most important wines. It entered Langton's Classification of Australian Wine in 2000 and is one of 21 wines in the 1st Classified tier today. It is sold almost exclusively to Rockford's own mailing list customers and is rarely made available to the retail market. Rockford’s squat, high–shouldered brown bottle - reminiscent of 1940s red wine packaging - is instantly recognisable. Basket Press manages to combine the concentration and power of the traditional Barossa Shiraz style of the 1950s and '60s with the supple freshness of contemporary winemaking. It has achieved its high status in a relatively short time: the first vintage was 1984.
Torbreck The Steading
The 2015 Steading has a fragrancy, purity of fruit, mid-palate concentration and savoury tannin profile that makes it an exemplary wine. Vibrant aromas of violet, star anise hints of violet and spice all unfold to reveal an impressive array of underlying fruit flavours. Silky, succulent dark fruits, black olive, savoury earth, liquorice and Asian spice. These complex yet elegant flavours are all neatly interwoven with a perfect balance of acidity and supple, silky tannins. The 2015 Steading will continue to develop with time in the cellar, and provide those with patience great enjoyment well into the next decade.
Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah
With a name that directly translates from French as 'The Soil', the Le Sol Syrah (Shiraz) pays homage to the terroir that creates this rich and evocative wine. With the trademark Gimblett Gravels stony soil, with exhibits amazing refinement and breeding while not relinquishing body and complexity.
Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Shiraz
Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Shiraz is the pinnacle of a long winemaking journey of excellence, that rightfully honours one of Yalumbas most adventurous sons. A blend of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Barossa Shiraz, The Caley is a classic marriage of two noble varieties and two great Australian wine regions.