2019 Henry’s Drive Shiraz, McLaren Vale
From mother and daughter team Kim and Margo Longbottom, Henry’s Drive Shiraz honours the 19th-century mail service that once ran across South Australia. Aromas of violets, mulberry and cedar, leading to a rich palate of blackberry, plum and dark chocolate flavours. vintagelongbottom.com
2018 Hentley Farm The Beast Shiraz, Barossa Valley
Sourced from a single, elevated block at Hentley Farm’s Seppeltsfield vineyard, as its name suggests, The Beast is a powerful and robust expression of Barossa shiraz, with great concentration of flavour and supple, fine-grained tannins. hentleyfarm.com.au
2019 Fowles Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Shiraz, Strathbogie Ranges
A vibrant and complex wine from the Strathbogie Ranges in north-east Victoria, this cool-climate shiraz showcases intense and lifted aromas of ripe red berries with violet, pepper and chocolate undertones. The palate is full-bodied with velvety tannins and a long, elegant finish. fowleswine.com
2018 Langmeil Orphan Bank Shiraz, Barossa
The Orphan Bank consists of 10 rows of shiraz, planted pre-1860, and replanted alongside Langmeil’s original vineyard on the banks of the North Para River. This is a well-balanced wine, with juicy raspberry and satsuma plum flavours, briary spice and textural, fine-grained tannins. langmeilwinery.com.au
2019 Leogate Estate Western Slopes Shiraz, Hunter Valley
Sourced from an isolated parcel of shiraz selected from Leogate’s low-yielding Brokenback vineyard, this wine displays layers of dark berry fruit flavours with a touch of spice, well-integrated French oak and fine, silky tannins. An exceptional example of Hunter Valley shiraz. leogate.com.au
2015 Levantine Hill Melissa’s Paddock Syrah, Yarra Valley
Produced from an assemblage of 10 distinct small batches, individually drawn from Levantine Hill’s single block of shiraz, the 2015 Melissa’s Paddock Syrah features dense, brooding aromatics with unfurling complexity. The palate is sophisticated, with flavours of blackberry, dark chocolate and cassia bark framed by well-integrated, powdery tannins. levantinehill.com.au
2017 Levantine Hill Syrah, Yarra Valley
An elegant, restrained expression of cool-climate shiraz, the 2017 Estate Syrah is headily perfumed and medium-bodied. Complex aromas of white pepper, spiced plum, fig, clove and bramble leaf lead to a poised palate exhibiting dense, tightly-wound black fruit flavours and a subtle Campari-like bitterness. levantinehill.com.au
2017 Lowe Block 5 Shiraz, Mudgee
Sourced from Lowe’s organic, biodynamic vineyard, this shiraz is a solid and substantial example of Mudgee shiraz. Still extremely youthful with flavours of mocha, red berry and oak spice, it is very approachable now but will take at least 20 years to hit its peak. lowefamilywineco.com.au
2019 O’Leary Walker Shiraz, Clare Valley
O’Leary Walker looked to the Clare Valley subregions of Polish Hill River and Armagh for this powerful and concentrated shiraz. A warm, low-yielding vintage resulted in a beautifully balanced wine with complex notes of blackberry fruit and spice across both nose and palate, with tight-grained tannins and full-bodied richness. olearywalkerwines.com
2018 Plantagenet Wyjup Collection Shiraz, Mount Barker
Sourced from Plantagenet’s Bouverie and Wyjup vineyards in Mount Barker, Great Southern, this powerful yet restrained shiraz shows alluring aromas of blue fruits with lifted raspberry, violet and graphite. The palate is richly layered and dense with a firm yet seamless tannin structure. plantagenetwines.com
2018 Sutton Grange Estate Syrah, Bendigo
This Estate Syrah is the purest expression of Sutton Grange’s property. Aromas of blue fruits, blackcurrants and violets are underpinned by hints of dark chocolate and freshly turned earth. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a core of gravelly minerality driving the mid-palate. A shiraz of both strength and elegance. suttongrange.com.au
2018 Torbreck The Gask Shiraz, Eden Valley
Sourced from the 1960-planted Knight family vineyard at Mount McKenzie in the Eden Valley, this generous shiraz exhibits aromas of wild blueberry and plum with graphite and wet earth. A taut, firm, medium-bodied palate is balanced by tightly wound tannins and a long finish. torbreck.com