Yalumba Paradox Shiraz is an inky, crimson wine full of aromas of mixed spice and crushed black pepper, violets, fennel and hints of blueberries. The palate is like layers of velvet, with great structure showing lush red berries, olives and anise.

Coming from one of the best vintages in recent Barossa history, the Old Block from St Hallett shows what careful vineyard management can do for a wine. Rich, dark and conerntrated but with seamless tannin intergration.

The Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz is a relatively new addition to the Penfolds stable, sourced from the Barossan sub-district, Marananga. Simply a revelation, this wine is an inky, black beast in the glass with lashings of dark chocolate and coffee accented fruit, yet this years offering shows a lingering, soft structured finish that will see the wine cellar very nicely.

Double Barrel Shiraz has a full and generous palate with a beguiling mix of sweet red fruits and dark chocolate indicative of its origins as Barossa Shiraz. Subtle toasty vanillin derives from aging in traditional French and American oak wine barrels. The careful use of aged Scotch whisky barrels for finishing has added complex nuances of almond-husks and also softened the dense tannins to yield an incredible smoothness.

Red wine artisan, Marco Cirillo, has produced a single vineyard Shiraz with as minimal intervention as possible. Using 90% whole berry and 10% whole bunch as well as natural yeast fermentation without fining or filtering, this Shiraz screams of its terroir. Expressive fruit up front of plums and red berries with small waft of leafy characters. The palate dances across the tongue without hindrance from over use of oak and is a supreme wine for the price.

John Duval rose to winemaking fame as the craftsman of the mighty Penfolds Grange, before going it alone to further forge his reputation as a maker of great Shiraz. The aim of The Entity is to produce a wine true to the region. Rich and complex it shows ripe, spicy fruit characters with a complex savoury oak influence framed by fine lingering tannins.

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.

An exceptional Barossan Shiraz from the artisan cult producer, Spinifex. The Miette (mee-yet) Shiraz has a delightful balance and charm with flavours of cherry, blueberry and hints of earthy spice, held by finely structured tannins. Succulent, layered and fleshy, the Miette label is a great introduction to the hand-crafted wines from Spinifex.

The now much sought after Righteous range of wines from Kym Teusner was first established in 2005 with the Grenache and this is the latest incarnation of this foreboding Barossa wine. Sourced from an 80 year old bush-vine vineyard, the Righteous Grenache was gently crushed and fermented in open fermenters with regular pump-overs. Maturation was completed in a mix of French and American oak and has resulted in a modern classic Grenache.

Old vine Barossa Valley Shiraz doesn't get much better than this. The Kaesler name was reborn by winemaker and visionary Reid Bosward in 1997, breathing new life in the over 100 year old vineyards. A Quirky name matched with unrivaled concentration make The Bogan Shiraz as must have for all big Australian Shiraz lovers.