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The second wine of Chateau Margaux came about partly due to misfortune - when an attack of phylloxera decimated the vineyards, necessitating a replanting of the majority of their vineyards. The lack of grapes eliminated the possibility of a First Growth Quality wine and led to the production of their second wine - the Pavillon Rouge de Chateau Margaux, the first official vintage of which was released in 1906. Renowned as a sterling example of a second wine, the 2016 has been hailed as a particularly superb vintage. Medium-bodied, silky, intense and tannic, it continues its impressive trajectory year upon year.

Chateau Canon shows no shy and retiring character in 2010, set to a naturally ripe and high 15% alcohol. Though power and density is a motif in 2010, there is a surprising suppleness in this wine, born from central St-Emillion vineyards and the same family of wine as Chateau Rauzan-Segla of Margaux. Almost evenly split between Merlot and Cabernet Franc usually, it''s three quarters Merlot in 2010; the wine matures in oak barrel for 18 months, with around 70% of those offering new wood character. While dense and compact, there is a succulence to the wine that suggests cellaring to two decades would be apt.

The wine comes with the tag of ''second wine'' from the esteemed Chateau Margaux, though it''s made with the intent to stand on its own two feet. The blend tends to sit around two thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one third Merlot, but a seasoning of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc is essential for the fine detail of perfume and flavours expected from this wine. 2010 sees a wine of grace and purity - it''s fruit dominant and supple, fleshy and ample, cuddly and almost nourishing to drink. A wine for admiring and comparing to its great parent too.

The intensely perfumed, sumptuous and seductive Brokenwood Graveyard articulates the very best of Hunter Shiraz. It is arguably the Hunter Valley's greatest red wine of the contemporary era. The east-facing Graveyard vineyard, first planted out in 1968, was once earmarked in 1882 as the Pokolbin cemetery but this did not eventuate. First made in 1983, Graveyard Shiraz is a meticulous classification selection of the best parcels, mostly from the oldest plantings. After vinification in open-top stainless steel vats, it finishes fermentation in barrel. Maturation takes place in a combination of French and American oak barriques for a period of around 14 months. Young elemental Graveyard typically shows ginger bread, blackberry aniseed fruit, plenty of savoury oak and floral/herb garden notes. The opulent gamey/French polish characters develop with time bringing a rich palimpsest of aromas and flavours.

Shiraz doesn't get much better than this! The 2016 Meister was rated 99 points / Best of the Best Shiraz by James Halliday in the 2020 Wine Companion and showcases the pinnacle of what can be done in the Eden Valley with this variety. The accolades and wine critics reviews say all that needs to be said. Powerful and balanced.

St Hallett Planted 1919 Shiraz Eden Valley St Halletts Planted 1919 is a new premium flagship wine for the heritage Barossa label. Made from vines over 100 years old, it honours the Centenarian vines of the Barossa and the growers who have tended them. The debut release of this cuvée is the 2015 Shiraz, dedicated to the Noack family, sixth-generation Barossa farmers who have cared for these vines for 30 years. Planted 1919 is striking in its intensity, surprising in its freshness, and utterly memorable. Its ageing potential knows no bounds. Fruit for this wine is hand-harvested and fermented as a single parcel, with skin contact for 10 days. It is matured for 18 months in 100% French oak (34% new), and then left to age for two further years in bottle. The result is a medium-to-full bodied Barossa red, rich with dense black fruits, dried herbs, white pepper and florals, leading to a lingering finish.

Love over Gold is made with a deft touch. The wine is magical, its core of fruit caresses the palate and displays great persistence. Love Over Golds tertiary aromas and minerality create complexity and drive into an extremely long finish.