Penny's Hill was declared Australia's Best Boutique Wine in 2006 and Australia's Best Boutique Shiraz in 2007. Following the footsteps of an unbroken cadence in superlative vintage editions, displaying the quality and depth expected from Penny's Hill, Skeleton Key is packed with flavour, deep in colour, beautifully balanced and a wonderful accompaniment to fine dining. Intensity and fine integration set this bellwether label apart from the rest, it displays the consistency and excellent quality for which Penny's Hill Shiraz has become famous.

$3299each $395DOZEN EACH DOZEN Penny's Hill is an eighteen acre block, planted to Shiraz by proprietors Susie and Tony Parkinson in 1991. Narrow rows and high density plantings saw a move away from traditional viticultural practices and has contributed to the quality of harvest, year in and year out. Fruit is destemmed and treated to several days of open fermentation on skins prior to pressing. By keeping parcels separate throughout the vinification, a range of styles can be considered from which to assemble the ultimate McLaren Vale Shiraz. Choice batches, free run and pressings complete their ferments in a high proportion of new French oak barriques, followed by eighteen months maturation.

Deep, dark crimson red. Sweet red currant and blackberry fruit supported by vanillin spice and a perfumed lift. Rich, ripe dark berry fruit complemented by layers of spice, dried herbs and chocolate. Great length and intensity, all the defining characteristics of a big rich black wine, chocolate and earth combine to create a delicious persistence. Indulged by extended maturation in the finest oak, a McLaren Vale Shiraz of generous flavour, consistency and renown.

Pepperjack, by the illustrious House of Saltram, has grown to be a cult favourite for enthusiasts of profound yet approachable Shiraz. The Pepperjack team are conscious of modern tastes and are creating wines for aspirants of great gastronomy and better beef. Fruit is sourced from superb vineyards yielding grapes with generous fruit character, definitive varietal flavour, fine tannin structure and an innate affinity to steak. The pick of McLaren Vale's harvests have been assembled into an intense style of Shiraz to balance the richness of juicy Scotch Fillet.

$3999each $479DOZEN EACH DOZEN Choice McLaren Vale vineyards, some of which carry great distinction, are source of the opulent Shiraz grapes which are at the core of Pepperjack. Traditional winemaking works hand in hand with the most sophisticated techniques, as applied by the Barossa's most accomplished team of Shiraz specialists. Maximum use is made of soaking and plunging to extract intense colours and firm tannins. All parcels are treated to a separate vinification for up to a fortnight in traditional open top fermenters, before being gently pressed and transferred to a combination of new and prior use French and American oak barrels for fifteen months maturation prior to assemblage.

Rich dark red, deep purple hue. Pepperjack displays aromas of wild berries, cherry and plums supported by spices and mocha/ dark chocolate oak. Rich round and soft with rich red berries coming through on the palate, complexed by a savoury, meaty interest. Fine tannins, lots of weight, ample complexity and great length of flavour. Drink with char grilled Scotch Fillet, green peppercorn sauce and roast root vegetable.

The signs came very early that Pertaringa was growing an exceptional quality of Shiraz, trading much of their early vintages to Hardy Wines. Over The Top is a reference to the Pertaringa pursuit of excellence, delivering a taste of McLaren Vale to the enthusiast in demand of superior Shiraz. Pertaringa outperforms many national flagship wines at international competitions, a favourite of Qantas Business Class, the Shiraz of choice to serve alongside trois couleurs pepper steak or seared Wagyu.

$3699each $443DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Deep, dark scarlet. An elegant bouquet of cherries and raspberry, violet notes and dark chocolate curls, seasoned by black pepper and milled spice. The palate is complex with layers of red and black currants, dark cherries, plum and peppered game characters. A well rounded and balanced McLaren Vale Shiraz, supported by a length of ripe tannins and aromatic French oak.

Pertaringa are fortuitously positioned at the foothills of Mount Lofty Ranges, the perfect location for grapes, by virtue of a temperate environment and deep clay loam soils. Undercover is a reference to the McLaren Vale tradition in supplying other regions with bespoke parcels of fruit, ultimately to be vinified into some of Australia's most favourite wines. Undercover is an old vine Shiraz, selected from Pertaringa's five decade old vineyard, hand crafted by winemaking supremos Geoff Hardy and Ben Riggs. Undercover is the essence of McLaren Vale Shiraz.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN Pertaringa is surrounded by magnificent stands of native gum trees. All vines are pruned to control vigor and crop levels using a combination of regimens. In the summer the vines are topped and trimmed cutting the shoot tips off to encourage lateral growth and make the vines easier to access. Ironically, Pertaringa's Shiraz was initially sold off to Hardy Wines, proprietor Geoff Hardy's family company, to make port and to exchange for other wines as payment. Today Pertaringa's old Shiraz vines make the finest full bodied reds of the region and are highly sought by leading companies for their flagship wines. The most superior parcels of estate fruit are set aside for the Pertaringa label.

Deep plum ruby colour. Exuberant fragrances, aromas of dark cherries and blackberry. A complex array of lifted fruit flavours, an inky concentration, the palate delivers waves of vibrant satsuma plum, black cherries and beetroot that interplay with freshly laid asphalt and earth. In archetypal McLaren Vale style, silky, lively mouthfeel, framed by savoury elements. Fine grain French oak tannins keep the wine on course to deliver a persistent finish.

Egerton E S Dennis settled on ninety acres of vineyard at McLaren Flat after serving in the RAAF. Ege pioneered the production of Mead and sold his crop of wine grapes to some of Australia's most eminent brands before founding his own label in 1971, with the object of converting the high quality fruit into pure, estate made wines. Since establishment, Dennis Wines have collected hundreds of medals and accolades at national and international taste offs, twice claiming the revered Bushing King awards for best wine at the McLaren Vale Winemakers Exhibition.

$2299each $275DOZEN EACH DOZEN Grapes are harvested throughout the cool of early morning and vinified at 24C in open fermenters, treated to a continuous gentle agitation of the cap and twice daily pumpovers. After several days of ferment on skins, juices are run off to a basket press and returned to the free runs. Following completion of malolactic, Peter Dennis is matured for a year in a selection of American and French oak hogsheads.

Bright, dark scarlet colour. Luscious nose of coffee, cherries and plum, pepper, tarry earth and baking spice. Big, full bodied and soft to the palate, characterised by fresh fruit flavours of blackberry and plums, laced with black pepper, supported by a lean firm acid/ tannin structure helping to round out the finish. The ideal accompaniment to roast meats, grilled steak and hard cheese.

$7999each $959DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Pirramimma has long held an enviable reputation for the quality and consistency of its estate grown Shiraz. A full bodied, concentrated effort displaying great richness in epic McLaren Vale styling, the grapes for this splendid wine are from Stock's Hill, the most elevated vineyard at Pirramimma Estate. A combination of quality fruit and maturation in toasty American oak produce a wine of outstanding complexity and great integrity. Fashioned to be a most enjoyable drink immediately upon release, Stocks Hill will continue to evolve splendidly.

$2099each $251DOZEN EACH DOZEN The soils at Pirramimma vary from sandy, on the rise, to rich dark loam on the flat. Pirramimma's dedication to fine wine making has seen the brand grow consistently over the years and has underpinned a successful expansion into export markets. Pirramimma's comerstone philosophy is to produce wines from grapes grown in its own family estate vineyards, thus ensuring that the highest possible quality standards are met, and that the wines showcase the unique regional characteristics of McLaren Vale. Stocks Hill was treated to maturation in a combination of new and seasoned American oak barrels under the rammed earth barrel cellars of Pirramimma.

Deep red with traces of purple. Bouquet of mulberries and cedar, satsuma plum and licorice. Black cherry, dark chocolate and spice flavours on the palate are integrated with hints of pepper and blueberry, balance by subtle toasted oak. Rich and firmly structured with tannin, fruit and oak in complete harmony.

$8499each $1019DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Pirramimma are one of the nation's most enduring estates, owned and operated by the same family since establishment in the 1890s. Choice harvests from the War Horse, Johnston Prolific and Katunga vineyards, are assembled into the traditional style of McLaren Vale Shiraz. A smooth and seamless palate, brimming with blackberries and plum, dark chocolate and sweet vanilla oak, all supported by opulent, velvet tannins.

$2999each $359DOZEN EACH DOZEN No other wine expresses the unique regional characteristics of McLaren Vale better than Pirramimma Shiraz. The comerstone philosophy is to produce wine from grapes which are exclusively estate grown, thereby ensuring that the highest possible quality standards are met. The exquisite balance, exemplary handling of oak and profound integration between firm tannins and ripe fruit flavours have long been a feature of Geoff Johnston's award winning Shiraz style. Grapes are harvested from fully mature vines thirty to forty years of age, the finished wine is filled to an extravagant selection of completely new American oak barriques, for two years maturation before release.

A densely coloured wine, deep red, almost black. Aromas of black plum, spices and brambleberry, infused with pepper and mocha. The intense palate delivers spiced blackberry, licorice and loganberries, seasoned by cracked peppercorn and hints of cedar. A rich, powerful Shiraz, balanced by firm meaty tannins and well integrated toasted oak, finishing with exceptional length.

$8399each $1007DOZEN EACH DOZEN

$7399each $887DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Leconfield proprietor Dr Richard Hamilton's outstanding estate vineyard in McLaren Vale has delivered a salubrious bounty once again. Richard is the fifth generation of Hamiltons to make wine. For over three decades, the good doctor has directed his passion and skill to extracting the most precious yields from his family vineyards, the oldest of which date back to 1892. Richard Hamilton is crafted to represent a profound definition of varietal fruit, while exhibiting great palate length, as it represents a salient expression of McLaren Vale Shiraz.

$2399each $287DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Fully dense red, vibrant scarlet hues. Attractive spice and black pepper nose, savoury fruit notes enhanced and the elegance of fine oak. The palate is defined by its identifiably McLaren Vale Shiraz richness, the tannins are tight, flattering and long, the roundness of exquisite textures and excellent persistence.