Clonakilla are one of our nation's most eminent vineyard wineries, a tiny production operation, established by a CSIRO scientist at Murrumbateman, very near Canberra. It turned out to be a fortuitous planting, with a climate not dissimilar to Bordeaux and northern Rhone, the Clonakilla property now occupies a rank next to the mighty Grange on the prestigious Exceptional Langtons Classification, it yields vintages of Australia's most invaluable Shiraz. At $26.99, the estate's entry level belies its stature and excellence within the pantheon of great Australian wine, an essential experience this week for all enthusiasts, a canny choice for shrewd and judicious aspirants of elite new world Shiraz... Here's what our most picky pundits prefer»

Planted to a rocky hillock just east of township Clare, Mocandunda is a collaboration of three well seasoned vignerons, the Messrs Heinrich, Ackland and Faulkner. Heinrich grows fruit for a number of the nation's leading labels, Faulkner is one of Clare Valley's most accomplished agronomists, Ackland established the illustrious Mount Horrock Wines. Mocandunda was years in the making, one of the highest altitude terroirs in all Clare Valley, the extended autumns and dry grown vines, encourage a exceptional ripening of grapes, intense with varietal characters, magnificently balanced between natural fruit sugars, acidity and tannin. Mocandunda sell the lion's share of their crop to eminent brands, their harvests have claimed Winestate Trophy and South Australian.. The craggy copse on valley clare»

The mean gravelly soils and invigorating climes of Mount Barker of the Australian southwest, were identified during the 1960s by the world's leading viticulturalists, as a place uncannily similar to the great terroirs and clime of Bordeaux. The pioneering vines of Forest Hill were the first ever planted here, sired from rootstock of ancient Houghton clones, inaugurally vintaged by the illustrious Jack Mann in 1972. The Cabernet and Riesling of Forest Hill were promptly distinguished by multiple trophy victories and praised by gentleman James Halliday as the most remarkable wines to come out of the Australian west. Forest Hill have remained a source of the most profoundly structured, intensely focused, yet softly spoken range of wines. Powerful yet disciplined.. Softly spoken wonders from the west»

Established 1853 by George Friedrich Schmidt, who acquired eighteen choice hectares of viticulture at Tanunda along Siegersdorf Road, for the peppercorn price of a pound per acre, Haan endures as one of the Barossa's quietly achieving, arcane old vineyards. Distinguished in the 21st century by a streak of prestigious industry accolades, Australian Wine Producer of Year, Gold Medal and Trophy for Best Blended Red at the illustrious London International Wine & Spirit Competition. Much of Haan's modest production is always retained by the softly spoken estate's most ardent enthusiasts. Shrewd aspirants will also seize the opportunity to retain a case or two of the heirloom vineyard's most recent vintage. A graceful style of opaque fruit characters, savoury and brooding, inebriating for its redolence of Barossa.. Tanunda tradition»

An Irish cobbler named Reilly settled into the tiny Clare Valley township of Mintaro circa 1856. He converted a stone barn into a homestead cottage. Reilly's Cottage served as the local cobbler's shop in the centre of the bustling town, which had boomed after the establishment of salubrious slate quarries. Almost 140 years later, the cottage has been restored to its former glory by relatives of Reilly, the family Ardill, once again it is a hive of activity, home to the eminent and award winning range of Reilly.. There once was a man named reilly»

There are four tiny patches of vine at Scotchman's Hill, which have been mollycoddled by Robin Brockett, since the start of his tenure as chief winemaker in the 1980s. Excruciatingly limited after a strict pruning and rigorous sorting of fruit, they each yield a mere hundred cases of wine. Brockett has set aside the precious harvests of these superior blocks for his own label, a personal project to hand craft the finest of vintage, an exclusive range of the Bellarine's most elite single vineyard efforts. So besotted is Brockett by the spectacular quality of fruit from these four regal parcels, he has imported two 800 Litre Tuscan vinification Amphora from the Brunello commune of Montalcino. Whole bunches and wild ferments in the like of ancient clay urns, hand plunged in the old world way, appreciatively.. Brockett begets the best of bellarine»