Deep and bright colours with a purple hue, the Optimist Shiraz also offers aromas of lifted satsuma plum, raspberry, violet flower, with a hint of cherry oak. The palate is bursting with bright fresh blue fruits, a rich middle palate with lots of satsuma plum and dark cherries. A long fine tannin structure throughout gives an excellent backbone to this food friendly style of Barossa Shiraz. Awards: • Trophy

Head Wines was started in 2006 by Alex Head. It focuses on single site Rhône varietals from the Barossa and Eden Valleys in South Australia. Head Red is a barrel cull from Barossa vineyards including 'The Blonde', 'The Brunette' and The Contrarian single vineyard Shiraz wines. It allows a pre-view of the vintage quality to come and keeps the quality of the Single vineyard wines as high as possible. The wine receives 12 months barrel age in predominantly older French hogsheads allowing the vintage and terroir to show clearly. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Grant Burge reds are always distinctively Barossa and this one is no exception. Vibrant colour earthy nose with blackberries and a touch of pepper and a richly flavoured palate with robust tannins.

The Dirtman Shiraz by Gibson Wines is named after Rob Gibson, owner and winemaker. With love of viticulture and the soil, Rob has always been referred to as The Dirtman. This attractive Shiraz has wonderful rich, dark cherry notes with plums and a touch of apricot thrown in. The texture on the palate is vibrant with a length that is simply perfect.

Beginning with Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz's vibrant purple colour, this wine exudes classic Barossa character. The bouquet offers aromas of kirsch, chocolate, berries and warm earth while the palate is laden with rich, ripe and lingering blackberry spice and peppery flavours.

Hentley Farm is a boutique, single estate vineyard that focuses on producing premium quality single-estate and single-block wines reflective of their exceptional Barossan terrior. 'The Marl' takes its name from the fruit grown on red clay loam over marl (a friable earthy deposit consisting of clay and limestone) which reduces the water and nutrient availability producing low crops and rich flavours. True to the style, the Shiraz is layered with berry fruits with hints of dark chocolate, earth and subtle spice. While full-bodied the palate is soft with lovely lingering finish.

Langmeil have long been known for big, robust, full-bodied Barossa red wines. Wines that serious red wine drinkers yearn for. This release of the Hangin' Snakes Shiraz is placed right in the 'wheel house' for those lovers of the powerful and intense. Attractive plush blackberries, full flavoured with silky perfumed tannins; a mouth filling wine of great poise.

The Langmeil Blacksmith Cabernet Sauvignon is all about varietal definition. Blackcurrant, blueberries as well as herbaceousness and briary spice, plus a couple of years in good French oak to help drinkability as a youngster.

Very dark colour, complex nose of blackberry/mulberry and plums with a touch of oak spice, palate is rich and full flavoured with blackberry/dark plum fruit softly textured and layered structure with integrated vanillin oak and fine tannins on the finish. An iron fist in a velvet glove style which is well suited to quality grilled beef such as rib eye.

Appearance: bright On Nose: floral and fruity, zinc oxide-inflected, with generous, slightly green aromas of fresh herbs, pepper, cordite and black cherry fruit On Palate: peppery, light and acid high and juicy Mouthfeel:, smooth, lively, medium weight, a bit thin and fairly tart-edged with crusty tannin. The length is good to very good, with the pepper and green notes echoing on the finish. Paring with Food: Real meatness Drinks: 2022 – 2024. Chill lightly Expert Comments: by Michael Gobel, John Szabo, MS and David Lawrason, of WineAligh From cool climate, sandy limestone soil and sea-proximate and breezy location. Polished and composed; speaks in clear, succinct and knowable varietal tones, the kicks into high acid gear while real meatness prevails, a solid drop no doubt; The joy is all in the fresh blackberry-cassis fruit.