The focus of Richard Hamilton is to construct a wine of good fruit, tight structure and lovely palate roundness. Much of the Shiraz is selected from vines up to forty years of age, planted to sandy clay loam and black clay loam soils on the Leconfield farm. Grapes are treated to a detailed hand clean up and pressed for ferments to dryness, returned to oak for up to eighteen months in a combination of new and seasoned French and American oak barrels.

$1999each $239DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Deep dark red with attractive crimson hues. A fruit dominant wine showing mint, plum and black pepper. Oak derived spice characters of cinnamon and nutmeg augment the nose. Expect to see cedar characters as the wine develops. The palate shows definitive Shiraz flavours with the richness to be expected of a McLaren Vale wine. The tannins are tight and long with round texture, clean acidity and excellent persistence.

RockBare are raiders of precious but wayward vineyards, planted to outdated standards of viticulture, sadly unviable for large scale winemaking. These are however, precisely the nature of site that Rockbare retain. An assemblage of old and very old vines Shiraz, the ferments display exceptional properties as soon as they are crushed, exhibiting amazing tannin structure and remarkable eloquence. By any measure, a splendid McLaren Vale Shiraz, it is not often that parcels of such high quality are collated and vinified into such an opulent yet accessible wine.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN McLaren Vale is one of the world's premier regions for deeply flavoured, full bodied Shiraz, but the Australian wine industry has been going through a very rough period. Within McLaren Vale, this made some incredibly old and amazing Shiraz vineyards suddenly available, which were gleefully accepted into the RockBare fold. Parcels of old vine Shiraz, some of the oldest in Australia, up to 140 years of age, are inoculated and treated to a warm vinification in static fermenters on skins for up to a fortnight at 22C. The wines are gently pressed on skins with the aid of an airbag before sending to a selection of seasoned and new French and American oak barrels for completion of malolactic and eighteen months maturation.

Vivid purple, violet hue. An elegant, lifted nose of bramble and fleshy raspberry, hints of violet, cedar and cloves. Succulent mulberry and red currant fruit harmonise with velvety chocolate, mocha and sweet vanillin flavours, the oak only just manages to poke its head above the tidal wave of Shiraz flavours. Trademark RockBare liquorice tannins will continue to mellow and evolve.

Stephen Pannell is one of Australia's most decorated winemakers, Jimmy Watson and twice Max Schubert Trophy winner, London International Winemaker of Year and Chairman National Wine Show. He found time in between tours of duty at Wirra Wirra, Tintara and BRL Hardy, to do vintage in Burgundy, at the illustrious Mouton Rothschild and amongst the grand old vines of Barolo. A choice parcel picked off a propitious block along Field Street has been cossetted from the artifice of winemaking, to eloquently articulate the scope and refinement of McLaren Vale Shiraz.

$3099each $371DOZEN EACH DOZEN A single vineyard wine, from parcels of Shiraz picked off fully mature blocks around the Pannell cellar works at Olivers Road. The west facing vines were originally established in the 1970s and are stimulated by the invigorating Mediterranean winds off Gulf St Vincent. Fruit is treated to a fortnight's vinification on skins in tradtional fermenters, followed by eleven months maturation in a selection of seasoned and new, large format, 2800 Litres French oak vats.

Bright garnet red. Animated nose of violets and dark fleshy fruit, currants and festive cake, peppery plums and punnets of ripe fresh berries. A generous palate that's all about fruit, pastorals and aromatic earth, pliant, licorice textures over a length of yielding, ethereal tannins. The McLaren Vale of choice to accompany game recipes, wild birds and lamb.

From the home of the 2007 Jimmy Watson, the fruit of McLaren Vale's illustrious Block 3 has also claimed Winestate Shiraz of Year and hotly contested VISY Great Australian Shiraz Challenge. Estate founder Domenico Scarpantoni established a peerless reputation as vitculturalist during distinguished tours of duty at Seaview and Thomas Hardy Tintara. Block 3 sets the benchmark in McLaren Vale Shiraz, vinified from grapes hand picked off gnarled and parched, dry grown old vines, seventy years and more of age.

$4599each $551DOZEN EACH DOZEN Scarpantoni pride themselves on making wine from fruit grown to their own vineyards. The sites are scattered around McLaren Vale, all enjoy their own soil profiles, aspects and exposure, factors which influence the grapes, ultimately defining the character of the finished wines. Scarpantoni's vineyards were planted by the family themselves, except for one. Block 3 was established in the 1940s, now source to a pure, single vineyard wine. Block 3 runs along the right hand side of the Scarpantoni wineworks, on a patch of sandy soil which retains moisture at lower depths, ensuring natural nourishment for the deep rooted vines throughout the most severe of droughts. It yields a harvest of the most remarkable quality Shiraz.

Inky purple/ black in colour. Exquisite bouquet of ripe, aromatic blackcurrant, liquorice and nutty, toasted oak. The palate is full and rich with coffee, cassis and spice characters balanced by fine tannins and elegant acidity. Ripe blackberries, licorice, cinnamon and mocha are the hallmark Block 3 characters. To accompany slowly braised osso bucco or middle eastern seasoned lamb stew and couscous.

$2799each $335DOZEN EACH DOZEN

A collation of superior parcels from the Serafino estate vineyards in McLaren Vale, vinified in small, open top fermenters, pumped over twice daily for optimal extraction, pressed into French and American oak hogsheads for a luxurious twenty months maturation. Magnitude's mocha and mulberry spice nose precedes a full bodied palate of intense red berry fruits, sublimely integrated oak and mocha chocolate richness, all supported by an exquisite length over a carriage of supple, velvetine tannins.

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Serafino Maglieri came to McLaren Vale in 1968 and devoted his life to wine. From picking to pruning to cellarhand, he worked his way up to plant his own vines and build his first winery. He was twice crowned McLaren Vale Bushing King and claimed Trophy for Best Shiraz at the 1997 Great Australian Wine Challenge. He gained international renown after winning Trophy for Best Shiraz and Red Wine of the Year at the prestigious London International.

$10299each $1235DOZEN EACH DOZEN Terremoto vineyard is planted north west to red loam over limestone, just on the western side of McLaren Vale township. Vines are trained to a single cordon with a foliage wire controlling the canopy so light can penetrate to evenly ripen the fruit. Hand picked parcels of Terremoto vineyard Syrah are destemmed, leaving a high proportion of whole berries in the must, cold soaked for two days and inoculated with dried yeast culture. Batches are vinified in five tonnes open top fermenters for a week, pumped over twice daily, macerated on skins for a further ten days before pressing to a selection new and one year old oak French and American 300L oak hogsheads.

Black purple colour. Mulberries and chocolate bouquet, spices and satsuma plum, vibrant rich dark fruit intertwined with French and American oak characters of chocolate and spice harmonise with fine subtle tannins. The generosity of fruit character and the seamless integration of oak and tannin ensures the finish is fine, elegant and long.

$2799each $335DOZEN EACH DOZEN

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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.

After the crushing of grapes and completion of ferments, most red wines are filled to oak, it is here that the ageing barrels must be topped up from time to time, as a portion of the stocks evaporate into thin air. It's known in winemaking parlance as angel's share. A wine of great personality, personable and charismatic, the very best of McLaren Vale in every way, Angels Share articulates the more vivaciously ripe and upfront style of Aussie Shiraz.

$3099each $371DOZEN EACH DOZEN Two Hands are innovative and unafraid to think outside the square. Two Hands concentrate their efforts on sourcing the best fruit from the finest Shiraz vineyards in Australia, working closely with the growers. Grapes are crushed into large, open top fermenters. During the peak of activity, batches receive regular pumpovers thrice daily for the extraction of colour, flavour and tannin. After sixteen days on skins, the free runs are drained off, skins are pressed and returned. After a day's settling the wine is racked to barrel for malolactic. Matured twelve months in a selection of seasoned and new French and American oak puncheons and hogsheads. Angel's Share is bottled without fining or filtration.

Deep, concentrated black with purple rim. Big McLaren Vale nose of ripe fruits, blackcurrants and cherry notes, freshly ground coffee, dark chocolates and mint. A layered palate, fresh mouthfeel, the tannins are quite firm, balanced by good weight of fleshy fruit. The mid palate shows terrific focus, the finish balanced by impeccable tannin and acid structure, resolving on a note of excellence, precision and persistence.