RED
HOT AND RATED
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15/08/2017 3:13 PM
W E LCO M E For anyone keen to explore beyond their go-to reds and broaden their vinous horizons, here are more than 100 great wines to discover from right around the country. From Tasmanian pinot noir to Victorian merlot, Hunter Valley shiraz to Western Australian cabernet blends, there’s plenty of inspiration to be found inside this guide. Fresh off the Halliday Wine Companion tasting table, these wines are all rated 95 points or more. They have been grouped by their varietal and placed in alphabetical order by producer within their section. And if you have a favourite winery, you can turn to the index at the back to see if they have a featured wine in this guide. Cheers! The Halliday Wine Companion team
Pinot noir Shiraz & blends Cabernet & blends Other reds -wwr-cab-sav
Wineries pay to be included in this guide
Pinot noir
RED
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Pinot noir
916 YARRA VALLEY, VIC
2015 916 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
BEN HAINES & JOHN EVANS Winemaker & Viticulturist Why should people seek out this wine? This wine showcases site and season. It’s a consummate blend of Old and New World winemaking. From a small, single vineyard, there’s a strictly limited supply. Each bottle is protected to ensure authenticity. A serial number validation entitles you to future pre-release allocations.
RRP $90 / 916
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Estate-grown MV6, hand-picked, whole bunches and whole berries cold-soaked and open-fermented, three weeks post-ferment maceration for the whole-berry parcels, matured for 16 months in used French oak, not fined or filtered. Clear, bright crimson-purple; despite its lengthy elevage, it is as fresh and crisp as a spring day; its cherry/berry fruit flavours positively sing in the mouth. Natural wine at its greatest. Diam. 13% alc.
C 2030 BUY NOW
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Pinot noir
Delamere Vineyard PIPERS RIVER, TAS
2015 Delamere Vineyard Pinot Noir SHANE HOLLOWAY & FRAN AUSTIN Winemakers Who will this wine appeal to most? Delamere has always been favoured by seasoned pinot drinkers who chase the dream – wines that shows intensity of flavour, elegance and structure, without concentrated, over-ripe characters.
Handpicked 30+yo estate vines, openfermented with wild yeast, 20% whole bunches, matured in French oak. The bouquet is highly expressive, with savoury earthy notes jostling for space with red cherry fruits and new French oak. The palate has the exceptional intensity that is the hallmark of Delamere, the 30+yo vines and meticulous viticulture providing the springboard for a pinot of real style and individuality. 13.9% alc.
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RRP $50 / 2030 Delamere Vineyard
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Pinot noir
Gala Estate TASMANIA
2015 Gala Estate Estate Pinot Noir
GLENN JAMES Winemaker What is the philosophy behind this label? The first release of the Black Label is the expression of the best parcels of fruit and those barrels that really stood out for their superb quality. It is testament to the fact the vineyard has matured and is really hitting its stride. Putting the 2013 Constable Amos to one side, this is easily the most complex and alluring pinot noir produced at Gala yet. Limited quantities were produced.
Deep colour; Bring it on: this has more pinot fruit per square inch than almost any other wine in its class. Essence of black cherry and plum is magically lightened by the spray of spices and fine, foresty/ savoury tannins that run through the majestically long palate and aftertaste. French oak? Yes, that too. Screwcap. 13.4% alc.
Enter the code “HALLIDAY15� online when placing your order to receive exclusive access to this wine and 15% off your order.
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RRP $65 / 2025 Gala Estate
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Pinot noir
Ghost Rock Tasmania NORTHERN TASMANIA
2015 Ghost Rock Vineyard Two Blocks Pinot Noir JUSTIN ARNOLD Winemaker What techniques did you use to create this wine? 2015 is destined to become an iconic Tasmanian vintage, delivering all we could have hoped for in fruit quality. That aside, our use of cold soaks, whole-bunch management, and both inoculated and spontaneous fermentations helped harness our distinctive intensity and spicy undertones.
Hand-picked, 8% (by weight) retained as whole bunch inclusion in the ferments, 5-15 days cold soak before 50/50% wild/cultured yeast fermentation, pressed to barrel at 3Ëš baume for conclusion of fermentation, matured for 11 months. The bouquet is particularly fragrant and spicy, the long palate guarded by sentinels of foresty/ savoury tannins. I like the style, but I suspect not all will agree with me. 13.5% alc.
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RRP $39 / 2025 Ghost Rock Vineyard
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Pinot noir
Hanging Rock Winery MACEDON RANGES, VIC
2014 Hanging Rock Jim Jim Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir
ROBERT ELLIS Winemaker Where does this wine stand in context of your range? This wine is made from the very best seven barrels of pinot noir of the 2014 vintage, from our ultra cool-climate, estate vineyard in the Macedon Ranges. I consider this to be the best pinot noir I have ever made.
Bright, light crimson; clear varietal character from the opening whiff through to the finish; vibrant red and purple fruits rising to expand on the back-palate and aftertaste. Lovely pinot with years in front of it. 13.4% alc.
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RRP $50 / 2021 Hanging Rock Winery
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Pinot noir
Hungerford Hill TUMBARUMBA, NSW
2015 Hungerford Hill Single Vineyard Tumbarumba Pinot Noir BRYAN CURRIE Winemaker What makes the vines for this wine so special? The Hesperia vineyard is set high in the Tumbarumba Hills and produces serious coolclimate wines. The warm days and cold nights, combined with the bony hillside soil, result in an intense expression of pinot noir. It is fragrant and seductive, with black cherry, plum, spice and savoury tannins that soar along the palate.
Brilliantly clear colour sets the scene for a similarly pure and bright palate, full of crunchy red cherries and wild strawberries. It will likely be gulped rather than sipped, but it should be given the respect it deserves. 14%. alc.
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RRP $65 / 2030 Hungerford Hill
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Pinot noir
Meadowbank DERWENT VALLEY, TAS
2016 Meadowbank Pinot Noir
PETER DREDGE Winemaker What do people need to know about this wine? This is one of the few examples of old vine, single vineyard, family owned fruit from Tasmania. Nurtured in the vineyard by original owners, the Ellis family (est. 1976), and produced by partner and winemaker, Peter Dredge. Winner of Trophy for Best Pinot Noir, 2017 Royal Sydney Wine Show.
There is a slight lift on the bouquet from partial barrel fermentation and long lees contact. This is a fitting complement to the power of the primary fruit flavours of strawberry and fresh berry compote. There is a softness to this pinot noir, the silky or satin like tannin-structure is first rate, with just enough back-palate weight from stalk use and light French oak, to hold its length. 13% alc.
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RRP $55 / 2029 Meadowbank
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Pinot noir
Santolin Wines YARRA VALLEY, VIC
2015 Santolin Willowlake Vineyard Yarra Valley Pinot Noir ADRIAN SANTOLIN Winemaker What makes the fruit for this debut release so special? This is our first vintage of pinot noir produced with fruit grown at the Willowlake Vineyard in the cooler, Upper Yarra Valley subregion. With volcanic red soils, it produces fruit with delicate and complex flavours, which also have incredible depth. Our philosophy is that of minimal intervention to let the wine express its true varietal, regional and individual vineyard characters. There is very limited stock available, so grab it while you can!
Willowlake Vineyard is the oldest Upper Yarra Valley vineyard, and produces grapes of high quality. The difference between the vinification of this wine and that of Syme is 50% lower whole-bunch inclusion and the use of cold soak. The bouquet is very fragrant, almost scented, with a spray of red fruits, sous bois and spice. This lovely pinot glides along and across the palate, thence into the aftertaste. 13% alc.
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RRP $45 / 2030 Santolin Wines
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Pinot noir
Small Island Wines TAMAR VALLEY, TAS
2015 Small Island Pinot Noir
JAMES BROINOWSKI Owner/winemaker What can you tell us about this wine? Aided by crowd-funding, our first vintage was a limited release of 2200 bottles. Sourced from a single site, this offered a perfect snapshot of Glen Garry in Northern Tasmania. The highly anticipated encore is due for release this December.
Wow. Small island, but a big pinot noir, Tasmania’s answer to Central Otago. The colour is deep, and both the texture and tannin structure are powerful. But amidst this feast of plenty, there is purity and restraint to the cherry fruit that emerges to claim the finish and aftertaste. Gold medal Hobart Wine Show ’16 richly deserved. 13.5% alc.
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RRP $45 / 2029 Small Island Wines
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Pinot noir
Yering Station YARRA GLEN, VIC
2015 Yering Station Reserve Yarra Valley Pinot Noir WILLY LUNN & BRENDAN HAWKER Chief winemaker & winemaker What made this wine fitting for the Reserve label? 2015 was a classic growing season in the Yarra Valley and an outstanding vintage. Produced from some of our oldest vines and only made in the very best years when the fruit quality is exceptional, the Reserve Pinot represents the finest expression of pinot from our unique place in the Yarra Valley. The pristine fruit flavours combine with intensity and power, giving the wine balance and longevity.
This is a beautifully subtle and detailed wine. Finesse and elegance are its drivers, with silky fine tannins neatly threaded through the barely mediumbodied palate, plus refreshing acidity and a delicate mix of spiced cherries. 13.5% alc.
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RRP $120 / 2025 Yering Station
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Shiraz and blends
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Shiraz
Angas Plains Estate LANGHORNE CREEK, SA
2013 Angas Plains Estate Special Reserve Langhorne Creek Shiraz PETER DOUGLAS Winemaker What do you think makes this wine so special? This wine is pleasurable on all levels. It’s a deep, red-purple colour, with chocolate aromas and dark berry flavours interwoven with soft tannins. It’s a combination of careful oak ageing and quality Langhorne Creek fruit.
A single 9t batch open‑fermented for eight days with twice daily pumpovers, matured in 20% new American oak and 80% used French hogsheads for 15 months, then a barrel selection. It is full-bodied like winemaker Peter Douglas, a gentle giant, and is made in his image. Diam. 14% alc.
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RRP $40 / 2038 Angas Plains Estate
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Shiraz
Blue Pyrenees Estate PYRENEES, VIC
2014 Blue Pyrenees Estate Section One Shiraz ANDREW KOERNER Winemaker What makes the vines for this wine so special? Our cool-climate Blue Pyrenees Estate vineyard sits in a natural amphitheatre at the foothills of the Pyrenees mountain range. The ‘Section One’ planting produces idyllic fruit to make this vibrant, fullflavoured yet elegant and superbly balanced style – a wine we are incredibly proud to produce.
Shiraz 99%, viognier 1%. These are the oldest shiraz vines on the property, planted in the ’70s. 24 months in French and American oak barriques. No mistaking the intensity imparted by the vine age. Real depth on the bouquet and palate, with dense blackberry and blueberry characters, chocolate and spice, and a distinctive Pyrenees feel. Plenty to come as well. 14.5% - JF
Join our Wine Club to access a discounted price of $28.80 for this shiraz.
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RRP $42 / 2034 Blue Pyrenees Estate
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Shiraz
Boat O’Craigo Wines YARRA VALLEY , VIC DARK HORSE OF THE YEAR 2018
2015 Boat O’Craigo First Duke Reserve Yarra Valley Shiraz TRAVERS GRAHAM Owner/Producer Why should people seek out this wine? Isolated from a single block, the fruit was hand-picked and handsorted, then whole-berry fermented before being matured in carefully selected French oak barrels for 18 months. The result is a beautifully balanced and complex shiraz befitting its reserve status. Only 130 dozen were made.
From a single block on the Kangaroo Ground vineyard, hand-picked and sorted, whole berry open-fermented, matured in French oak (50% new) for 18 months, then a barrel selection. Yes, there’s more new oak, but there is much more depth to the predominantly black fruits of the medium to full-bodied palate; licorice, bramble and black pepper all dwell in the halls of the fruit. Diam. 14% alc.
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RRP $55 / 2040 Boat O’Craigo Wines
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Shiraz
Brown Magpie Wines GEELONG, VIC
2014 Brown Magpie Modewarre Mud Reserve Single Vineyard Geelong Shiraz DANIEL GREENE Winemaker What elements do you find most alluring in this wine? A bespoke run of just two barrels. This seamlessly luxurious, artisanal shiraz sings of wild blackberries and anise, with intriguing hints of black rose and cherry. It delivers black pepper, sumptuous vanilla cigar and Spanish cedar humidor. Drink now or treasure in your cellar.
Hand-picked, small batch open-fermented with 5% whole bunches, the balance destemmed, four ferments selected for this wine, matured in oak for 12 months, a further selection resulting in two hogsheads matured for a further 12 months. Given the vintage and the vinification, it is no surprise that the wine should be as intense, long and tightly focused as it is, dripping with red and black fruits, spices and liquorice. It all works very well, verging on mouthwatering. 13.6% alc.
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RRP $60 / 2039 Brown Magpie Wines
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Shiraz
d’Arenberg MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 d’Arenberg The Dead Arm McLaren Vale Shiraz CHESTER OSBORN Chief Winemaker Where does the name for this wine come from? Dead Arm is a vine disease caused by the fungus Eutypa Lata that randomly affects vineyards all over the world. Affected vines are often severely pruned or replanted. One half, or an ‘arm’ of the vine slowly becomes reduced to dead wood. That side may be lifeless and brittle, but the grapes on the other side, display amazing intensity, while low-yielding. This wine has a great capacity for longevity, drinking well for many years to come.
Part hand, part machine-harvested, crushed and destemmed, 2-3 weeks on skins in an open-headed down fermenter, matured for 20 months in French oak (8% new) and a dab of American oak. Deep crimson-purple; ultra full-bodied and densely packed with the darkest black fruits, licorice, 70% cacao dark chocolate and ripe tannins. Will live forever. 14.4% alc.
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RRP $65 / 2049 d’Arenberg
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Shiraz
Deep Woods Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 Deep Woods Estate Reserve Block 7 Margaret River Shiraz JULIAN LANGWORTHY Winemaker What would you say to people who don’t associate Margaret River with shiraz? Margaret River makes great shiraz, but it truly shines in certain spots, such as Block 7 on the Deep Woods vineyard. Partial whole-bunch ferment lends savoury nuance to a wine with layers of dark fruit and warm spice.
Partly from the first planting at Deep Woods in ’87, partly from an adjacent, mature vineyard. Whole bunches, cold soak and partial barrel fermentation are all in Julian Langworthy’s arsenal, then a selection of the best French barriques that have matured the wine for 14 months. Deeply coloured, it is fullbodied, yet dazzlingly light on its feet on the finish and aftertaste, fruit, tannins and oak all on the same lines of the same page. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $45 / 2035 Deep Woods Estate
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Shiraz
DOWIE DOOLE MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 DOWIE DOOLE Cali Road McLaren Vale Shiraz CHRIS THOMAS Winemaker What sets this wine apart? Certain vineyards produce exceptional fruit, creating distinctive wines. Norm Doole’s California Road Vineyard is one of those treasures, producing low-yielding outstanding fruit. Reflecting the site’s particular terroir, the wine is naturally bold, spicy and generous, gaining further complexity from barrel fermentation and extended oak maturation in the finest American Oak hogsheads.
From an east-facing slope planted ’00, destemmed and crushed, 13 days on skins, basket-pressed direct to used American hogsheads (50% new) for 2 years maturation. An exceptionally powerful and intense wine, yet no more than full-bodied; dark berries, dark chocolate, mocha and savoury tannins make up a tag team of boundless energy – 20 years won’t tire them. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $50 / 2034 DOWIE DOOLE
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Shiraz
DOWIE DOOLE MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 DOWIE DOOLE Reserve McLaren Vale Shiraz CHRIS THOMAS Winemaker What makes this wine so special? Our Reserve Shiraz represents the finest McLaren Vale shiraz, with its classic, rich, generous characters entwined with fine tannins and French oak. To protect our philosophy, the Reserve is made in very limited quantities, without compromise and only when vintage conditions allow.
From a block replanted in ’74; the vinification is essentially the same as for Cali Road, with one major exception: the oak used is French. An object exercise in the benefits that French oak of identical age can invest a wine with precision and brilliance, an edgy character that simply illuminates the fruit, and leaves the mouth thirsting for more. Grace and power. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $95 / 2040 DOWIE DOOLE
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Shiraz
Gartelmann Wines LOVEDALE, HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2015 Gartelmann Diedrich Orange Shiraz
JORG GARTELMANN & LIZ JACKSON Winemakers Where does this wine sit within your collection? The Diedrich Shiraz has been our flagship wine since 1998, and has been admired by our customers and wine judges for many years. To maintain that position, our continuous search for excellence led us to a vineyard in the Orange wine region, resulting in two recent trophies for this lovely wine.
This soars with pretty aromas of florals, red berried fruits, a dusting of spice and equally rewarding on the palate. An elegant wine, medium-weighted with supple, sleek tannins, crisp, lemony acidity and plenty of joy inbetween. Really hard to put down. 14.6% alc. - JF
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RRP $50 / 2030 Gartelmann Wines
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Shiraz
Geoff Merrill MCLAREN VALE, SA
2012 Geoff Merrill Wines Jacko’s McLaren Vale Shiraz GEOFF MERRILL Winemaker What do you think sets this wine apart? It’s not often you find a current release wine that’s been aged for five years and is primed for the table. Try it with your favourite cut of steak.
Matured for 24 months in American oak (20% new). A deliciously fresh and vibrant wine underlining just how great the ’12 vintage was. Multifaceted red and black berry fruits are juicy, yet have ample texture and structure. This will continue to cruise along for another decade at least. Screwcap. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $28 / 2027 Geoff Merrill
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Shiraz
Gundog Estate HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2014 Gundog Estate The 48 Block Hunter Valley Shiraz MATT BURTON Winemaker What can you tell us about the 2014 vintage? This wine is the product of one of the Hunter Valley’s greatest-ever red vintages. As a single vineyard wine, it tells a unique story about this extraordinary vintage, and should be a must-try for lovers of the mediumbodied style of shiraz that is unique to the Hunter.
It’s forcing the issue to compare the quality of the superb ’14 Gundog Shirazs, but the complexity and richness of this wine puts it in first place, and it will keep its shape and fruit flavour a little bit longer. It so happens that this was part of the Lindemans Ben Ean Vineyard before bean counters managed to give it away. 13.8% alc.
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RRP $100 / 2054 Gundog Estate
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Shiraz
Hugo Wines MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 Hugo McLaren Vale Shiraz
RENAE HIRSCH & BRIAN LIGHT Winemakers What gives this wine its point of difference? It’s sourced from selected blocks on the Hugo family estate, each adding distinctive characters. It is harvested at the optimal time to maintain vibrancy in the berry and spice flavours, with detailed barrel selection then used to ensure exceptional depth and consistency.
Has held its hue very well; the heady bouquet speaks loud and clear of McLaren Vale, the palate (curiously, but happily) backing off the cheer squad into an elegant, mediumbodied shiraz that is intense, yet light on its feet, with black fruits, integrated oak and fine-grained tannins. It is a cool wine in the fullest sense. Gold medals Adelaide and Small Winemakers ’16. Screwcap.
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RRP $25 / 2034 Hugo Wines
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Shiraz
Hungerford Hill MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 Hungerford Hill Epic McLaren Vale Shiraz BRYAN CURRIE Winemaker How do you best describe this wine? A selection of the best barrels of McLaren Vale shiraz; Epic is a wine with raw power and serious grunt in the great tradition of full-bodied Australian shiraz. Dense and dark-fruited, with blackberry, liquorice and rich tannins framed by vanillin oak. Unmistakable and not to be missed.
Good colour; this is a very well-made wine that clearly reflects the terroir of McLaren Vale and its impact on shiraz. It is medium to fullbodied, and the fruit, oak and tannin triptych is of high calibre. If Hungerford Hill had to leave the Hunter Valley for shiraz, this met the challenge. ’14 was the greatest Hunter Valley vintage for shiraz since ’65. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $120 / 2044 Hungerford Hill
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Shiraz
La Pleiade HEATHCOTE, VIC
2013 La Pleiade Heathcote Shiraz
MICHEL CHAPOUTIER & RON LAUGHTON (PICTURED) Vignerons What can you tell us about the people and fruit behind this wine? This is a collaboration between vignerons Michel Chapoutier of Hermitage, France, and Ron Laughton of Heathcote’s Jasper Hill. The wine includes a portion of unique syrah grapes grown in Heathcote from newly imported vines taken from Michel’s famed Hermitage vineyards.
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RRP $68 / La Pleiade
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Estate-grown; as usual, fermented in an open wax-lined concrete vat, matured for 12 months in new and second-use French barriques. Takes full-bodied shiraz to a new level, so dense is the complex web of black fruits, licorice and spice, achieving this without the intrusion of alcohol or heavy tannins. To drink it now or soon would be vinocide, but some will be unable to avoid that sin. Cork. 14% alc.
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Shiraz
John Duval Wines BAROSSA, SA
2014 Eligo Barossa Shiraz
JOHN DUVAL Winemaker Where are the sites that provide the fruit for this wine? Eligo represents the very best shiraz of the vintage and the pinnacle of more than 40 years of winemaking experience. The 2014 is sourced from three exceptional, lowyielding sites, two from the Barossa Valley and one from Eden Valley.
Matured for 20 months in French oak (75% new). The massive difference in most of the best Barossa Valley shiraz wines of today compared to those of 20 years ago has been the adoption of French oak. It freshens the flavour profile, allowing the varietal fruit freedom to communicate its message. That said, this wine needs a decade, if not several, to reach its peak. Cork. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $120 / 2040 John Duval Wines
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Shiraz
Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Landhaus Estate Classics Barossa Valley Shiraz KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker How do you best describe this wine? This densely coloured wine has aromas of dark chocolate, earth and perfumed blackberries. The palate is full of luscious red and black fruits, chocolate and liquorice characteristics. A pristine expression of Barossa Valley fruit.
Dark-purple black; 18 months in 100% new French oak – every skerrick of rawness obliterated, instead it adds woodsy spices and rich vanillin notes. Dark fruits abound overlaid with cinnamon, cloves and licorice. Full-bodied, fleshy, round tannins, chalky acidity and overall a powerhouse, but not OTT and built for the long haul. 14.1% alc. - JF
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RRP $50 / 2040 Landhaus Estate
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Shiraz
Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2013 Landhaus Estate Rare Barossa Valley Shiraz KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker What do you think makes this wine so special? The 2013 Rare Shiraz is a statuesque, powerful and deeply flavoured wine. It has a lushness and voluptuousness we have never experienced before at Landhaus. Matured in a 100 per cent new French puncheon, the wine has plush, dense fruit backed by magnificent mouthfeel. A concentrated, velvety, smile-inducing ‘wow’ wine.
Rare represents the best parcels of fruit from outstanding vintages, this from the Hoffman vineyard in Ebenezer producing a single new French puncheon, three years on lees. It is so fresh, with terrific dark garnetpurple colour, full-bodied with swathes of velvety, yet strong tannins. Densely packed fruit, layers of spice with an overall savoury outlook. Demands to be noticed, all in good time. 14.3% alc. - JF
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RRP $140 / 2045 Landhaus Estate
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Shiraz
Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Landhaus Estate The Saint
KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker What sort of characters do you find in this wine? This is a huge mouthful of chocolate, black cherry, plum and exotic spice flavours pulling themselves together into a supple wine, which actually strives for elegance. It’s all in the balance that lets the rich flavours ride on a sleek track and linger beautifully. The texture is silky and mouth-filling with lively acid and fine tannins providing great balance and structure.
Shiraz sourced from five parishes – Ebenezer, Greenock, Stockwell, Kalimna and Bethany, off low yielding 65-75yo vineyards, aged for 15 months in older French oak, unfined and unfiltered. Everything about this wine is on song and spine tingling: it has beauty and power. Supple, perfectly ripe fruit, floral, a depth of flavour on the rich palate yet silky, fine tannins, fresh acidity and elegant. 14% alc. - JF
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RRP $20 / 2030 Landhaus Estate
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Shiraz
Leogate Estate Wines HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2011 Leogate Estate Museum Release Brokenback Hunter Valley Shiraz MARK WOODS Winemaker What do you believe sets this wine apart? Our Brokenback Vineyard Shiraz is the Leogate Estate flagship wine. It has great balance between fruit and oak, displaying red and black fruits with peppery and spicy notes. The wine offers a seamless medium-bodied palate that carefully respects our regional identity. It’s our most popular wine at cellar door.
First tasted early ’13, then Mar ’14, now for the third time. This will outlive almost every serious wine lover because it is now, as it always has been, luscious and full of red and black fruits, supple tannins and positive oak. It is a near-perfect example of balance, and with my knowledge of great old Hunter shirazs, I stick to the ’41 drink to date. This will be singing in the rain when it’s 30yo. 14% alc.
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RRP $70 / 2041 Leogate Estate Wines Pty Ltd
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Shiraz
Leogate Estate Wines HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2011 Leogate Estate Museum Release Western Slopes Reserve Hunter Valley Shiraz MARK WOODS Winemaker What can you tell us about the source of this wine’s fruit? Our 2011 Western Slopes Reserve Shiraz is sourced from an isolated west-facing parcel of land on our own historic Brokenback Vineyard. The 50-year-old vines yield approximately one tonne per acre, producing a lovely concentration of fruit that sits more powerful and masculine than-medium bodied on a well-polished and sophisticated palate.
This wine won three trophies and five gold medals (including the National Wine Show) in its youth, and I was swept away by its richness and complexity, and tannins that now seem more obvious than before, causing me to give it a 50-year life. I don’t resile from that, but at this still early phase in the development of this and Brokenback, I can’t separate them. 14% alc.
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RRP $150 / 2041 Leogate Estate Wines Pty Ltd
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Shiraz
Mitolo Wines MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 Mitolo Marsican McLaren Vale Shiraz BEN GLAETZER Winemaker How do you best describe this wine? This is our prized blend of our finest barrels from three distinct single-vineyard sites in McLaren Vale, Savitar, G.A.M. and Angela. It has a distinct purity of dark brooding fruit on the nose, with cut plums and blackcurrant, hints of spice and earthiness. The impeccably balanced palate shows fine-grained tannins and flashes of white pepper.
’14 seems an odd year in which to make a new super-cuvee flagship, but this by far the most intense of the Shirazs in the Mitolo toolbox, but no more full-bodied than Savitar. New oak plays a major role, but so does the brighter, more juicy fruit. 14% alc.
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RRP $200 / 2039 Mitolo Wines
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Shiraz
Mitolo Wines MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 Mitolo Savitar McLaren Vale Shiraz BEN GLAETZER Winemaker What can you tell us about the fruit for this wine? This wine comes from single vines from a single vineyard of close to 50 years of age, less than 4km from the seaside village of Aldinga. Low yields of tiny berries produced a refined and elegant shiraz that is full-bodied, with a silken structure.
On the third step of the ladder in the Mitolo shiraz hierarchy, sharing the depth of colour of all its siblings. The bouquet is strikingly different, with spicy, savoury, woody aromas leaping out of the glass. The fullbodied palate borrows heavily from the bouquet with its complex web of dark fruits and earthy notes. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $80 / 2034 Mitolo Wines
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Shiraz
Passel Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 Passel Estate Margaret River Shiraz
BRUCE DUKES Winemaker What do you think makes this wine so special? The 2015 vintage is one to value. Our yields were extremely low; the resulting fruit impressive and intensely flavoured. The Passel Estate Shiraz was whole berry fermented and matured for 10 months on light lees in French oak, one-third new.
Machine-harvested, whole berry-fermented in tank with cultured yeast, 10 days on skins, matured in French oak (one-third new) for 10 months. Bright crimson-purple; there’s a lot of high quality French oak stamped on the bouquet and medium-bodied palate, creating both flavour and texture for the plum and savoury black cherry fruit. The finish is long and convincing, and gets it over the oak line. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $35 / 2030 Passel Estate
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Shiraz
Patritti MCLAREN VALE, SA
2015 Patritti JPB Single Vineyard Shiraz
JAMES MUNGALL & BEN HEIDE Winemakers Why should people give this wine a closer look? From an outstanding year, this wine starts with incredible fruit from the estate’s Blewitt Springs vineyard. Crafted with respect and restraint, it is the impeccable balance that makes this wine really shine. It’s hedonistic and enjoyable now, but will cellar for decades too.
RRP $60 / Patritti
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From the low-yielding (1.4t/a) estate vineyard at Blewitt Springs, handpicked, crushed and destemmed, fermented in closed fermenters, 9 days on skins (2 days pre addition of cultured yeast), matured for 17 months in new puncheons, 60% American, 40% French. Immaculate cork. The seamless integration of the new oak tells you just how great the quality of the fruit is; blackberry and satsuma plum occupy centre stage, but allow regional dark chocolate to make its mark. One of the unsung heroes of SA shiraz. 14.5% alc.
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Shiraz
Paxton MCLAREN VALE, SA
2014 Paxton Jones Block McLaren Vale Shiraz RICHARD FREEBAIRN Winemaker Why should people seek out this wine? Paxton Jones Block Shiraz is sourced from one of the most sought-after vineyards in McLaren Vale. This classic, fullbodied, black fruit and balanced-oak shiraz has consistently impressed drinkers for two decades. A superb drink today, with cellaring potential of 10 to 20 years.
RRP $40 / Paxton
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Biodynamic-grown fruit, openfermented, matured in French and American barriques for 18 months. A celebrated McLaren Vale single vineyard wine, effortlessly providing a deep well of black fruits and finegrained tannins, the oak a positive contributor, not a rabble rouser. Screwcap. 14% alc.
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Shiraz
Payne’s Rise YARRA VALLEY, VIC
2015 Payne’s Rise Redlands Yarra Valley Shiraz
TIM CULLEN AND FRANCO D’ANNA Owner and vigneron, and winemaker Why should people put Yarra Valley shiraz on their radar? I love a challenge, so I planted shiraz on the very fertile, rich volcanic soil of the upper Yarra Valley. It’s never disappointed. This wine will delight with its fruit purity, elegance and texture – it’s a true reflection of the exciting shiraz/syrah style of the region.
The 30% whole bunches in the ferment just adds that extra vibrancy, that extra oomph to the fragrance and this has plenty. All peppery and spicy with a core of juicy plums, very savoury though, detailed tannins with superfine natural acidity sealing the deal. 13.2% alc. - JF
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RRP $30 / 2025 Payne’s Rise
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Shiraz
Pondalowie Vineyards BENDIGO, VIC
2015 Pondalowie Vineyards Reserve Heathcote Shiraz
DOMINIC & KRYSTINA MORRIS Winemakers What can you tell us about this wine? From an exceptional vintage, this is only the second release of this wine. Grapes from two well-established and distinguished vineyards in Toolleen and Colbinabbin were fermented on skins for two weeks, then basketpressed and matured for 20 months in new, handselected American oak barrels. Only 160 dozen were produced.
Deeply coloured; the power and intensity of the black fruits is exceptional, yet there is a generosity that means it’s possible to enjoy it now, even though it will take a decade to approach its best. 14% alc.
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RRP $50 / 2035 Pondalowie Vineyards
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Shiraz
Sanguine Estate HEATHCOTE, VIC
2015 Sanguine Estate Inception Heathcote Shiraz
MARK HUNTER Winemaker Why is this wine so special to you? Very close to the hearts of the Hunter family, this shiraz began our wine journey from the estate in Heathcote where the grapes are grown to the discovery of a long-lost winemaking ancestor who emigrated in 1868 to Maldon, Australia, with vines in arm.
The focus and intensity of the wine lifts it above the rest of Sanguine’s ’15 wines, French oak playing a positive support role. Black fruits, spice and licorice do most of the work, keeping the wine well within the boundaries of the style. The fact that it has by far the highest alcohol is surprising, for there is no heat or dead fruit. 15.5% alc.
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RRP $40 / 2035 Sanguine Estate
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Shiraz
Sittella SWAN VALLEY, WA
2015 Sittella Coffee Rock Swan Valley Shiraz COLBY QUIRK AND YURI BERNS Winemakers What extra care goes into the production of this wine? The Coffee Rock Shiraz is a single parcel from a rare, iconic vineyard grown in the highly desirable Coffee Rock gravel soils. The old-vine, dry-farmed management, partially wild-ferment, hand-picking and bunchsorting express the pure power and concentration that this region and the Coffee Rock soil produces consistently. A rare and limited product of only 1200 bottles annually.
RRP $55 / Sittella
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Hand-picked from 66yo vines, 100% whole berry, complex fermentation, part in French hogsheads (30% new) for 18 months. It’s all paid dividends: this is a full-bodied wine measured in terms of intensity rather than extract, the cherry and plum fruit fresh, the finish clean and lively. 14.5% alc.
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Shiraz
Smidge Wines MCLAREN VALE , SA
2014 Smidge Magic Dirt Mengler’s Hill Eden Valley Shiraz MATT WENK Winemaker What is the philosophy behind this label? To make it to Magic Dirt, a wine must truly express the character of the subregion and vineyard. This limited, single-barrel release is one from the higher altitudes of Mengler’s Hill, and has over-delivered on everything we look for – definitely one for the cellar. Hand-made, barrel-selected.
Red and black fruits, spice and pepper course through the expressive bouquet and animated medium to full-bodied palate, with a juicy, spicy red licorice farewell, the tannins perfectly weighted. It’s the perfect compromise between power and pure expression of place. 14.2% alc.
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RRP $100 / 2039 Smidge Wines
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Shiraz
St Hallett BAROSSA, SA
2015 St Hallett Blackwell Barossa Shiraz
TOBY BARLOW Winemaker Where does the name for this wine come from? Blackwell Shiraz is a tribute to St Hallett legend and exceptional Barossa winemaker Stuart Blackwell. It’s sourced from the north-west corner of the Barossa Valley, which is famous for its richness, midpalate fruit weight and dense colour.
RRP $40 / St Hallett
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From Ebenezer, Seppeltsfield and Greenock vineyards, fermented on skins for 8-12 days, matured in American oak. I assume Stuart Blackwell kept a close watch on the grape selection and vinification of this wine, and claim responsibility for its quality. Black fruits in profusion embrace the scaffold of ripe tannins and American oak to display their wares. 14.5% alc.
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Shiraz
St Hallett BAROSSA, SA
2014 St Hallett Old Block Barossa Shiraz
TOBY BARLOW Winemaker What makes this such a special wine? The Old Block is a tribute to shiraz farming in the Barossa. It is a blend of the best old-vine shiraz fruit that we can source from the Barossa and Eden Valleys, some of which dates back to the 1800s.
RRP $110 / St Hallett
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Average vine age 88 years, hand-picked, a combination of open and tank fermentation, some whole bunches included, matured in French oak. A masterpiece created from ancient vines and the continuing skilled winemaking team at St Hallett. This is elegance of the highest degree, with medium-bodied, supple red and black fruits flowing along the prodigiously long palate and aftertaste, the use of French oak the key. 14.5% alc.
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Shiraz
Stage Door Wine Co EDEN VALLEY, SA
2015 Stage Door Wine Co Eden Valley Shiraz GRAEME THREDGOLD Producer What can people expect from this wine? A definite show-stopper! The 2015 vintage in Eden Valley was outstanding. This single vineyard shiraz spent 20 months in French barrel and just 2400 bottles were produced. The wine is deep crimson-purple, with a lifted, perfumed nose over spice and black pepper. Mouth-watering black fruit is beautifully balanced across the palate, followed by velvety tannins.
The wine has very good texture, and the integration and balance of cedary French oak is as good as it gets. It looks to me as if the alcohol might even be a little bit less, rather than more, than the stated figure. By all means cellar it, but that’s purely optional. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $50 / 2030 Stage Door Wine Co
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Shiraz
Stefani Estate YARRA VALLEY, VIC
2015 Stefani Estate Barrel Selection Heathcote Vineyard Shiraz PETER MACKEY Winemaker What can you tell us about the vineyard sites behind this wine? The fruit for this wine is hand-harvested from the Stefani Estate single-site vineyard at the foot of the Mount Camel ranges, Heathcote. The vines are grown on the rich ancient Cambrian soils, which produce low-yielding concentrated fruit. This wine matches well with roasted meat slowcooked over coals.
From the higher slopes of the vineyard, hand-picked and bunch-sorted into an open fermenter, handplunged, matured in new and used French oak for 12 months. It is a very complex wine with a core of luscious black fruits given context and flavour balance by an amalgam of spice, pepper and liquorice on the finish and aftertaste. 14.5% alc.
Enter the code “STE25� online when placing your order to receive 25% off your order.
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RRP $65 / 2040 Stefani Estate
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Shiraz
Streicker Wines MARGARET RIVER, WA
2014 Streicker Bridgeland Block Margaret River Syrah BRUCE DUKES Winemaker What should people expect from this wine? Our Bridgeland vineyard is located in the cool, southern part of Margaret River. The fruit was handpicked in two batches, which allows for partial whole-berry fermentation and results in a complex, spicy syrah. The layered, savoury notes make it a delightful match for game meats and lamb.
50% hand-picked, destemmed, the berries left uncrushed, 33% stalks added back to the must, 4 days later the remainder handpicked and destemmed, both parts kept cold for 8 days, pumped over twice daily, pressed to French oak (33% new) to finish fermentation and maturation for 14 months before blending and bottling. The colour is excellent, the juicy red and black cherry fruit vibrant and fresh. If there is an issue, it is the low level of tanninbased structure, but I’ll forgive it that. 14% alc.
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RRP $43 / 2030 Streicker Wines
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Shiraz
Sweetwater Wines HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2005 Sweetwater Wines Hunter Valley Shiraz
SAM ARNAOUT Owner What has some age brought to this wine? Aged Hunter Valley shiraz is one of the unique wine styles of Australia. The 2005 Sweetwater Shiraz has aged beautifully, and displays regional earth and sweet leather characters alongside cherry, plum and spice. The palate is savoury and mellow, with complex fruit and a long, seductive finish.
Earthy/leathery regional flavours have now taken hold of the palate, but not to its detriment, for there is no break-up or loss of overall flavour. Its future rests to a degree with the cork gods, but on the evidence of this bottle, go for it. Cork. 13.4% alc.
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RRP $90 / 2030 Sweetwater Wines
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Shiraz
Sweetwater Wines HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2007 Sweewater Wines Shiraz
SAM ARNAOUT Owner What makes the vines for this wine so special? The Sweetwater vineyard is an elevated site planted on free-draining, red-loam soil over limestone. This situation allows the vineyard to handle the oftenunpredictable Hunter Valley conditions and still produce glorious, succulent wines. The 2007 is now 10 years old and aged characters are emerging alongside the silky plum fruit.
Exceptional retention of colour and hue, not possible under cork. This hot year produced shiraz with masses of plum and blackberry fruit that will slowly become even more regional as leather and earth notes grow. Screwcap. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $90 / 2037 Sweetwater Wines
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Shiraz
Sweetwater Wines HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2014 Sweetwater Wines Shiraz
SAM ARNAOUT Owner What can you tell us about this vintage? The 2014 Hunter Valley vintage was one where everything was just right. The Sweetwater vineyard, with its elevated, easterly aspect, was on song with its bright and aromatic style of Hunter shiraz. The wine displays the beautiful ripe fruit and balance of a perfect vintage, and is guaranteed to age gracefully for decades.
Bright crimson; has nailed the ’14 vintage with its vibrant, medium-bodied array of red and black fruits, a balanced infusion of earth, spice and leather, and a long, graceful palate. The aftertaste embodies all of the above in its farewell. Screwcap. 14% alc.
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RRP $90 / 2044 Sweetwater Wines
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Shiraz
Tahbilk Winery NAGAMBIE LAKES, VIC
2013 Tahbilk 1860 Vines Shiraz
ALISTER PURBRICK Winemaker What makes the vines for this wine so special? As original as the Estate itself, these un-grafted, pre-phylloxera shiraz plantings are among the oldest in the world. Since the inaugural 1979 vintage, the 1860 Vines releases have become most soughtafter and collectible, cementing their place as being an authentic piece of liquid history.
RRP $320 / Tahbilk
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Lighter colour than usual, but has an excellent clear crimson hue; the winemaking team has resisted the temptation to extract more fruit and tannins, letting the purity of the fruit light up the room, red cherry to the fore. The silky tannins and overall weight are akin to a high quality pinot noir, so it’s no surprise I should love it even if others may not. 13.5% alc.
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Shiraz
Tahbilk Winery NAGAMBIE LAKES, VIC
2013 Tahbilk Eric Stevens Purbrick Shiraz ALISTER PURBRICK Winemaker What do you look for in the wines for this range? In recognition of the achievements of Eric Purbrick, the ‘best of a vintage’ wines now carry his name and signature… Eric Stevens Purbrick. This best of vintage shiraz has seductive black pepper notes, which will deliver further character with suitable cellaring.
RRP $72 / Tahbilk
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The colour is deep, the wine medium to full-bodied, with fruit ranging through red to purple to black; the tannins are ripe and supple, oak contributing a little more than usual, but not egregiously so. 14.2% alc.
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Shiraz
Tomich Wines ADELAIDE HILLS, SA
2015 Tomich Woodside Vineyard Shiraz
RANDAL TOMICH Winemaker How did you approach the winemaking for this shiraz? Hand-picked in the cool of the morning from an old block at the top of the hill, our shiraz is whole bunch fermented in small batches, and hand-plunged three to four times a day to extract rich colour and a complex mid-palate. Matured for 13 months in a combination of French and American barriques, it displays juicy mulberry and plum, with hints of pepper, spice and chocolate on the palate, enhanced by a long elegant finish. A stunning, classic, cool climate shiraz.
You might be forgiven for swapping the regions of this and its McLaren Vale sibling in a blind tasting, for this Adelaide Hills wine is medium to fullbodied. It is very complex in flavour, texture and structure, dark cherry and spice lifting the back-palate, finish and aftertaste to a level all of its own. 14% alc.
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RRP $30 / 2035 Tomich Wines
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Shiraz
Turkey Flat Vineyards BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Turkey Flat Barossa Valley Shiraz
MARK BULMAN Winemaker What does this wine represent for you? With Turkey Flat Shiraz’s history dating back to the planting of shiraz vines in 1847, innovation, integrity and excellence are at the forefront of the Turkey Flat brand. This is one of the best expressions of modern Barossa shiraz.
Deep crimson purple, this smells super with its aromas of briary dark fruits together with a little cedar/vanillan from the beautifully handled oak (the wine was matured in new and seasoned French oak hogsheads). There is an old-vine creaminess to the palate, which manages to be rich and concentrated, but supremely balanced at the same time. A terrific wine from go to whoa. 14.5% alc. - PR
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RRP $47 / 2030 Turkey Flat Vineyards
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Shiraz
Wicks Estate ADELAIDE HILLS, SA
2014 Wicks Estate CJ Wicks Adelaide Hills Shiraz LEIGH RATZMER Winemaker How do you best describe this wine? A limited release (100 dozen), cool climate shiraz, layered in varietal characteristics and complexity. It spends a minimum 20 months in French oak, producing great depth and velvety tannins, and is a testament to the quality of shiraz grown at our Woodside Estate.
Clones (BVRC-12/1654), 20 days on skins, and 60% new French oak, otherwise identical vinification to the ’15 Shiraz. Slightly deeper colour and more overall power and complexity, especially the new oak, but also tannins on the finish. It is not devoid of freshness, but its message is altogether more serious. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $45 / 2034 Wicks Estate Wines
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Shiraz
Woods Crampton EDEN VALLEY, SA
2015 Woods Crampton Old Vine Eden Valley Shiraz
NICHOLAS CRAMPTON & AARON WOODS Winemakers What do people need to know about this wine? This is new-wave Australian shiraz! It combines the opulence and power of old-vine South Australia with the spice and elegance of cool climate fruit. Defined by supple blue fruits and long, fine tannins, this was the wine that inspired us to start Woods Crampton.
50-70yo vines, handpicked and sorted, wild yeast open-fermented, 15% whole bunches, 20 days on skins, 16 months in French oak (25% new). Has that textured, plush mouthfeel of the Woods Crampton birthmark. Perfumed black fruits and spices drive the bouquet, the palate adding blackberry, black cherry and liquorice. Power and body assembled without high octane fruit. 14% alc.
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RRP $30 / 2040 Woods Crampton
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Shiraz
Zonte’s Footstep FLEURIEU PENINSULA
2014 Zonte’s Footstep Z-Force
BRAD REY Vigneron Why should people seek out this wine? It shows juicy macerated blackberries, tempered with the soft distinctive milky McLaren Vale shiraz sweetness and roundness, with a spike of red citrus and cranberry notes. Z-Force is named in tribute to the Z Special Force; each bottle sold helps support the work of Legacy South Australia.
90% shiraz and 10% durif (aka petite syrah), open-fermented, matured in new and used French and American oak. McLaren Vale on steroids? That’s cruel, but this is as full-bodied and intense as a wine can be before becoming a caricature. Moreover, it’s the black ironstone fruit that’s so intense, not the tannins or the oak. The consequent balance means this wine can outlive most who lay it down now. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $55 / 2054 Zonte’s Footstep
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Shiraz blend
Cape Naturaliste Vineyard MARGARET RIVER, WA
CRAIG BRENT-WHITE Winemaker What can you tell us about where this wine comes from? In a valley one kilometre from the coast, with undulating topography up to 40m above sea level, the site has a unique coastal microclimate, with soil types of black loam over limestone and quartz gravel, and dry-grown fruit. Our 2013 vintage produced intense flavours and quality.
2013 Cape Naturaliste Vineyard Torpedo Rocks Reserve Margaret River Shiraz Cabernet Merlot The policy at this estate is to champion a dollop of American oak (10%) when shiraz comes into play and it works, furrowing the fruity brow of the wine with some tannic austerity and creamy, vanilla mocha. Blue and black fruit allusions are prominent, as is anise lingering in the background. The patina of tannins is finely tuned, harnessing the gushing intensity of the fruit flavours into a wine of power and thrust. The alcohol, too, is well absorbed. 14.7% alc.
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RRP $60 / 2026 Cape Naturaliste Vineyard
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Shiraz blend
Centennial Vineyards ORANGE, NSW
2015 Centennial Vineyards Reserve Single Vineyard Shiraz Viognier TONY COSGRIFF Winemaker What techinques did you use to give this wine an edge? This is a ripe and powerful shiraz from Orange, with four per cent viognier included to provide heightened aromatic complexity and to contribute texture to the palate.
4% viognier and 6% shiraz were included as whole bunches, the balance destemmed/ crushed on top, fermented with cultured yeast in tank, 4 weeks on skins, matured in French oak (19% new), selected barrels blended at 12 months. The fragrant bouquet is a true sign for the supple, medium-bodied palate and its display of spiced cherry fruit flavours. Savoury/foresty finegrained tannins give the wine authority on the finish. 14.8% alc.
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RRP $33 / 2030 Centennial Vineyards
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Shiraz blend
Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Landhaus Estate The Hero
KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker What do you see in the glass from this wine? This blend shows fragrant and complex red currant, blueberry, spice and chocolate aromas wafting from the glass. This complexity carries through to the mouth with intense and rich fruit flavours dominating. The texture is silky, viscous and mouthfilling with lively acid and fine tannins providing |great balance and structure. It will age reliably under Stelvin for seven to 12 years.
Young winemaker Kane Jaunutis says shiraz is regarded as Australia’s hero grape but he goes for mourvedre for its unique characters. Hedging his bets, this is a 50/50% blend. Aged 10 months in older French oak, this starts out reductive and meaty, no surprise there with mourvedre, and soon goes into overdrive with florals, pepper, salami, savoury on the palate too. Mediumbodied, exhilaratingly fresh with supple, detailed tannins. 13.8% alc. - JF
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RRP $20 / 2023 Landhaus Estate
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Shiraz blend
Millbrook Winery PERTH HILLS, WA
2014 Millbrook Estate Shiraz Viognier
DAMIAN HUTTON Winemaker How is this flagship blend produced? The Millbrook Estate vineyard in the Perth Hills is a special site in that ripening of shiraz and viognier invariably occurs at the same time, allowing for the cofermentation of the two varieties for this flagship Estate Shiraz Viognier. It’s on the menu now with grass-fed lamb.
Estate-grown, including 4% co-fermented viognier, openfermented, matured in French oak for 20 months (30% new). The oak threatens to dominate proceedings, but in the end the luscious array of red and black fruits stands firm on the mediumbodied palate, its length and finish excellent. As good as they come from the Perth Hills. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $35 / 2034 Millbrook Winery
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Shiraz blend
Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Landhaus Estate Classics Barossa Valley Shiraz Mourvedre KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker What notes and flavours can people expect from this wine? This blend’s aromas of blueberry, spice, chocolate and leather waft from the glass. That complexity carries through to the palate, which is dominated by intense sweet/savoury flavours. The texture is silky, viscous and mouthfilling, with lively acid and fine tannins providing great balance and structure. It will age reliably for 10 to 15 years.
50/50 shiraz mourvedre; 20 months in French oak (50% new). While there’s more grunt to the tannin structure via the integrated oak, shiraz and mourvedre unite their flavours and shape into a harmonious whole. Vibrant red plums, cherries and blueberries sprinkled with chocolate shavings, cinnamon and crushed juniper berries. Velvety tannins, full-bodied and beautiful detail from start to finish. 14% alc.- JF
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RRP $30 / 2030 Landhaus Estate
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Shiraz blend
Lerida Estate CANBERRA DISTRICT, NSW
2015 Lerida Estate Canberra District Shiraz Viognier
MALCOLM BURDETT Winemaker Why do you think shiraz viognier from your region works so well? It’s no secret that Canberra District shiraz and viognier are a fantastic pair. What fewer people understand is that the elevation and aspect of our vineyards on the Cullerin Range provide a cooler, gentler ripening that takes this synergy to a whole new level.
A 95/5% blend, cofermented, matured for 10 months in French oak (20% new). By some distance the most complex and convincing of the Lerida Estate red wines, bordering on outright full-bodied. Purple and black fruits have a strong spice and cracked black pepper substrate, the fruit framed by ripe, but persistent, tannins and cedary oak. 14.2% alc.
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RRP $75 / 2039 Lerida Estate
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Cabernet sauvignon and blends
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R E D H O T A N D R AT E D
Cabernet sauvignon
Aravina Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2014 Aravina Estate Wildwood Ridge Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon RYAN AGGISS Winemaker What makes the vines for this wine so special? This is a fantastic representation of the special cabernet site at Aravina Estate. At 138 metres above sea level, on the lee side of the Leeuwin-Naturalist Ridge with a northeasterly aspect, these low-yielding 30-year-old vines are renowned for producing fruit of both power and refinement. Matured in selected French oak for 18 months, this wine is a true reflection of our terroir and estate mesoclimate.
Includes 8% merlot, crushed to upright static fermenters with cultured yeast, onethird left on skins for extended maceration after mlf, matured for 18 months in French oak (50% new). The bouquet is fragrant, with high-toned cassis aromas that replay on the palate, cassis again to the fore before French oak adds to the complexity and appeal of the wine. Cabernet tannins stand on the centre stage of the finish and aftertaste – part and parcel of high-quality cabernet. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $60 / 2034 Aravina Estate
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Cabernet sauvignon
Boat O’Craigo Wines YARRA VALLEY , VIC DARK HORSE OF THE YEAR 2018
2015 Boat O’Craigo Braveheart Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon TRAVERS GRAHAM Owner/Producer How did you approach the production of this wine? 2015 was a benchmark year in the Yarra Valley. The fruit was hand-picked and sorted from specific rows off our hilltop planting. Whole berry and wild fermented, we selected oak that complements rather than overpowers the fruit. This is a classic Yarra cabernet and certainly the best we’ve made so far.
Yarra Valley cabernet at its elegant best. It effortlessly communicates its varietal message, with blackcurrant fruit at the sweet spot of ripeness, and bay leaf and dried herb also part of the flavour spectrum. The tannins are precisely balanced, oak likewise. Screwcap. 13.8% alc
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RRP $30 / 2030 Boat O’Craigo Wines
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Cabernet sauvignon
Chain of Ponds ADELAIDE HILLS, SA
2015 Chain of Ponds Amadeus Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon GREG CLACK Winemaker What did you see in the 2015 fruit for this wine? The 2015 vintage was exeptional for cabernet in the Adelaide Hills, displaying intense concentrated fruit, length, richness, structural tannins and balance while maintaining varietal integrity. The winemaking techniques used, along with maturation in French oak, give excellent structural tannins – perfect for pairing with a rare rack of lamb, game meats or for long-term cellaring.
From a north-facing vineyard at Kuitpo, destemmed, 2 days cold soak, open-fermented, pumped over twice daily, 30% free-run juice drained off after 7 days, the balance left on skins for a further 3 days, matured for 20 months in French oak (30% new). A very elegant and pure cabernet utterly belying its alcohol, the fullbodied palate ending with pure-bred cabernet tannins. 15% alc.
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RRP $38 / 2040 Chain of Ponds
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Cabernet sauvignon
Deep Woods Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 Deep Woods Estate Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon JULIAN LANGWORTHY Winemaker Can you tell us about this wine’s track record? A very special wine, the previous three vintages have won the Royal Melbourne Wine Show Cabernet Trophy three years running, culminating with the 2014 vintage winning the Jimmy Watson last year. Get on the mailing list, this year’s tiny production will last about three minutes post-release.
From the oldest estate vines at Yallingup, plus grapes from a nearby grower, crushed and destemmed, small batch fermentation, 16 months maturation in new and used French barriques. A perfumed, brambly bouquet leads into a medium-bodied palate that caresses the mouth with blackcurrant, redcurrant and herbs. 14% alc.
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RRP $65 / 2030 Deep Woods Estate
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Cabernet sauvignon
Firetail MARGARET RIVER, WA
2014 Firetail Cabernet Sauvignon
BRUCE DUKES AND JESSICA WORRALL Winemaker and Vigneron What sort of process did this wine undergo? Hand-harvested from a single, one-hectare vineyard, this wine saw compulsive, obsessive fruit sorting, then skillful, artisan winemaking, before being aged for eight months in French oak and bottled under Diam corks. It has resulted in a stunning wine for the cellar, with just 220 cases produced. Our wines are only available at the cellar door.
RRP $28 / Firetail
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Bright crimson-purple hue; an elegant, medium-bodied cabernet with bright cassis fruit and a lively mouthfeel derived from the moderate alcohol. Gold medal WA Wine Show ’15 and ranked equal eighth in the UK Decanter Magazine of the best 80 Margaret River cabernets Jan ’17. 13.7% alc.
C 2029 BUY NOW
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Cabernet sauvignon
Heydon Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2011 Heydon Estate W.G. Grace Single Vineyard Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon GEORGE HEYDON Owner & Vigneron What level of care went into the production of this wine? The WG Grace plays a straight bat. It’s sourced from a single, old block planted in 1988 and located in the inner sanctum of New World cabernet – the Wilyabrup Valley. Managed along organic lines with minimal inputs and no irrigation, this has resulted in a faithful expression of the special site. Add to that the finest French oak and winemaking, and voila! A consistently elegant, highly-rated, trophywinning wine.
The aromas are the expected mix of blackcurrant and dark fruits, sluiced with tobacco, mulch and a moreish beef bouillon. However, the wine comes across as forward and relatively soft. The tannins build in composure as the fruit expands across the cheeks. This is already approachable; perhaps the structural carapace is buried beneath the fruit density. Screwcap. 14% alc. - WG
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RRP $75 / 2022 Heydon Estate
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Cabernet sauvignon
House of Cards YALLINGUP/MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 House of Cards The Royals Single Vineyard Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon TRAVIS WRAY Winemaker How would you sum up this wine? This is a classy and completely handmade Margaret River cabernet that over-delivers on quality at a great price.
Open-fermented, 35 days extended skin contact, basket-pressed, matured in French oak (30% new) for 18 months. A totally convincing medium to full-bodied cabernet that repays all the vinification steps; cassis, bay leaf and dried herbs hit the bouquet and palate in precisely the same way, all up classic medium-bodied cabernet style, tannin emerging at just the right moment. 14% alc.
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RRP $38 / 2035 House of Cards
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Cabernet sauvignon
Mistletoe HUNTER VALLEY, NSW
2015 Mistletoe Reserve Hilltops Cabernet
SCOTT STEPHENS Winemaker What did you set out to achieve with this cabernet sauvignon? Our goal with this wine was to make a cabernet that drinks beautifully as a young wine, while retaining the ability to cellar well in the medium term. With just 12 months in bottle, it oozes drinkability. Mission accomplished!
The front label clearly states the wine is from the Hunter Valley, one of those little mistakes that can happen to the best of us. It has super crimson-purple colour, and quality oak has been used to cushion the luscious cassis and black olive fruit flavours. There are no issues of reduction, making this an all the way winner. 14.2% alc.
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RRP $32 / 2035 Mistletoe Wines
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Cabernet sauvignon
Rosily Vineyard MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 Rosily Vineyard Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon MICK SCOTT Winemaker Where does the fruit for this wine come from? We are lucky enough to have a superb site for Margaret River cabernet: lean, gravelly soils on a gentle, north-facing slope in the heart of Willyabrup. Our single vineyard is certified organic, and sensitive winemaking allows this wine to perfectly express both the variety and site.
A flurry of regional flavours of blackberries, boysenberries, chocmint, warm soil and bay leaf with cedary oak in check. There’s detail on the medium-bodied palate and the raw silk tannins adding another layer of complexity. Neatly composed and drinking brilliantly now, better with extra bottle age. 14% alc. - JF
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RRP $27 / 2030 Rosily Vineyard
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Cabernet sauvignon
Ross Hill Wines ORANGE, NSW
2015 Ross Hill Wines Pinnacle Series Griffin Road Vineyard Orange Cabernet PHIL KERNEY Winemaker What do you think makes this wine so special? Typically, less than 200-dozen Pinnacle Series Cabernet Sauvignon are made each year. Fruit comes from ‘the Ridge’ – a small part of our cabernet block with some of the thinnest, oldest soil on earth. The 2015 vintage was the best on record for this ripe-fruited, beautifully complex wine.
Matured for 22 months in French oak (30% new). Good hue and depth; a very good cabernet, with cassis, black olive and bay leaf flavours, stately tannins and oak a precise framework for the fruit. Lives up to its reputation and then some. 14.9% alc.
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RRP $45 / 2030 Ross Hill Wines
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Cabernet sauvignon
Stage Door Wine Co EDEN VALLEY, SA
2015 Stage Door Wine Co Eden Valley Cabernet Sauvignon GRAEME THREDGOLD Producer How do you best describe this wine? Don’t sit in the crowd – get on stage and try this wine. This is cool-climate cabernet sauvignon at its best. This single vineyard wine spent 20 months in French barrel, and only 2200 bottles were produced. Dense crimsonred, with sweet vanilla over cassis and capsicum on the nose. Chewy black cherry and plum fill the palate and soft, dusty tannins create a beautiful ‘cabernet astringency’ that lingers and holds your attention.
Has the same felicitous oak handling as its shiraz sibling, even staring down the challenge of cabernet sauvignon. Mind you, it is a powerful cabernet, with a depth and range of cassis/blackcurrant/ mulberry flavours tied to its bedrock of tannin, and does need patience. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $50 / 2035 Stage Door Wine Co
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R E D H O T A N D R AT E D
Cabernet sauvignon
Streicker Wines MARGARET RIVER, WA
2013 Streicker Ironstone Block Old Vine Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon BRUCE DUKES Winemaker Why is this site chosen as a showcase vineyard for this wine? Ironstone vineyard is in the heart of Wilyabrup and this wine speaks to the tradition of that locality. Its tightly spaced vines promote healthy competition and intensely flavoured fruit. The brown loamy sands over gravelly clay soil are perfectly suited for the finest viticulture use.
Hand-picked, destemmed and the berries just split, pumped over three times daily, pressed to French barriques (45% new) for 18 months maturation. This has more density than the Clairault Cabernet, and also more texture. Blackcurrant allows some earthy, but ripe, tannins into the game. Despite its full-bodied expression, the balance is exceptional, and will underwrite its future leisurely development. 14.1% alc.
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RRP $45 / 2038 Streicker Wines
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Cabernet sauvignon
Swings & Roundabouts MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 Swings & Roundabouts Backyard Stories Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon BRIAN FLETCHER Winemaker How did you approach the winemaking process for this cabernet? Our 2015 Cabernet is the sixth release red in a range of wines that reflect our winemaking skills and our commitment to finding the best fruit. We apply simple, traditional winemaking techniques to deliver what we believe is a fine example of a style while remaining true to the Margaret River region and the quality it delivers.
A best-barrels selection given further maturation. Deep crimson-purple; a classy mediumbodied cabernet, silky and suave on entry to the mouth, then firm, savoury cabernet tannins shepherd the wine along the palate and into the finish. Its fruit/oak/tannin balance is faultless, and the wine will age majestically. 14% alc.
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RRP $45 / 2040 Swings & Roundabouts
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Cabernet sauvignon
Tahbilk Winery NAGAMBIE LAKES, VIC
2013 Tahbilk Eric Stevens Purbrick Cabernet Sauvignon ALISTER PURBRICK Winemaker What does this range of wines represent? In recognition of the achievements of Eric Purbrick, the ‘best of vintage’ wines now carry his name and signature… Eric Stevens Purbrick. As would be expected from a best of vintage cabernet sauvignon release, there are generous blackcurrant characters, alongside earthy, gamey notes.
RRP $72 / Tahbilk
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As befits this wine, it is a rock of ages full-bodied cabernet, dark in colour and full-bodied in the mouth. It’s savoury blackcurrant more than cassis, with a sprig of herbs, a dash of black olive, sober-sided tannins and French oak that won’t be (entirely) intimidated. 13% alc.
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Cabernet sauvignon
Thompson Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2013 Thompson Estate The Specialist Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon BOB CARTWRIGHT & PAUL DIXON (PICTURED) Winemaker What is done differently in the vineyard for this wine? At Thompson Estate we concentrate on a limited production of our most exceptional wines for the Specialist Range. The cabernet is hand-picked from selected rows on our sustainably grown vineyard in the WIlyabrup sub-region of Margaret River.
85% cabernet sauvignon, 9% merlot, 9% ‘other’ varieties, matured for 18 months in French oak. Good colour; a powerful, concentrated and complex wine proudly flying its colours from the main mast, and staring down anyone seeking to question its authority, but even here is a deftness of touch with the balance between the black fruits, the firm tannins and the cedary oak. 14% alc.
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RRP $80 / 2043 Thompson Estate
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Cabernet sauvignon
Warramate YARRA VALLEY, VIC
2015 Warramate Cabernet Sauvignon
SARAH CROWE Winemaker What should people know about cabernet from the Yarra Valley? Yarra Valley cabernet is such a graceful expression of this great variety. This wine overdelivers with ample fruit expression, a classic leafy lift, refreshing acidity and fine dusty tannins. It is sure to exceed expectations.
RRP $28 /
C 2027
Warramate
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Chardonnay and pinot noir might steal the limelight in the valley, but ignore cabernet sauvignon at your peril. Unique flavours of rosemary-infused blackberries, pine needles and bracken work on a finely tuned, medium-bodied palate. 13% alc. - JF
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Cabernet sauvignon
Wicks Estate ADELAIDE HILLS, SA
2015 Wicks Estate Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon LEIGH RATZMER Winemaker What do people need to know about this wine? Cabernet sauvignon may seem like the forgotten noble red variety, but I think this is a deliciously pure example from a cool climate, packed with a full set of varietal fruits and fine, savoury tannins. It’s from a single vineyard and estate-grown.
RRP $25 /
C 2035
Wicks Estate Wines
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Selective machineharvested, hand-sorted, multiple clone and block small batch ferments, 80% crushed and destemmed, 20% whole berries, open fermenters of various sizes, some cold soak, various cultured yeasts, 14 days on skins, matured for 12 months in French oak (25% new). All this has resulted in a seriously good cabernet flush with blackcurrant fruit perfectly balanced by tannins and cedary oak. A price of $50 would be justified. 14.5% alc.
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Cabernet sauvignon
Xanadu MARGARET RIVER, WA
2014 Xanadu Wines Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon GLENN GOODALL Winemaker Where does the fruit for this wine come from? 2014 was an excellent vintage, continuing the dream run of Margaret River vintages since 2007. Most of the fruit for this blend was sourced from two mature Margaret River vineyards, supplemented with estate-grown fruit from our Boodjidup and Stevens Road vineyards. The blend resulting from these various sources has come together beautifully, proving that sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
RRP $37 / Xanadu
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91% cabernet sauvignon, 5% malbec, 4% petit verdot, matured for 14 months in French oak (40% new). Great colour is no surprise, nor is the majesty of the cassisfilled bouquet and palate. While there is an element of barrel selection (and trickle down of lesser barrels, and possible promotion) each wine does have its own personality, part shaped by the vineyard, part in the winery. Here the extended maceration has refined the tannins without stripping the fruit. 14% alc.
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Cabernet sauvignon
Zonte’s Footstep FLEURIEU PENINSULA
2015 Zonte’s Footstep Avalon Tree Fleurieu Peninsula Cabernet BRAD REY Vigneron What should people expect from this wine? This timeless tincture is the essence of the Fleurieu Peninsula; classic cabernet. It has inviting aromas of cassis, dark cherries and liquorice, with undertones of cedar, dark chocolate and clotted cream.
95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% tempranillo, matured for 12 months in used hogsheads. The colour is deep and bright, appropriate for the deep, medium to full-bodied varietal fruit on the bouquet and palate. The firm, but fine, tannins are pure cabernet in taste and texture, and make the wine. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $25 / 2030 Zonte’s Footstep
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Cabernet blend
Deep Woods Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 Deep Woods Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot JULIAN LANGWORTHY Winemaker How is this wine best enjoyed? This is one of the best wines that Deep Woods Estate makes and the one that I cellar for special occasions – and also drink it on a Tuesday with pizza.
78% cabernet sauvignon, 18% merlot, 4% petit verdot matured for 18 months in French oak (30% new). An immaculately bred and raised wine, transparently displaying its cassis and bay leaf fruit, its quality French oak and its superfine tannins on its mediumbodied palate. The balance is such that it can be enjoyed now. 14% alc.
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RRP $35 / 2025 Deep Woods Estate
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Cabernet blend
Flowstone MARGARET RIVER, WA
2013 Flowstone Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Touriga STUART PYM Winemaker What does the blend of these two varietals create in the bottle? It’s an engaging blend of the old and the old; Margaret River cabernet sauvignon, and the classic Portuguese variety touriga. Touriga is one of the main varieties in the Portuguese vintage ports. It has wonderful spicy red and black fruit flavours, with a mediumto full-bodied palate, and puts an interesting twist on cabernet sauvignon.
RRP $36 / Flowstone
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The cabernet is off a single vineyard in Wilyabrup, 70% in the blend, the touriga from Yallingup planted in the late ’70s. Each made in a similar fashion, but kept separate, aged 2 years in French oak barriques (20% new). Harmonious in its composition, there’s an ease, a suppleness to the tannins, plenty of grip though and the fruit neatly compiled into the more savoury aspects of the wine. 14.1% alc. - JF
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Cabernet blend
House of Cards YALLINGUP/MARGARET RIVER, WA
2015 House of Cards Single Vineyard The Ace TRAVIS WRAY Winemaker Why is this wine worth a closer look? Only 200 cases of this wine were made, so production was very limited. It has been awarded 95 points or more from James Halliday since the first vintage in 2011 and truly represents the best of what we do in the vineyard and winery.
50% cabernet sauvignon, 25% each of malbec and petit verdot, 20% drained off the cabernet portion, open-fermented, 35 days extended skin contact, 50% whole bunch inclusion in the petit verdot ferment, 50% of the cabernet and malbec barrelfermented, all matured for 18 months in French barriques (50% new). Full crimson-purple; juicy, vibrant and long. Due for release Nov ’17, tasted end Mar ’17, and will benefit from the extra 6 months bottle age. But even as it is, shows its class and finesse on the long palate, finished with balanced, fine, savoury tannins. 14.2% alc.
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RRP $65 / 2035 House of Cards
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Cabernet blend
Katnook Estate COONAWARRA, SA
2015 Katnook The Caledonian Cabernet Shiraz
WAYNE STEHBENS Winemaker Why should people seek out this wine? The Caledonian honours Scotsman John Riddoch, Coonawarra’s founder. This blend showcases the unique synergy achieved by combining premium varietal parcels from the estate. Aged 14 months in oak barrels and with exceptional cellaring ability, this is a limited release, cellar door exclusive wine.
55% cabernet sauvignon, 35% shiraz, the remaining 10% tannat and petit verdot, matured for 14 months in French oak (40% new). The oak is obvious on the bouquet, although less so on the complex, full-bodied palate, with its array of blackberry, blackcurrant, plum and spicy oak flavours, the tannins built to size. 14% alc.
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RRP $55 / 2030 Katnook Estate
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Cabernet blend
Thompson Estate MARGARET RIVER, WA
2014 Thompson Estate Andrea Reserve
BOB CARTWRIGHT & PAUL DIXON (PICTURED) Winemaker What should people know about your winery? Thompson Estate is a Margaret River vineyard of considerable natural beauty that produces wines of internationally recognised quality and elegance. Since its founding in 1997, it has become recognised as one of the leaders in the region. This wine has all the quality and elegance that we strive for at Thompson Estate.
76% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot, 9% ‘other’ varieties, matured for 16 months in new and used French oak. One of many great examples of Bordeaux-type blends which Margaret River produces with far greater regularity than any other Australian region. It is mediumbodied, and it is elegant, with perfect fruit, oak and tannin balance. I pay particular attention to the aftertaste of wines such as this, and it reaffirms the message. % alc.
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RRP $50 / 2039 Thompson Estate
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Cabernet blend
Yarra Yering YARRA VALLEY, VIC
2015 Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No. 1
SARAH CROWE Winemaker What can you tell us about the varietals that go into this blend? The fruit was sourced from the original 1969 plantings on the estate, all established on own roots and unirrigated. This classic Bordeaux blend is 67 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 16 per cent merlot, 13 per cent malbec and four per cent petit verdot. This wine won the Other Reds varietal category at this year’s Qantas epiQure Halliday Wine Companion Awards.
RRP $100 /
Yarra Yering
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This is a superlative, tightly furled Bordeaux blend of pedigree, age-worthiness and a sapid quiver of blackcurrant to herbal notes: crushed, dried and strewn about the palate, all tightly guarded by gravelly tannins and juicy natural acidity. The oak handling, too, smacks of expertise: a fine-grained and well trained hedge, embellishing the savoury air of the style rather than overwhelming it. A blend of 67% cabernet sauvignon, 16% merlot, 13% malbec and a mere seasoning of petit verdot synergise to make an imperious, beautiful wine with a long, long life ahead. 14% alc. - NG
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Other reds
RED
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Other reds
Cullen Wines WILYABRUP, MARGARET RIVER, WA.
2016 Cullen Mangan Vineyard Margaret River Merlot Malbec Petit Verdot VANYA CULLEN Winemaker What do you think makes this wine so special? Cullen has been very successful in producing a wine that, while fruit-driven, is of such high quality that it will develop for several years under good cellaring conditions. The unusual blend has produced a particularly flavoursome and complex wine.
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RRP $35 / 2036 Cullen Wines
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A 78/15/7% blend, matured in French oak (34% new) for 7 months. Bright crimson-purple hue; a super-fragrant bouquet, followed by an immaculately balanced and structured palate full of juicy red fruits. Terrific value, drink any time over the next 20 years. 13% alc.
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Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2016 Landhaus Estate Barossa Valley Tempranillo Garnacha KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker What sets this wine apart? It’s completely unoaked and designed to drink early. The seductively perfumed bouquet offers dark-berry preserves, potpourri and peppery spices. It has a ripe but graceful palate, with impressive focus to its spicy black raspberry and boysenberry flavours. Finishes savoury with long, fine tannins and lingering spices. Outstanding.
What a bright, juicy and cheery wine aimed solely at gluggability. Tempranillo leads at 70%; this sees no oak, so the vibrancy of the fruit is key but so, too, is the tannin structure, all supple and fine. Heady aromas and refreshing acidity a given. A little beauty. 13.7% alc. - JF
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RRP $15 / 2020 Landhaus Estate
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Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Landhaus Estate Classics Barossa Valley Mourvedre Grenache Shiraz KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker What is the result of blending these three varietals? This blend has plenty of fragrance backed by blackberry and plum fruits. The palate is deep and concentrated, with precise ripeness and curvaceous tannins honed in barrel. It has an effortless sense of balance and will age reliably for up to 10 years.
There’s exceptional quality right across the ‘15 Landaus range with the blends the most thrilling. And here’s another at 44%/42%/14% adopting the usual lowyielding, 70-100 year old vines, 16 months in French oak (20% new). Savoury toned, earthy and spicy, deep fruit flavours, lithe tannins, excellent length and so fresh. This is classy stuff. Screwcap.14% alc. - JF
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RRP $30 / 2027 Landhaus Estate
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Landhaus Estate BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Landhaus Estate The Sinner
KANE JAUNUTIS Winemaker What should people know about this wine? It’s a blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvédre and 10% Shiraz that is unoaked, uber-juicy and lip-smackingly good. It’s all about fruit here and there’s a core of rich red fruits wrapped in pepper and sweet spice. The texture is silky and mouth-filling with lively acid and fine tannins providing great balance and structure.
Grenache 60%/mourvedre 30%/shiraz 10% fermented and blended in stainless steel, unfined and unfiltered. Well, given the depth of flavour and fruit tannin structure, this clearly didn’t need any oak – it’s convincing and delicious. Heady with raspberry, cherries and pips, spicy too, with a really juicy palate, lacy tannins with talc-like acidity. 13.8% alc.- JF
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RRP $20 / 2022 Landhaus Estate
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Patritti MCLAREN VALE, SA
2015 Patritti Marion Vineyard Adelaide Grenache Shiraz JAMES MUNGALL & BEN HEIDE Winemakers What is so special about this wine’s vineyard site? Marion Vineyard is the world’s oldest commercially producing urban vineyard. Situated on a busy main road in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, it was planted in 1907. The single-hectare vineyard has around 1600 ungrafted pre-phylloxera grenache and shiraz vines, all on their original roots.
RRP $30 / Patritti
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From the 110yo vineyard owned by the City of Marion, but leased to Patritti since ’06 in recognition of its long association with grapegrowing in the region. A 90/10% blend, hand-picked, crushed and destemmed, openfermented, 7 days on skins including 1 day cold soak, matured for 6 months in a 60/40% mix of American and French puncheons (10% new). A rich, deep-seated mouthful of succulent red and purple fruits sustained by fine, yet firm, tannins. The Rhône Valley would be proud of this. 14.5% alc.
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Sons of Eden BAROSSA VALLEY, SA
2015 Sons of Eden Kennedy Barossa Valley Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre COREY RYAN & SIMON COWHAM Winemakers What can you tell us about the blend of varietals in this wine? Kennedy is a wine that over-delivers every vintage. The basis to the blend is grenache grown on 60-year-old vines from the Light Pass subregion of the Barossa Valley. Approachable on release, but with such a strong grenache base, this wine has the ability to mature well for at least a decade.
A 40/34/26% blend, fermented and matured separately, the grenache and mourvedre macerated for 10-20 days on skins after (warm) fermentation, matured in used French oak for 16 months before blending. Avoids confection/ sweet fruit flavours, and does so with panache, ringing red, purple and black fruits into the very complex medium to fullbodied palate, cherry/ plum and blackberry flavours welded together with a savoury, spicy subtext. 14.5% alc.
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RRP $31 / 2025 Sons of Eden
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Virago Vineyard BEECHWORTH, VIC
2013 Virago Vineyard La Mistura Nebbiolo KAREN COATS Vigneron Why do you believe this wine is so special? One vineyard, one variety, one wine. The allure of nebbiolo, the uniqueness of the Beechworth terroir and the obsession of the vignerons permeate each glass of Virago wine. Total production is 175 dozen/year of nebbiolo from our two-acre vineyard.
Aged for an extended period in 1600l tank, befitting the high-toned skeletal tannins and piercing acidity of nebbiolo, this is a fine effort in lieu of this challenging vintage, which forced earlier picking than usual. Perhaps this was for the better, given the quality of the wine, which, ironically, has been declassified to the Mistura tier. Bing cherry and archetypal notes of sandalwood and dried flowers drift from the glass, drawing one in. Hints of root beer, mint and mulch ensue. The tannins and acidity combine to mesh the fruit into a layered whole, thrusting the flavours long and broad. The overall impression is one of juiciness, energy and delicacy; reminiscent of a fine-boned pinot noir. - NG
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RRP $30 / 2025 Virago Vineyard
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