Based at their Home of the Brave winery in the Barossa, First Drop describe their wine-making philosophy as a sensibility for tradition with a passion for innovation. This Shiraz is garnet red with purple hues. Complex nose of dark cherry and blackberry aromas with a hint of forest floor and spice.

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.

Old vines Shiraz grapes were used in the making of this beautifully crafted Torbreck The Struie Shiraz. With the blend of two great regions, Eden and Barossa Valley, the flavours and aromas intensified yet still worked harmoniously together. A more elegant exotic floral aromas are supported by the more brooding notes of tar and chocolate on the nose. Combined with luscious flavours of stew dark fruits and structured tannins, this wine has bold and silky smooth finish.

Z Wine's Rustica Shiraz is an intense crimson red with purple hues followed by aromas of ripe cherry and red plum which are complimented by hints of pepper and spice with lifted perfumed notes. The palate is warm and full flavoured, displaying generous sweet red fruit, such as cherry, raspberry and plum. These fruits are couple with cedar spice notes and the soft mouth-filling tannins carry the fruit as well as providing structure and length to the wine. This wine is an exemplary example of a lifted, fruit filled Barossa Shiraz suitable for drinking in its youth.

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.

A full and fruity Shiraz, Kaesler Old Bastard is fresh on the nose with hints of blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. On the palate, forest fruits, blackberry and mulberry mingle with spices of anise and nutmeg with some coffee and chocolate notes. Tannins are silky and balanced, with a nice acidity. This shiraz will cellar for 20+ years.

Big and beautiful! This Hewitson Mad Hatter Shiraz has dark plums, chocolate and mocha on the nose; it is rich and fills the palate with textured dark fruits with a hints of oak in the background.

Chris Ringland Shiraz 2005 represents an outstanding expression from the vineyard. The vine is powerful, voluptuous and ripe, yet the tannins are plush and mature, with moderate acidity. This vintage will have great longevity potential.

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.

One of the benchmarks of Barossa Shiraz, Peter Lehmann's Stonewell is a classic example of the rich concentrated old vine style. While bold on the palate, there is always an inherent complexity to the Stonewell that enables it to be compared with all of the great Australian wines produced today.