Amongst the many priceless bequeaths which are part of the Bests portfolio, are an 1868 planting of Pinot vines, probably established with a view to formulating luxury sparklings in the style of Champagne. A small parcel of Pinot Noir amongst the mostly Pinot Meuniere, later identified as a historically significant mix of Swiss and French clones, may very well be the oldest productive Pinot Noir vines in the world today. A pure bottling of these invaluable heirlooms, redolent of strawberries, powerful and intense, old vine Pinot of extraordinary elegance and finesse, silky of tannin and persistent in length.

$4299each $515DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Pinot Meunier like no other, certainly the most distinguished bottling of its kind anywhere in the new world. Mostly old vine Concongella Pinot Meuniere, from grapes picked off parcels established 1970, with the inclusion of a priceless component of ancient vines 1868 Pinot Noir. A legacy of the Victorian Klondike, originally planted with a view to quenching the thirst of pioneer gold miners. Its brooding nose of freshly turned earth, baked spice and potpourri, precede a punchy, savoury palate of gummy red pectin flavours, undulating over a fine, super satin weave of divine, silky tannins.

$4299each $515DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$3399each $407DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Powder monkeys were rookies during the great age of sail, their job in times of ship to ship combat was to fill the ancient open muzzle cannons with gun powder and shot. A perilous internship aboard the decks on a man of war, in reference to Frank Potts term of seamanship in the Royal Navy. Potts established vines along the banks of Bremer River in the 1850s, he named his first block Powder Monkey, it remains the source of Langhorne Creek's most eminent Shiraz, a stately wine of splendid concentration and remarkable seamlessness.

$6499each $779DOZEN EACH DOZEN Bleasdale are one of Australia's most enduring family enterprises, their historic limestone cellars are National Trust and National Heritage listed. The ancient wineworks house a massive red gum lever press, which fifth generation Michael Potts employs every year to make a small batch, limited release wine. Behind the Bleasdale cellars is a single block of vine which is called upon at vintage, to release precious parcels of hand picked Shiraz. Grapes are destemmed into open fermenters, pumped over four times daily throughout vinification, drained and pressed for an extended maceration on skins, before racking to a high proportion of new French oak puncheons and hogsheads for a year's maturation.

Deep crimson colour. An intense fruit nose, the accent is on dense blackberry, licorice and bitter chocolate notes. Tapenade and black olive flavours, ripe plum and milled tricolour pepper characters, supported by a veneer of splendid French oak and fine, savoury tannins running through the length of palate. A match to the finest gourmandise, suckling pig and pink lamb.

The very limited range of Atalaya are all consistent in their structure and intensity, vintages of the most remarkable concentration, boundless in their generosity yet seamless, they speak volumes about the frugal soils whence they originate. Alaya Tierra is the estate flagship, a powerful, opaque wine, pure Grenache at its old vine, old world finest, crafted from the reduced little berries of fifty year old plantings, tiny yields of precious fruit, picked off the most superior blocks on the thirsty, sun drenched climes of Almansa in Castile La Mancha.

$6999each $839DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Denominación de Origen Alamansa is at the east of the Iberian peninsula, between La Mancha highlands and the Mediterranean coast. It was bitterly fought over by the Christians and Moors but it is nowadays best known for good red wine. Grenacha is the grape of choice, often vinified alongside an inclusion of Monastrell, it produces a thick succulent wine renowned for its glass coating richness, evocative perfume and silken textures. Intenational industry doyen Robert Parker describes La Atalaya as an amazing value in unrestrained hedonism.

$4499each $539DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Laira Vineyard was established by Captain Stentiford in 1893 on a choice parcel of Coonawarra land, one of the salient Terra Rossa plantings. Eric Brand, first Patron of Coonawarra, became custodian of the vineyard more than half a century later. From a selection of the finest grapes, hand picked off the most precious blocks, Stentiford represents the jewel in the crown of Coonawarra Shiraz, a bottle aged wine of peerless quality, matured under the estate cellars until release.

$7199each $863DOZEN EACH DOZEN Gapes are hand picked and fermented on skins while being treated to twice daily rack and return pump overs, extracting maximum colour, flavour and tannins. Components are pressed and pumped to a selection of completely new fine grained French oak hogsheads and barriques to complete primary ferments and malolactic. The finished wine is racked off lees and pumped back into refreshed barrels for maturation. A regimen of gentle rackings serve to develop the wine and achieve a high level of clarity. A rigorous selection of the finest barrels determines those most worthy of inclusion into the final Stentifords Shiraz.

Deep crimson red. Complex nose of black and blueberry, cinnamon and nutmeg spice fruit aromas. Barrel fermentation and maturation contributes vanilla and cedar notes. A powerful but elegant palate structure with spicy, dark berry fruit flavours, toasty cedar oak and a long finish displaying fine, lingering tannins. Drinking brilliantly upon release at several years of age, alongside roast sirloin, venison or smoked bacon casserole with nouille au jus.

The Adams brothers carry the distinction of farming the oldest family owned Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world. Planted to fourteen rows of Cabernet in 1891 by estate patriarch Arthur Formby, the distinguished Metala property yields some of the most highly sought fruit in the nation. The original plantings remain productive, forming the backbone of fruit for Brothers In Arms. Defined by its redolent cassis, dark bramble and mulberry leaf characters, eighteen months maturation in the finest French oak barriques achieves a seamless palate, the most elegant tannins and refined satin finish.

$4999each $599DOZEN EACH DOZEN

The historic Metala Vineyard has been in family hands since since the 1850s. Closely managed by fifth generation viticulturalist Guy Adams, the heritage property is the source of fruit for the national icon Metala label. Adam's family has been growing grapes since 1891, he still keeps a close watch over his vineyard which is just two minutes down the road from home. The pick of Langhorne Creek Shiraz, off three elite estate blocks, is treated to a highly traditional vinification, followed by an extravagant two years repose in a selection of the very finest French oak.

$4999each $599DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Deep crimson colour. Distinct regional aromas of menthol, peppermint and mocha coffee, biscuity/ biscotti oak interwoven by blackberry and a touch of leather. Intense blackcurrant fruit and spice on the palate with super fine tannins which build with intensity before a long, mouth filling finish. Starts small and finishes big!

Originally formulated by John Charles Brown OBE in 1954 and crafted to this very day in the exact same manner. Mondeuse plantings were brought to Australia in the early 1900s by the legendary Francois de Castella of St Hubert fame, they have remained the most precious parcel of Brown Brothers heirloom vines since the 1920s. At Milawa, Mondeuse translates into an inky, deeply tannic wine, it forms synergies with the sweet fruit plumpness of Shiraz and statuesque elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon to coalesce into a rich, opulent style of eloquence and structure.

$8499each $1019DOZEN EACH DOZEN Mondeuse is renowned for its resilience, generosity of harvest and robust flavours. Assembled from a half part Shiraz, the balance in Cabernet Sauvignon and Mondeuse from the finest plantings at Milawa in Valley King, components are treated to the same course of vinification pioneered by John C Brown in the 1950s. Shiraz is crushed into fermenters, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and lastly by Mondeuse. The co ferments integrate the individual characters, infuse marvelous colour, build flavour and optimize tannin richness. Upon completion, ferments are filled to a selection of seasoned and new American oak puncheons and barriques for an extravagant two years maturation.

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 rainfalls contribute to a harvest of small berries with a yield of about three tonne per acre. The combination of dry grown viticulture, fertile soils and warm weather concentrates the fruit and makes a deeply flavoured Shiraz wine.

$2699each $323DOZEN 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 after minimal filtration.

Purple hues dominate the colour. Aromas of ripe plum and fresh red berries, mixed spices, nutmeg, cinnamon and liquorice. Intense berry fruits are backed by complex nuances of espresso and toasty oak. A lengthy palate complexed by nuances of mocha and balanced by fine oak. A persistent finish of velvet fruit over well structured tannins. Offers the body and structure to match well 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.

$4999each $599DOZEN 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 Shiraz. Fruit is vinified for several days in upright static fermenters at around 25C to 27C. Batches are pumped over twice daily, run off skins and pressed at near dryness. A third is transferred to new French oak hogsheads for completion. The balance is filled to oak after fermenting to dry. Components are matured up to eighteen months in a combination new and seasoned French and American oak barriques and hogsheads.

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. A long, persistent finish is supported by a subtle oak accent and soft, supple tannins.