Originally planted to Shiraz in the 1970s, Summerfield vineyard borders Taltarni. The earliest harvests were actually sold to them, along with the illustrious houses of Great Western and Chateau Remy, now known as Seppelt and Blue Pyrenees. This is the style of Shiraz which placed Victoria's Pyrenees on the world wine map. The palate fills with winegum tannins, dark brooding fruits, plums, berries and spice, finishing with incredible length. No other appellation makes such majestic Shiraz, this is what Summerfield's old vines are all about, it only gets better from here.

$6299each $755DOZEN EACH DOZEN Generations of Summerfields struggled against the arduous terrains and challenging climes at Moonambel along Stawell-Avoca Road. They ventured into viticulture in the 1970s planting ten acres of predominantly Shiraz vines, now providing the backbone of fruit for Summerfield Reserve. The estate has continued to make wines in a traditional way. Grapes are all handpicked, treate to an old world open vat fermentation, basket pressed and treated to a luxurious term in the most extravagant new oak.

A completely engaging construct of Victorian Shiraz, fashioned to a bright new world styling, endowed with ample complexity, derived from a combination of old vine fruit, controlled yields and selection of site. Scotchmans Hill can access and retain many of the smallest and most propitious parcels of fruit, grown to good vineyards on Bellarine Peninsula, providing a virtual artist's palette of balmy regional characters, from which to assemble a wine that's complex and animate, yet graceful and restrained.

$2049each $245DOZEN EACH DOZEN Whilst a large proportion of fruit for Swan Bay Shiraz is harvested off a National Trust property which commands views of Port Phillip Bay, Scotchman's Hill also manage considerable vineyard holdings in the Strathbogie Ranges, where they husband and grow some of the region's finest. Grapes are delivered to the wineworks, gently crushed and vinified in closed steel fermenters to retain all the vital characters of slowly ripened Bellarine Shiraz. To add complexity and infuse the tannins with fine charry cocoa and vanillan characters, Swan Bay is treated to fifteen months maturation under a selection of fine French oak barriques.

Deep purple in appearance. Bouquet displays a complex nose of ripe dark fruits, red berries and plum with a touch of chocolates and licorice, all balanced by spice and well integrated cedar oak. A full flavoured and complex wine which is dominated by plum, cherry and red fruits, rounded out by white pepper, liquorice and spice, before a long and lingering cedar oak finish, the length of palate supported by tight but fine grain tannins.

$1799each $213DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Outstanding Langtons Classification. From one of the most famous vineyards in the world, a half hectare of ungrafted, prephylloxera plantings, amongst the oldest productive Shiraz vines to be found anywhere. Internationally renowned for its eloquence as well as its historic significance, 1860 Vines Shiraz is treated to an old world vinification in a collection of hundred years old, oak fermentation vats. 1860 is crafted to remain true to its ancient heritage, the smells and flavours of an old fashioned wine, within a structure of enduring elegance and timeless refinement.

$29999each $3599DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Bright, deep scarlet. Violets, blackberries and spice, a background of savoury herbaceousness, espresso and chocolate oak. A remarkably elegant palate structure, lithe, fragrant and clean, its gravelly tannins and biscuit carob oak in support of savoury fruit flavours, mulberries and anise plum, exquisitely evolved at five years of age, an immeasurably long finish.

A profuse and intricate, old vines Shiraz, articulating the complex personality and extraordinary depth of character achieved through the legacy of historic estate plantings. The majority of fruit is picked off a precious endowment of vines planted 1933, treated to an old world style of vinification which has changed little since 1860. Stunningly perfumed before a penetrating palate, polished showroom tannins and velvet textures, a truly remarkable Shiraz to match with fragrant red wine braises and seared aged meats.

$6499each $779DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Deep garnet colour. Savoury black olive aromas, brambleberries and mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon and star anise. A palate that's redolent with blackberry and dark cherry flavours, plum fruit characters, reductions and char, seasoned by pepper and allspice, all supported by a carriage of refined, robust tannins, resolving on a lengthy, mouthcoating finish.

Tahbilk are a bulwark of Victorian Shiraz, the original plantings are some of Australia's eldest productive vines. Traditional vinification techniques, as practised by Tahbilk's winemakers in the 1860s, are still employed, the original Chais of the wineworks remain to this day a most integral part of the operation. Wine & Spirits Magazine selected Tahbilk's original 1860 Vines Shiraz Vineyard as one of the great twenty five vineyards in the world, along with such illustrious icons as Romanee Conti La Tache and Chateau Lafite, Vega Sicilia and Chateau Y'Quem.

$2999each $359DOZEN EACH DOZEN Tahbilk does the Rhone varietals so very well and enjoys an international reputation for its protected and ancient pre-phyloxera stock. Located in the heart of Nagambie Lakes region, the property comprises over a thousand hectares of rich river flats with a frontage of eleven kilometres on the Goulburn River and eight kilometres of permanent backwaters and creeks. A measure of the expertise and alchemy that go into Tahbilk's distinguished limited release, flagship wines are applied to the vintage Shiraz. Vinified in the original estate open oak vats, over 150 years old, twice racked into clean casks, leaving the lees behind, followed by maturation in fine French oak barrels for up to eighteen months.

A deep red/ magenta colour in the glass. Aromas of plum and spice with background peppery hints leading to a solidly constructed palate of blackberry, plum and anise fruits with firm but not overly intrusive tannins on the finish. A rock solid wine that will please the faithful as well as leading new converts to the Tahbilk Shiraz altar.

The old fashioned practice of treating ferments to a manually operated basket press, preserves the elemental rectitude and textural integrity of good wine. Bruno Tait sources a unique parcel of Shiraz from a single vineyard at Rowland Flat which yields a meagre tonne and a half per acre. The precious old vines are seventy years of age, they are consulted by Bruno twice a week at vintage time to determine the perfect day for picking. The vinification is wholly natural and very old world in style, an extremely limited 240 dozen are produced.

$4799each $575DOZEN EACH DOZEN The time of vintage is crucial for such a generously high alcohol wine, Shiraz is picked only when fully physiologically ripe, as natural fruit sugars and juicy esters are at their peak. Grapes are de stemmed into open vessels, pH is adjusted and the musts are vinified at 24C over the course of ten days. Ferments are treated to a regimen of plunging and pumpovers three times daily for optimal extraction of colour, flavour and tannin. Upon completion, juices are given passage through an old fashioned basket press into a selection of seasoned American oak barrels for malolactic and maturation, rack and returned over a term of eighteen months to achieve a natural filtration. Alcohol 16.0%

Deep black purple. Intense aromas of blackcurrant, stewed plums and cherry, chocolate, allsorts and carob. Full bodied, berry filled palate layered with black bramble characters, drenched with cherry liqueur and compote reduction, its ripe substantive tannins and elegant oak frame a carriage of warming plum suet fruit flavours, before a long, sweetly everlasting finish.

The quality of Shiraz grown to parched vineyards in Victoria's rugged western districts, has been well known throughout the world of wine since the days of gold rush and early settlement. Taltarni have since established an enviable reputation for vintages of powerfully structured, statuesque red wines, fully exploiting the soft spoken majesty and graceful intensity of Pyrenees Shiraz comes naturally. Released in limited quantities, a mouth coating Shiraz to savour alongside grilled meats and roast game, or costly shards of pungent, esoteric cheese.

$4499each $539DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Deep ruby black colour. Black fruits and forest floor, allsorts, anise and gamey spice over soft, mocha oak notes. An alluring assortment of uplifted black cherry and dark berry flavours, espresso and licorice allsorts. A powerfully structured wine seasoned by savoury spice and dried herb over a length of fine, crisp tannins. The vigorous, fruit driven palate resolves on a juicy cherry acid finish.

Shiraz is a varietal with which Taltarni has excelled from the very start, no real mystery as it's grown to some of Victoria's best purpose built vineyards. By applying traditional winemaking with modern Australian viticulture, secure the pick of Heathcote's harvest to create an amazingly complex, profoundly flavoured and seriously structured wine. Just perfect with steak or old world style meat Ragu, its vibrant assortment of juicy, cool ripened plum and spiced fruit flavours, are framed by a length of supportive, amicable tannins and supple, integrated oak.

$2699each $323DOZEN EACH DOZEN Heathcote is an outstanding winegrowing region recognized internationally for world class Shiraz. Warm days and cool nights mean Taltarni's vineyards enjoy a rare confluence of climatic conditions which enable production of robust reds, most notably the Shiraz. Grapes are gently crushed to extract a measure of fresh flavours while releasing softer tannins, a component of whole bunches are included for complexity, musts are treated to a term of cold soak for optimal extraction of colour and tannin. Fruit is vinified for a week or more on skins to a small batch style in traditional open top fermenters, followed by completion of malolactic and a year or more in a selection of French and American oak.

Deep plum red hue. Luscious bramble, plum and white pepper fragrances are complimented by spices and mocha oak notes. The palate is well structured, layered with soft plummy fruit flavours, raspberry and a hint of toasty cigar box from the oak, seasoned by cool climate spice. A truly varietal Shiraz wine supported by fine tannins and brimming with the fine complexity for which Taltarni are renowned.

$2699each $323DOZEN EACH DOZEN

There are few marques, better placed than Taltarni to create the ultimate indulgence in sparkling burgundy. Shiraz is crushed into small open top fermenters for a week of vinification, hand plunged, regularly pumped over and gently pressed into French oak barriques for a term of age. Its fragrant blackcurrant mousse precedes an edifying spice and chocolate palate, muscular Pyrenees tannins and a sheath of dusky oak balance the indulgent sweetness of fruit. A moreish purple wine to match with fruit dressed poultry, cherry duckling or the traditional festive pud.

$3099each $371DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$2799each $335DOZEN EACH DOZEN