Graveyard Vineyard is the jewel in the Brokenwood crown, responsible for the company's flagship wines. The vineyard was planted with Shiraz vines in 1970 - extremely heavy clay soils, yields are low, but fruit flavour is intense through employment of meticulous vinification techniques. Strong lifted aromas of sweet earth and dark cherry greet the olfactory senses. Oak features, but will soften and integrate given some patience. Initial flavours of dark chocolate and ripe plums are beautifully lashed to ripe tannins lending an edge of cedar.

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.

McWilliam's Mount Pleasant Maurice O'Shea Shiraz continues lead the pack of great Hunter Valley Shiraz. A lovely return to old form, this Maurice has a striking purple hue to it in the glass. To the nose aromas of liquorice and spice with hints of cedar will beguile. Layers of complex flavours dance across the palate including savoury, spicy dark fruits like dark plums and cherries. A classic of classics.

Jasper Hill and Ron Laughton are true pioneer's and icons in the central Victorian wine region of Heathcote. Georgia's Paddock is the larger of 'Jasper's' vineyards, with 12 hectares planted to Shiraz to produce a wine rich in character and complexity. Always known for it's extreme ageability, Georgia's Paddock Shiraz will comfortably lie down for over a decade to deliver a Heathcote Shiraz simply bursting with concentration.

St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual among high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. A wine that immediately invokes interest, black cherry, mulberry, blackcurrant, boysenberry and more are propelled from the glass. A subliminal waft of stare anise and savoury spices (not sweet) hover above. On the palate, red and dark-fruited, a compote of fresh prune and quince.

With a name that directly translates from French as 'The Soil', the Le Sol Syrah (Shiraz) pays homage to the terroir that creates this rich and evocative wine. With the trademark Gimblett Gravels stony soil, with exhibits amazing refinement and breeding while not relinquishing body and complexity.

The Torbreck Descendant has a powerful nose of blackberry and tar complemented by floral lavender and a violet lift. Full-bodied and concentrated with ripe silky tannins and plenty of extract this wine has a great future ahead.

Best's Great Western Thomson Family Shiraz is an amazing wine and is without doubt one of the most important wines made in this country, with fruit coming from the original Thomson Family Vineyard planted in1867. These vines are over 140 years old! Hand picked and hand crafted, produced using century old techniques, this is a wine of true beauty, complexity and character. Only 2800 bottles produced.