Tapanappa acquired and renovated the precious Whalebone Vineyard at Wrattonbully in 2002. The thirty year old Shiraz and Cabernet vines have responded magnificently. The paradox is that despite being cooler than Coonawarra, the fruit ripens earlier and more completely. The still air, cool night and warm days particularly suit the rejuvenated vines. The quality of fruit is ideal for a masculine Medoc style, not surprising given the similarity of soil, geology and climate to that of St. Emilion in Bordeaux. By maestro Brian Croser, only a few hundred cases are made.

$5499each $659DOZEN EACH DOZEN The precious grapes are hand picked and vinified in separate batches. Grapes are de-stemmed, partially roller crushed and chilled to 2C in one tonnes fermentation tubs. A four day cold maceration precedes fermentation by native yeasts and bacterial strains, hand plunged twice daily to break up the cap of skins. At the peak of vinification, temperatures reach 34C before fermenting to dryness. The wine and skins are sealed down for a further week of maceration before draining and gently pressing into French oak barriques. Upon completion of malolactic, batches are sulphured and racked several times over a period of fifteen months maturation, to be bottled unfiltered after a light egg white fining.

Dark garnet/ ruby colour. Intense black currant, dusty herb and spice edge of Cabernet, the anise and blackberry of Shiraz. Intense but refined flavours, the freshness and vibrancy of Cabernet accentuated by the smoky and minty hallmarks of Whalebone terroir. Significant tannin structure before an even, mouth coating savoury finish. To accompany spring lamb or rare pigeon breast with fines herbes.

$2799each $335DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2799each $335DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2299each $273DOZEN EACH DOZEN

A selection of the finest barrels, Vincent is crafted from Shiraz picked off vines up to forty years of age, very close to Kangarilla Road and the Clarendon Hills, specifically Bays 3 and 4, planted to the elite Bakers Gully site in McLaren Vale, which yields a scant tonne per acre. Vincent is a richly flavoured wine, it begins with a harvest of exceptional quality Shiraz, treated to rigorous selection and an extended maturation. The most stringent standards are applied, the top barrels of vintage, crafted to reflect truth in regionality and pure varietal expression.

$4999each $599DOZEN EACH DOZEN The finest grapes are selected from a single elevated block within the vineyard, grown to tough ironstone based soil types. Fruit is inoculated and vinified in traditional fermenters, followed by two years maturation in a selection of new and seasoned, exclusively French oak hogsheads. A mere few hundred dozen are produced annually. Decant before service to remove harmless crust.

Deep red colour, purple hues. Concentrated dark cherries, soft leather and shoe polish, all in a very good way, smoky, slightly charry oak. Coffee beans, chocolates and leather, cigar leaf notes over soft tannins, structured with refined acidity and exquisite balance. Dry finish and excellent length, an outstanding expression of McLaren Vale which lives and breathes to be mated alongside fine cuisine.

A vineyard with a long and proud history, closely connected to Krondorf and Grant Burge, Tapestry is at the very heart of McLaren Vale. Planted in the 1970s, the property's rich ironstone soils and cool coastal climate provide ideal conditions for producing well structured and richly flavoured wines of exceptional quality. A silky, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon in the traditional McLaren Vale style, dominated by black currants and cassis, red capsicum and roast peanut notes, oodles of bramble and black jube, a flourish of cedar and tobacco on the velour tannin finish.

$4999each $599DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Clare Valley Shiraz is internationally renowned, remarkable for its spectacular complexity, elegance and poise. Bill Taylor planted Shiraz with a view to formulating the very style which has won primacy throughout the world of wine. His nascent plantings continue to yield some of the most superlative Shiraz in all Valley Clare. A meticulous cull of the finest pickings are barrel fermented in new oak, followed by two years in the luxury of artisanally coopered barriques. Articulate of boysenberry, eucalypt and plum, its toothsome tapestry, undulating on a fugue of tea tree tannin and polished ebony oak.

$18999each $2279DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Next door to the Taylor estate was a sleepy winery originally founded in 1896, one of the first in the Valley, it had not been operational since 1934. In 1995 Taylor acquired the property and set about the task of recreating history with the re-issue of the timeless St. Andrew. Australia's most enduring flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, with a history of awards at prestigious international competitions including Concours de Mondial Bruxelles, St Andrew continues to attract international acclaim by virtue of its peerless quality of fruit and artisanal winemaking.

$5999each $719DOZEN EACH DOZEN Against a backdrop of historic winery buildings and ancient vines, watered by a crystal clear spring fed stream called Honeysuckle Creek, the Taylor family handcraft one of Australia's most eminent Cabernet wines. Since 1892, St. Andrews Terra rossa soils have produced wines of rare excellence, the original winery still stands today. Grapes are harvested from Blocks A60, A70 and A10 of the St Andrews Vineyard, quickly and gently de-stemmed, keeping berries intact. Following a cold soak and fermentation, St Andrew is pressed to a high proportion of new prestige French oak barrels for completion of malolactic, rack and returned for eighteen months maturation.

Dark red with a faint brick red hue to the edge. Bold lifted varietal aromas of cassis, ripe black cherry and aniseed. These are matched with lashings of chocolate, cedar and cinnamon from the French oak maturation. A concentrated wine with a fleshy palate and vibrant fruit flavours of cassis and blackcurrant. Generous and beautifully ripened yet retains the poise and elegance of great Cabernet Sauvignon.

The zenith in Clare Valley Chardonnay, St Andrews are a true labour of love for the Taylor family, sourced from an historical property adjacent to the estate wineworks. St Andrews continue to attract an impressive array of international awards and recognition for their outstanding quality. Parcels of French Bernard clone Chardonnay are selectively hand picked off the distinguished Angela block G30 and Victoria block V20, carefully sorted and gently pressed into the extravagance of new Louis Latour French oak for an opulent barrel ferment and course of age.

$3899each $467DOZEN EACH DOZEN The aim is to craft a wine of delicacy and finesse, grapes are harvested throughout the cool of night, gently whole berry pressed and chilled to eight degrees C. The entire process with fifteen minutes of harvest to capture and preserve the excellence of fruit in the vineyard. Juices are cold settled and transferred to a selection of 80% new, tight grained French oak barriques by artisanal Burgundy coopers Louis Latour, for inoculation to Cepage Chardonnay yeasts. Upon completion, batches are treated to nine weeks of lees stirring battonage and ten months maturation, followed by minimal fining and filtration.

Youthful pale straw hues. Ripe stone fruit aromas along with hints of tropical fruit and subtle citrus zest, enticing sweet spice and savoury cashew of French oak. Medium bodied yet sumptuous wine with an enjoyable creaminess to the mid-palate, flavours of juicy white fleshed stone fruit, cleansing citrus at the finish, wonderful persistence and length.

Clare Valley regularly sets the benchmark in new world Riesling, St Andrews are crafted from fruit grown to an elite tally of distinguished blocks, established 1892 on the most splendid terroirs amongst the rolling pastoral idylls of Valley Clare. Only ever assembled and released out of the finest vintages, it remains essential to pick and gently crush the fruit within fifteen minutes. Refined, tightly focused, a sublime Riesling of astounding balance, its flow of lemons and lime over a seamless spine of natural acidity, resolves on a finish of extraordinary length.

$3899each $467DOZEN EACH DOZEN

St Andrew is the flagship of ultra premium editions by Taylor, a benchmark Clare Valley effort, vinified from Shiraz grown to a distinguished old site. It represents the very best from the Taylor family estate and continues the St Andrews legacy of transcendent, first growth Australian wine, a tradition which dates back to the inaugural vintage of 1892. A true labour of love, painstakingly hand crafted from grapes grown to a historic vineyard. A generously proportioned yet elegant wine, Clare Valley Shiraz at its stellar finest.

$5999each $719DOZEN EACH DOZEN From the eminent St Andrews Block A30, Old Lands Block S50, 40 and 80, traditional 1654 clones of Shiraz. Grapes are moved a short distance to the winery where they are gently de-stemmed to retain integrity and minimise any maceration or extraction of harsh tannins. Fruit is transferred to headless barrels and inoculated with a specialist strain of Shiraz yeast. Ferments are hand plunged twice daily to aid gentle extraction before being pressed and returned to barrel for malolactic. Upon completion, the component wines are racked off lees, assembled and filled to a selection of water bent American oak barrels for eighteen months maturation prior to filtration.

Brick red colour with deep crimson heart, already showing signs of development. A brooding, savoury complex yet thoroughly enticing aroma. Mouth watering wafts of chocolate, mocha, toffee and cream intertwine with plum, aniseed and rich berry fruit, great elegance and length. The palate is a mouthful of round completeness. Fruit flavours and oak weight are in absolute balance bringing harmony, grace and a pleasurable warmth to the palate from start to finish.