After several decades of crafting Australia's most memorable vintages, Mike Press is more sanguine than ever that great wine can only come from the finest vineyards. His dedicated hands on approach means that he is personally involved in every stage of the winemaking, from pruning the vines and inspecting grapes, right to plunging the ferments and bottling his finished wine. An apprentice of the great Max Schubert, Mike Press made history in 2006 for coming within a whisper of the Jimmy Watson Trophy with an unlabelled cleanskin wine.

$1599each $191DOZEN EACH DOZEN The superlative Mike Press homestead vineyard at Lobethal was chosen for its cool climate and propitious altitude of 500 metres, a rainfall, terroir and clime not dissimilar to Bordeaux, it yields extraordinary harvests of Merlot. Parcels are treated to a traditional maceration and vinification, followed by transfer to a selection of French and American oak hogsheads for a judicious term of maturation.

Bright scarlet hues. Plum and bramble nose, supple baking spice, cassis and varietal leaf. The palate is drenched with berries, blackberry, raspberry and strawberries, seasoned by dusty spice, a round luscious mouthfeel, cossetted by supple carob oak and supported by pliant licorice tannins. Drinking amazingly upon release, will evolve marvelous seamlessness and complexity over time.

The secret to the peerless quality of Mike Press wines lies in a closely nurtured vineyard, several decades of viticultural experience and a commitment to the joy of winemaking. He established his homestead Kenton Valley vineyard at Lobethal, high up the Adelaide Hills in 1998, to focus on growing the finest fruit. Pinot Noir performs magnificently here, Press adores the authenticity of the great Burgundy Crus, he painstakingly husbands his vines to the most exacting regimens, for the realization of a pastoral Pinot Noir, redolent of the barnyard, spiced plum and raspberry coulis fruits.

$1699each $203DOZEN EACH DOZEN

The top contender for the most exceptional value in outstanding yet underrated Australian red wine. Mr Press planted vines on a choice piece of Adelaide Hills in 1998, with a view to retiring off the fruit of decades of viticultural experience. The uncanny synergy between Mike Press and the Adelaide Hills yields a remarkable quality of Shiraz, which has claimed a breathtaking tally of international wine show accolades, Best Wine under $20 at the Edinburgh Great Shiraz Challenge, Best Shiraz and Best Wine at the Adelaide Hills Wine Show.

$1599each $191DOZEN EACH DOZEN Mike Press is one of the industry's most peer respected winemakers, he knows Shiraz very well, having learned his trade from the man who invented Penfolds Grange. Press established his Kenton Valley vineyard in 1998 with the intention of supplying other wineries. A dedicated and uncompromising professional through and through, Mike sourced Shiraz rootstock from a highly distinguished old site at Springton, off vines ninety years of age. Mike Press remains hands on throughout the entire winemaking process, from pruning in the vineyard until bottling. He enlists help from family and friends, but his own personal attention to detail has achieved the establishment of a truly great Adelaide Hills vineyard.

Deep ruby colour. Penetrating nose of anise and spiced plum, raspberry and violets, caraway and gum. A velvet palate that's loaded with intense fruit flavours, festive cake and dark cherry notes, a wonderful red berry acid line keeps everything vital. Seamless background oak and crisp tannins all the way to a gracefully lingering finish.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Real new world Syrah, crafted to the old world style of French Trapis pioneers who founded Mission Estate in 1851. Fruit is sourced from the Bridge Pa triangle and warm inland sites, fortuitously sheltered from the prevailing sea breezes, perfect for the Syrah to ripen superbly, infusing fine aromatics and building ripe, supple tannins. A soft, fruit driven palate of superb persistence, fashioned to a medium bodied style of freshness and seamlessness, expressing fully the magnificence of Hawkes Bay Syrah, a profound depth of flavour and generous length.

$2399each $287DOZEN EACH DOZEN Vines are planted to auspicious stony gravels with light silt phases. Canopies are shoot thinned throughout the season, all plantings are vertical shoot positioned and leaves are regularly plucked around the bunches of fruit to encourage full ripeness of flavour. The harvest is crushed to fermenter and inoculated with yeast for two days of maceration, pumped over daily for a week at temperatures peaking to 30 C. Upon completion, a further post ferment maceration of up to twenty days extracts deep flavour and a judicious measure of ripe tannins. A component is filled to seasoned oak to soften the palate and introduce complexity.

From a single elite parcel in the Cromwell basin of Central Otago, a challenging site of gravel clays which encourage the vines to struggle for their nourishment, yielding limited harvests of intensely flavoured Pinot Noir. Grapes are all hand picked and completely destemmed for several days of ferment and a fortnight on skins, followed by a year's age in exclusively French oak. Richly perfumed of cherries and dark festive fruits, its ripe, full bodied palate of forest floor, licorice and stalk, undulates over a lingering length of delicious, gummy tannins.

$3499each $419DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Ever since establishment in 1851, it has been central to Mission Estate's philosophy, that managing vineyards to holistic old world practices affords the greatest opportunity to yield truly splendid Rhône Valley styled Syrah. A great vineyard remains essential but the health of soil and sanctity of local fauna are integral to harvests of the most exquisite fruit. A beautifully redolent Syrah, perfumed of blackberry, violets and dark plum, tastefully framed by creamy wafers of toasted nutty oak, delicately seasoned by a twist of piquant white pepper and savoury sasafras curl.

$3299each $395DOZEN EACH DOZEN

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$6299each $755DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Yes there really is an old pepper tree which grows on the Mitchell Watervale vineyard, a happy coincidence, as the nose and palate exhibits the exemplary varietal spice and pepper characters of super fine Shiraz. Vinfied from the fruit of vines up to fifty years of age or more, the amiable Peppertree is full flavoured and features a soft, almost velvety palate, harmoniously integrated and very easy to drink in its youth, with the quality and structure to mature gracefully while developing wonderful complexities.

$3099each $371DOZEN EACH DOZEN Jane Mitchell takes an active role in the Clare Winemakers Association and was one of the first appointees to the South Australian Tourism Commission. Currently she sits on the Australian Regional Winemakers Forum, Wine Federation of Australia Council and has recently finished a six year term with the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Board. Shiraz is picked at optimum ripeness and fermented on skins to extract maximum flavours and character. Exactingly vinified to an earthy Rhonesque styling, fruit, oak, acidity and tannins are present in the right proportions. Eighteen months maturation in small French oak barrels adds complexity to one of Clare Valley's most cherished wines.

Rich, deep red colour. Bouquet offers sweet spices of nutmeg and clove which combine with a touch of pepper, anise and cedar spice. Ripe Shiraz flavours, dark chocolate with hints of liquorice. The silky mouth coating tannins add a gentle firmness and elegant structure to the wine.

Clare Valley Cabernet at its finest, an elegant wine of power and grace, fully evolved after a spell of bottle age under the Mitchell estate cellars. The Sevenhill property was a pioneering homestead, it has supported orchards and vineyards since the 1860s, ulimately replanted to Cabernet Sauvignon in the early 1980s. These vines are now fully mature and yield the most exquisite fruit. Even in its youth, Sevenhill displays magnificent structure, the palate is brimming with cassis cherry flavours and ripe currant notes, before resolving on a soundly savoury tannin finish.

$3099each $371DOZEN EACH DOZEN Andrew Mitchell has worked vintages in Europe to deepen his understanding of the world's great wines. His experiences continue to contribute to the development and refinement of the Mitchell style. Careful land management is nothing new to the Mitchells, who have long known that dry grown fruit makes better wine. Careful soil management, conservative old style farm and biodynamic practices, are essential to a healthy harvest. Cabernet Sauvignon is picked at several different stages of ripeness to capture the full array of varietal fruit characters. The finished wine is matured two full years in a selection of tightly grained French oak barriques, followed by assemblage and an extended term of bottle age before release.

Deep dark red colour. A completely mesmerising bouquet, enthusiastic loganberry and bramble perfumes are met by the vanilla caramel richness of new French oak. The palate is full of luscious black, red and blue berry flavours, characteristic Clare Valley violets and mint, a solidly structured Cabernet supported by a firm backbone of fine grained tannins. A wine to decant and to breathe for optimal enjoyment.

Cabernet Sauvignon are among the earliest planting at Mitchelton, they have thrived under the balmy climes and yield an outstanding harvest with each vintage. A compilation of fruit from some of the oldest blocks have been treated to a traditional vinification and term of age in the pick of luxury oak barriques. Elegantly structured, intense savoury aromas are complemented by sweet leather and musk, the palate is all about concentrated black and red fruits layered over tasty tar and savoury black olives, fine, chewy tannins draw the palate out to exquisite length.

$2799each $335DOZEN EACH DOZEN