Ray and Patrik Jones first venture into the wine industry was a proposal for a film featuring gentleman James Halliday as anchorman. Set near the juncture of Kangarilla and Tatachilla Roads at McLaren Vale, the father and son operation release small amounts of hand made wines. Arakoon are somewhat more elegant and understated, a stylistic objective achieved through extended post ferment maceration and subtle new French oak. Sellicks Beach is aromatically giving of violets and spiced plum over a heady touch of bourbon barrel and creamy, mocha tannins.

$1999each $237DOZEN EACH DOZEN Arakoon is the aboriginal name of a forest that was known to the indigenous people for it's proximity to water. Jones & Son are upfront about their penchant for Burgundy but what they do is completely McLaren Vale. They collate hand chosen parcels of Shiraz from good growers in the Sellicks Beach and Willunga districts, grapes are painstakingly handled and sorted. Foot crushing, boots on, is the practice, and for the most part all wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Parcels are inoculated and vinified in traditional open vats, treated to an extended maceration and gentle transfer through a hand operated basket press before maturation in a combination of French and American oaks.

Deep red in colour. Aromas of chocolate and plums, lifted baking spice, mullberry and ground black pepper. A dashing wine offering layers of sweet and savoury Shiraz complexity, the fleshy fruit follows through with an array of black berry and cherry flavours over earthiness and biscuit, rich textures are kept vital by bright morello acidity. Seamless integration of velvety tannins and a fine balance of American and French, lending a smoky depth and additional lick of vanilla spice which linger right through to the savoury finish.

Aramis craft nothing but the finest wines possible from a unique site. The vines are planted on their own rootstock into some of the world's oldest mineral rich soils, where they enjoy excellent sun exposure and the most temperate of Mediterranean climes. Heat generated during the day is moderated each evening by coastal winds that cool the vines for an extended ripening, permitting the tannins and seed to develop fully.

$1699each $201DOZEN EACH DOZEN The Aramis vineyards are blessed by a close proximity to the coast where daily sea breezes combine with the exacting vineyard management regimens to deliver small but high quality harvests of intensely flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz grapes. Berries are always quite small in size, displaying an enhancement of pure varietal characters and splendid concentration of flavour. All the winemaking is highly traditional and very labour intensive. Maturation takes place in a high proportion of new American oak barriques. The final wine is assembled from a selection of the best barrels and those parcels which can best demonstrate an intensity of fruit, balanced by well integrated oak.

Deep ruby purple colour. The nose offers mulberries, blackberry and plums with layers of dark chocolate, toasty oak and wafts of fresh mint. On the palate blueberry, black raspberry and tarry characteristics, wonderful intensity, supple integrated fruit tannins and a long finish, all in balance with the alcohol.

For a region that's so well renowned for world class Shiraz, McLaren Vale makes extraordinary Cabernet and Ballast Stone are on the receiving end of some serious attention for their quality of wines. Grapes are predominantly sourced from the venerable Arthur's Block, where gnarled old vines continue to deliver harvests of the finest fruit anywhere in McLaren Vale. Enthusiasts of accessible Cabernet wines take note, that nothing beats sitting down to a traditional roast leg of lamb with all the trimmings and a glass or two of well breathed Ballast Stone.

$1499each $177DOZEN EACH DOZEN Goolwa was the most important river port in South Australia during the nineteenth century, where sailing ships unloaded ballast stone to refill their holds for the return trip to England. The structures which house today's wineworks on Ballast Stone Estate are made from this very stone. Most people are retiring by the age of sixty five, but the old vines on Arthur's Block are just getting started. Parcels of fruit displaying intensity of flavour and solid structure are vinified in a selection of fermenters and treated to a traditional winemaking process before rack and settling. The finished wine is matured in a mix of fine French and American oak barrels to soften the tannins and develop complexity before bottling. Alcohol 14.5%

Deep ruby/ scarlet colour. A bouquet of blackberries and violet, chocolates and mint, eucalypts and well integrated oak. The smooth, full bodied, fruit driven palate exhibiting layers of berry fruits, cassis and dark cherry notes persist as the wine finishes on a note of fine, firming tannins. Made to enjoy right now, while offering the structure and complexity for development.

The Shaws of McLaren Vale established five acres of vine in 1975, with a view to supplying fruit for some of Australia's best known brands. The operation grew until their substantial acquisition of vineyards, some of the oldest plantings in South Australia, attracted the attention of Maglieri maestro John Loxton. Parcels of intensely flavoured grapes, harvested off deep rooted old vines grown to the eminent estate Arthur's Block, are vinified into a powerful rendering of McLaren Vale Shiraz, replete with generous alcohol, ripe tannins and exquisite length.

$1699each $20388/DOZ EACH DOZEN The Shaws are meticulous with their vineyard site selection and have established ultra premium quality vineyards in McLaren Vale and neighbouring Currency Creek. The most demanding viticultural regimens are combined with an old fashioned hands on approach to husbanding the land for harvests of grapes with intense flavour and splendid tannins. Controlled yields and close vineyard management means that fruit is picked in perfect order, no matter the conditions. Winemakers and growers connect to ensure harvests are delivered at the moment of optimized fruit ripeness. Following vinification and pressing, Ballast Stone Shiraz is transferred to a selection of American and French oak barrels for ageing and integration.

Purple red colour with dark core. Aromas of plum, blueberries and spice with a touch of vanilla oak. Black berry flavours and regional chocolate, licorice and plums follow through on the generous palate, supported by firm, pliant tannins and gentle background oak, finishing with overtones of supple pepper and spice. A big, ripe McLaren Vale Shiraz made for enjoyment right now, prepare a homemade ragout, pasta ribbons and open a bottle of Ballast Stone, be prepared for a big night in.

A generously flavoured wine which can boast an impressive list of wine show accolades, including Gold International Wine & Spirit UK and Blue Gold Royal Sydney. A Shiraz of sound structure, exceptional balance and exquisite depth, crafted by the most dedicated team of winemakers, McLaren Vale through and through. The consistency and enduring appeal of Bereford's award winning, hand crafted vintages is the culmination of an uncompromising dedication and attention to the smallest detail.

$1899each $225DOZEN EACH DOZEN A backbone of Blewett Springs Shiraz grown to rich shaly loams, is supported by components from the higher windy aspects around Willunga. Grapes are picked on the basis of colour and flavour, throughout the chill of night to enable a cold onset to fermentation. Parcels are crushed and vinified for up to ten days in small open top fermenters with neutral yeasts at around 20°C. Ferments are hand pumped over, rack and returned to ensure optimum colour and tannin, followed by a soft airbag pressing to limit bitter extractions, achieving a fruit driven style. Treated to natural malolactic in a combination of new and seasoned French and American oak hogsheads, followed by a year's maturation.

Intense dark red with purple hue. Primary fruit aromas of plum, dark berries, nutmeg and mocha are complemented by vanillan oak characters. A full, rich palate with vibrant dark berry characters with overtones of mocha and spice. A well balanced wine with great depth, length and persistence of flavour. The subtle oak characters add further complexity as the palate finishes to soft, lingering tannins.

The Braydun Hill flagship wine, a single vineyard Shiraz that consistenty wins awards vintage after vintage. It showcases luscious berry fruits, a bevy of spices, long and complex, peppery with spearmint, vanilla plums and dark chocolates.

$3299each $393DOZEN EACH DOZEN Subtle variations from one year to another reflect the uniqueness of each growing season upon the precious Braydun Hill Vineyard. The dedicated and inspiring winecraft of Carol and Tony Dunn ensures consistency of quality and purity of the wine, as it expresses the true nature of sophisticated, albeit mighty McLaren Vale Shiraz. Exclusively hand picked fruit from the clean and green, pestiscide free estate vineyard, a wine of grand finesse and complexity, exhibiting marvelous concentration of flavours. It carries all the characteristics of a truly superb classical Shiraz. Lightly oaked, picked in mid March and left to mature in French and American oak barrels until September. Alcohol 15.0%

Deep red colour. Featuring lashings of choc-mint with red berry fruits – blackcurrant, plums, raspberry and cassis on the nose. Braydun Hill has a rich mid-palate of boysenberry and raspberry layered with hints of cocoa and spearmint, balanced by supple velvety tannins. An incredibly complex mixture of sweet and savoury, earth and concentrated fruit, lingering white pepper and warm, warm spice. Blockbuster Shiraz at it's best, yet with an elegant balance between natural acidity, oak and fruit, a superlative Shiraz of engaging complexity and delightful smoothness.

For many generations, Braydun Hill was a grazing site. Cattle, sheep and angora enriched the soils, preparing the land for viticulture. Tony Bradley-Dunn brought his experience at hand making wines from fruit picked off hedgerows on the English countryside to McLaren Vale, where he planted the Braydun Hill property to vines in 1998. From the inaugural vintage of 2001, Braydun Hill have received overwhelming acclaim for the oustanding quality of Shiraz.

$1499each $177DOZEN EACH DOZEN When Braydun Hill was original planted to vines, only one grape variety was considered, and that was Shiraz. A number of vines were brought directly over from Don Oliver's property in McLaren Vale, a source of fruit for the iconic Penfolds Grange. Combining the ancient pastoral traditions of grazing and grape growing, Braydun Hill's philosophy is to maintain a clean and green vineyard without the use of pesticides or artificial chemicals. Sheep are moved into the vineyard immediately after vintage where they stay until budburst in the spring. Permanent pasture between the rows provides good feed as the sheep ensure mother nature's finest fertiliser for the vines.

Deep red with rich purple hues. The nose showcases spicy berry aromas with a touch of spearmint and pepper. A splendid example of rounded and structured, full bodied McLaren Vale Shiraz, the palate features blackcurrant flavours with dark plum and hints of spearmint. Very well balanced with round velvety tannins and clean, lingering finish.

Previous vintage claimed Best Red of Show and Best Rhône Red Shiraz/ Grenache at the London International Wine Challenge. 10,000 wines were judged by over 500 judges before conferring this terrific accolade. The 2000 vintage remains a remarkable follow up. The Old Shiraz vines on the Rayner Vineyard are unirrigated, deeply rooted and extensively systemized into clay below the sand. Generally they withstand the toughest of years yielding small amounts of concentrated wines, offering heady aromas and deep complexities.

$5999each $717DOZEN EACH DOZEN Consistency best sums up this special vineyard. A muscular and brawny wine that can be consumed in it's youth, Rayner can develop into a rich, chocolate and earth McLaren Vale red. Harvested, crushed and chilled to tanker in the McLaren Vale, brought to the Brokenwood Estate in the Hunter Valley for vinomatic fermentation. Not overly rotated, as soft tannins are required. Maturation was in 80% American and 20% French oak (coopered in the Napa Valley) and the distinctive vanillin lift compliments the ripe dark berry and mocha chocolate aromas of McLaren Vale Shiraz. Alcohol 14.5%

Dense, dark red cherry colour. A full bodied wine, good viscosity and long flavours of plum, vanillin and charry notes. The palate has turkish delight characters balanced by subtle oak and grape tannins.

Native Goose is sourced from choice McLaren Vale and Willunga vines between 45 and 120 years of age planted to a mixture of rich clay soils and red/ brown loams. A portion is sourced from the estate property at Blewitt Springs, the same block used for the iconic Old Vine Reserve. Moderate spring conditions and moderate rainfall yield a harvest of small berries with a yield of about three tonne per acre. The combination of reasonable rainfall, fertile soils and warm weather concentrates the fruit characters and makes a deeply flavoured Shiraz wine.

$1999each $237DOZEN EACH DOZEN The warm summers at the Blewitt Springs vineyard are often accompanied by the arrival of magnificent Cape Barren geese. Dry, sunny and cool days throughout the McLaren Vale summer provide ideal conditions for slow, even flavour and sugar development in the fruit. As temperatures warm through March and April the flavour and sugar accumulation intensifies. Native Goose Shiraz is traditionally run off skins and pressed at two degrees baume. A third is transferred to a mix of new and old French oak barrels to finish fermentation. The balance is transferred to one and two year old French and American oak barrels for sixteen months, followed by a bottling with minimal filtration. Alcohol 14.7%

Attractive purple hues dominate the colour. Bouquet is punctuated by aromas of ripe plums and fresh red berries, mixed spices, nutmeg and cinnamon, accompanied by rich chocolate and liquorice. An initial flavour burst of intense berry fruits is backed by complex nuances of espresso and toasty oak. Characters carry through to a full long palate complexed by nuances of mocha and balanced by fine oak. A persistent finish showing velvety soft fruit over well structured tannins to hold it all together. Best with Szechuan pepper crusted kangaroo fillet.

From fruit grown exclusively to the prestigious Blewitt Springs Vineyard, previously the source of Shiraz grapes for several icon wines. Located at an altitude of 300 feet, Blewitt Springs is a small site enjoying cooler climes and longer ripening period than the nearby mesoclimes of Willunga and McLaren Vale. These exceptional, low yielding vines at The Springs are eighty to a hundred twenty years of age and at best yield a precious two tonnes per acre. The unique terroir of the site translates into an elegant single vineyard Shiraz with a profound depth of flavour.

$2999each $357DOZEN EACH DOZEN The precious old vineyard at Blewitt Springs is protected on all sides from strong winds by native forest and mature tree windbreaks. The vines were planted some eighty to eighty five years ago and produce very small yields of the most intensely flavoured fruit. Shiraz is vinified for ten days in upright static fermenters at around 25°C to 27°C. The wine was pumped over twice daily, run off skins and pressed at 2° baume. A third is transferred to new French oak hogsheads for completion. The balance was added to oak when fermented to dry. Matured seventeen months in a combination new and seasoned French and American oak barriques and hogsheads. Alcohol 14.6%

Richly coloured, dense with purple hues. Intense lift of dark chocolate and plum characters with hints of five spice excite the senses. Blackberry intensity immediately fills the palate, mixing seamlessly with dark chocolate and mocha. Powerful soft tannins are harmoniously in balance, achieving the holy grail of power and finesse. The structure is critical, with no one character dominating. A long, persistent finish is supported by a subtle oak accent and soft, supple tannins. Highly suited to flavoursome game dishes such as venison or hare.

Chapel Hill is piously crafted to showcase the attractive and distinctive attributes of superfine Cabernet Sauvignon. Sourcing fruit from well managed vineyards ensures consistency, as it articulates the richness and diverse flavour spectrum of all good things McLaren Vale.

$2699each $321DOZEN EACH DOZEN Chapel Hill expresses the affability and charm of the finest McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon. With such a close proximity to the Gulf of St Vincent and the cooling afternoon sea breezes she provides, the grapes do not ripen too quickly. Flavours, colours and tannins develop slowly and to the very fullest. Cabernet grapes grown here are bursting with natural fruit sugars and exhibit excellent varietal definition. The individual parcels are harvested separately and vinified on skins for at least eight days. Ferments are gently managed to ensure that any astringent qualities or stalky tannins are not drawn. Matured nineten months in a selection of new and seasoned French and American 300L oak hogsheads. Alcohol 14.5%

Deep crimson colour. Aromas of intense violet, chocolates and cedar, a background of mints and turkish delight. An evocative array of flavours to the palate, brooding mulberry and aniseed, dark cherries and liquorice, chestnut and beetroot flavours all mingle harmoniously. The layered flavour profile is underpinned by a graceful and seamless integration of fruit with dusty fine grained tannin structure, all framed by sumptuous spicey oak.

Il Vescovo is the Bishop, a medium bodied Sangiovese wine, vinified from grapes grown to the cooler climes of Kangarilla in McLaren Vale. Sangiovese is endowed with a distinctive and unique personality that exudes savouriness and rustic earthiness. The quintessential Italian red, it possesses vivacious natural acid levels which work closely with silky tannins to make it an exemplary accompaniement to food. Styled to the new wave of super Tuscans, Il Vescovo exhibits lifted berry fruit flavours, solid structure and a multi dimensional palate.

$2199each $261DOZEN EACH DOZEN Sangiovese offers unique savoury fruit characters and the most splendid tannins. Parcels are sourced from Chapel Hill's Kangarilla vineyard located at the foothills of the Mount Lofy Ranges on the eastern border of McLaren Vale. This mesoclimate is ideal for encouraging Sangiovese to reveal all of its varietal charm. Grapes are vinified in small open fermenters and gently hand plunged to encourage the preferential extraction of subtle savoury qualities while avoiding any astringent tannins. After a total of nine days on skins the ferment is basket pressed and the wine racked into a selection of seasoned French oak barrels for sixteen months to encourage the expression of grainy varietal tannins.

Deep red in colour. Aromas of bay leaf, violets and pancetta. The palate is alive with flavours of sage, cherries and sun dried tomatoes, balanced by chalky tannins and a lingering savoury finish. The unique varietal charm of Il Vescovo commands interest, as the higher natural acidity and firm tannin of Sangiovese allows it to pair well with Mediterranean cuisine, particularly tomato based recipes.