Krondorf 121 Settlers Barossa Valley Shiraz The 121 Settlers Old Vine Shiraz is sourced from a single site at the cooler southern extremity of Barossa, in St. Jakobi, abutting the western ridge of the Lyndoch sub-zone. Here, a conflation of red clay and loam promotes earlier ripening, a mitigating factor against inclement weather and the growing risk of early season frosts that Climate Change has foisted upon us. As importantly these dense soils imbue the wines with a firm tannic carriage, ensuring passage to greater complexity in the cellar, while serving as a structural harness for typically exuberant Barossan fruit. The average age of the vines is in excess of 35 years, with gnarled octogenarian survivors among them. Yields are inherently low as the established root systems reach deep below the soils substrata in search of water and the requisite nutrients drawn through it. Yet the fruit that is produced is immaculate: vibrant, concentrated and firmly stamped with the regional postcode of generosity. The winemaking is dutifully sensitive, chaperoning the fruit from vineyard to bottle with minimal intrusion: gravity feeds, gentle pigeage and 16-18 months in used, rather than new, oak. The result is one of dark fruit allusions from plum to blackberry, underlain by a potpourri of spice including black pepper, clove and star anise, all melded to a pungent thread of mineral. The oak is apparent, but only as an adjunct to propel the finish long. As with many Barossan greats, the fruit weight allows for early appeal, albeit, this is a wine that will easily cellar for 15 years onwards.

A complex bouquet with aromas ranging from cracked black pepper to mulberry, cranberry and lemon curd. There is a delightful elegance and complexity to the palate, showing layers of pomegranate, cranberry and raspberry tart upfront, with hints of red fruits. Beautiful firm tannins and graceful, lengthy finish.

Established in 2000, Sons of Eden is intimately involved in all aspects of crafting wines of unquestionable quality, from the vineyard right through to the bottle. Varieties that the Barossa produces to a world standard are hand-picked from 30 unique vineyard sites and handled through Sons of Eden’s minimal intervention small-batch winery. As a result, the wines have a strong sense of individuality. With a combined 50 Barossa vintages amassed between the Sons’, Corey Ryan and Simon Cowham, their focus on crafting world class wines is uncompromising. Stauros is a Mourvedre made from a unique old vine single vineyard and released only in years of exemplary quality. The vineyard site, in the northern Barossa Valley, is set on ancient soils that have been home to naturally occurring, but rare, stone crosses known as Staurolite. This mineral takes its name from the Greek word stauros, referring to cross.

Henschke have in recent years begun to identify and single out great quality parcels of Shiraz fruit that deserves to be bottled seperately and released as part of their Vineyard Selection. The Tappa Pass Shiraz is sourced from old low yielding Barossa vineyards that shows amazing depth and concentration. Rich, lush and intense it will develop further complexity with bottle age.

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.

Meshach William Burge was Grant's great grandfather and was a central figure in establishing the Burge family in the Barossa Valley. This Shiraz named in his honour is sourced from old vines, some nearing 100 years old, and shows aromas and flavours of complex swiss chocolate, savoury spices and red currant. Grant Burge's flagship shiraz will reward the patient cellarer with 20 years in the bottle in front of it.

Elderton's Command Shiraz is one old school Barossa Shiraz. Named because of the special treatment the quality fruit 'commanded', this is a Shiraz of foreboding concentration. The fruit for this 'Excellent' Langton's classified Australian icon comes from the century old Elderton vineyard located on the banks of the Para River and is matured in a mixture of French and American oak. This allows the wine to retain its driven power while also giving the wine a level of complexity and balance unique to this region and producer. Elderton's Command can be enjoyed by lovers of ripe and rich fruit early, yet will reward the truly patient with a wine of true beauty when left alone to mature for a decade.

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.

This Torbreck Shiraz cuvée is a skilful blend of fruit from a 40 year old Eden Valley Shiraz vineyard and an 80 year old Barossa Shiraz vineyard – a marriage of elegance and intensity. While the Eden Valley region is most associated with the white wine variety,;Riesling, it also produces elegant, tautly structured Shiraz which is highly prized by winemakers.

Penfolds RWT Shiraz is a big juicy Barossan Shiraz refined by the use of older French oak barrels. 1998 is considered to be one of the classic vintages of the modern age. Drinking wonderfully now but with many years still to come in its development, this is a great addition to any cellar.