Bannockburn (established 1973), located just northwest of Geelong near Melbourne, is one of Australia's leading Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers. Winemaker Gary Farr is notoriously fastidious but curiously relaxed about this difficult variety. All the Bannockburn wines are 100 per cent estate-grown from plantings made in 1974, 1981 and 1987 which are typically low-yielding and produce fully ripe grapes with very concentrated flavour. Made using traditional French techniques, with roughly settled juice, barrel-fermented, natural yeast and natural malolactic fermentation, resulting in wines of great complexity. Widely acknowledged as one of Australia's best Pinot Noir. From $49 AUD

Bass Phillip is located in prime dairy country near Leongatha in South Gippsland, an area widely known for its regular pattern of rainfall. The 4-hectare unirrigated vineyard has a north-easterly aspect and is planted on deep silty loams with a high iron content - a factor that gives tremendous colour to the fruit. The small, 10 acre property established in 1979 by Phillip Jones, is rapidly acquiring a reputation not dissimilar to the great domains of Burgundy. With miniscule yields of sometimes less than 1 ton to the acre, the annual production is limited to only a few hundred cases. In some years only one barrel of Reserve will be bottled! It's winemaker Phillip Jones' attention to detail that in part leads to these small quantities. Individual bunches are hand sorted, graded and discarded if they are not up to the rigorous Bass Phillip standard (up to 30% of fruit is discarded in difficult years). The Reserve Pinot Noir is almost impossible to get, but is arguably the greatest Pinot Noir produced in Australia. Premium Pinot from $199 AUD, Reserve Pinot from $349 AUD

Brokenwood was established in the early 1970s by a group of wine enthusiasts. Starting with a small vineyard located at Pokolbin in Hunter Valley, it has evolved from a weekend venture for self-professed hobby winemakers into one of Australia's most reputable wine labels. The Graveyard Vineyard was planted on heavy red clay over loam soils. The topsoil is very shallow which has made the vines struggle, resulting in very low yields that average about 1 tonne an acre, but with extraordinary concentration of flavour in the berries. The wine is hand-picked, hand-sorted, has 18 months in oak, then one year bottle age prior to release. The name comes from the fact that one of the two vineyard blocks adjacent to the winery was at one time (in the 19th century) dedicated - but never used - as a cemetery. Graveyard Vineyard Shiraz (first vintaged 1983) is Brokenwood's signature wine and is often lauded as one of Australia's greatest wines. From $99 AUD

Charles Melton Wines has produced premium Barossa red wines since 1984. Recognised as Australia’s leading Rhone style blend, the Nine Popes is based on three major grape varieties; Grenache, Shiraz & Mourvedre (Mataro). The Grenache fruit in this blend comes principally from dry grown bush vines of up to 130 years old. The shiraz and mouvedre are a mix of trellis grown and bush vines of similar age. The majority component is Grenache (up to 70%) Yields are extremely low, often in the range of 1 to 1½ tonnes per acre. The wine is aged in French and American barriques for approximately 15 months. From $44.00 AUD

The Astralis Shiraz (first vintaged 1994) is the piece de resistance of the Clarendon Hills collection. In 1994 US writer Robert Parker Jr. discovered Astralis (rating it 97/100), immediately catapulting Clarendon Hills to fame and leaving the industry gob-smacked. The Astralis vineyard was planted in the early 1930's on mixture of clay, ironstone and gravelly soils. The vineyard yields approximately 2 tonnes per acre and the wine is matured in 100% new French oak barriques. Robert Parker Jr. : "Nearly perfect, the 1997 Astralis is an explosive wine that represents the essence of Shiraz. The opaque purple colour resembles a young vintage port. The nose offers up blackberry fruit intermixed with freshly melted asphalt and pepper. My notes read, 'beyond wine.' The wine is dry, but possesses unreal unctuosity and richness." 98/100 RP Jr. 1999. From $349 AUD

One of the undisputed kings of Australian Shiraz and Rhone varietals. With vineyards over 100 years old and utilizing minimal handling techniques that include the use of 19th century basket presses, foot treading and small batch fermentations. d'Arenberg has significant vineyard holdings in McLaren Vale owning approximately 340 acres on various elevations, trellising systems and soil types ranging from red/brown loamy sands to hard clay, ironstone and gravels. It has some of the oldest Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre in the region. Over the decades d'Arenberg has introduced many wines that have become defining styles for the region and today remains an industry innovator, championing such varieties as viognier, marsanne and roussanne. The Dead Arm Shiraz takes it name from a fungal disease resulting in stunted growth in shoots above the infected area. Eventually this part of the vine fails to produce any new growth, whereas the unaffected parts of the vine continue to grow and bear fruit. Hence the vine appears to have a "dead arm". From $59 AUD

In 1984, Jim and Helen Watts purchased their 100-acre Malpas Road property near McLaren Vale. The land had previously been used for barley cropping and sheep grazing. A vineyard was established in 1985 and Fox Creek made an immediate impact with its Shiraz. Great reviews, wine show trophies and high praise from Robert Parker Jr. for the 1996 and 1997 Reserve Shiraz and fast-tracked Fox Creek onto the international stage. Robert Parker Jr. : "Nearly perfect, the opaque black/purple-coloured 1998 Shiraz Reserve plays to the great strength of Australia - powerful, naturally-textured, super-rich wines that are big and chewy. Exceptionally rich and explosive, with great purity as well as remarkable symmetry and overall balance for such massiveness, this blockbuster can be drunk now or cellared for 12-15 years. Make no doubt about it, this Shiraz will elicit more than a few "wows" in any tasting - blind or otherwise." 98/100 RP Jr. 2000. Reserve Cabernet from $45 AUD, Reserve Shiraz from $69 AUD

The Giaconda vineyard was established by Rick Kinzbrunner who purchased land near the old Brown Brothers Everton Hills Vineyard, and in 1982 commenced planting the classic varieties Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a small amount of Pinot Noir. The cold climate vineyard, located in a small valley, is minute. It is planted at an altitude of 400 metres and, unusually, on south-facing slopes. Total area under vines in the original vineyard is now 3ha. Recent plantings have added a further 3ha. The first release of Giaconda wines was in 1987 with the 1986 Chardonnay and the 1985 Cabernet blend. The Pinot Noir is made in tiny quantities. Overall, the wine sees approximately 40% new Alliers and Vosges oak for a maturation period of approximately 18 months. Pinot from $99 AUD, Chardonnay from $129 AUD

First vintaged in 1988, the Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz is produced from 80 year old vines and is named after his great, great, grandfather, who was one of the first to plant grapes and make wine in the Lyndoch region of the Barossa. Meshach is harvested by hand from 100% shiraz grapes grown on the Grant Burge Filsell Vineyard, planted in 1920 – using only the top 2-3% of Barossa Valley shiraz available. (not made in 1989) After fermentation, the wine is matured in new American hogsheads barrels for 24 months before bottling, then aged in the bottle for two-and-a-half years before release. From $109.00 AUD

Established in 1978, Greenock Creek is a tiny 'boutique' Barossa winery, producing only 2500 cases per year. This limited production winery has achieved cult-status. Greenock Creek's old dryland, low-yielding vineyards produce wines of unusual depth of flavour and character. Not a high profile vineyard by any means, however, one that commands International respect. Robert Parker Jr. : "The prodigious 1995 Shiraz Roennfeldt Road spent three years in barrel, but in this case, new American wood. Made from 50-year old vines, it is syrup of Shiraz, with compelling blackberry liqueur intermixed with minerals, smoke, and truffles. Huge in the mouth but not overbearing, this wine has a finish that goes on for nearly a minute. With great purity, massive extraction, and a blockbuster, multi-dimensional personality, this is one of the greatest Shiraz I have ever tasted." 100/100 RP Jr. 2001. Creek Block from $149 AUD, Roennfeldt Road from $399 AUD

Cyril Henschke first vintaged in 1978 and is one of Australia's finest Cabernets. Cyril Henschke, 1924 - 1979, was one of Australia's outstanding winemakers and a pioneer in the production of varietal table wines. The Cabernet Sauvignon label continues to carry his name as a tribute. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc using grapes from the Eden Valley. The wine is matured for 15 months in new French Nevers and American oak hogsheads prior to bottling. From $109.00 AUD

Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills, just 50km from the ancient Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone vineyards, was chosen in 1981 as a new vineyard site for Abbotts Prayer. A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. An area leading to the vineyard was originally known as Abbotts flat, named after the first settler. Vineyards were established in this area in the 1800’s. Deep crimson/ruby in colour with rich sweet berry flavours on the palate. From $79.00 AUD

The Mount Edelstone vineyard was planted in the 1920s on the eastern slopes of the hill of the same name, located near Keyneton, high in the ranges east of the Barossa Valley. The first Mount Edelstone bottled as an individual vineyard wine was the 1952 vintage.

The 80-year-old un-grafted vines are low yielding producing intensity of colour, depth of fruit flavours, and palate length. The vines are planted on their own roots, are dry grown and yield an average of 2.5 tonnes to the acre (6 tonnes per hectare). Matured in new and seasoned American and French oak hogsheads for 18 months. From $75.00 AUD

Irvine Wines in South Australia's Eden Valley are known for their outstanding Merlots. The Irvine Grand Merlot has long been recognised as one of Australia's most respected. The 1988 won the World Merlot Competition from hundreds of entrants and the wine repeated the feat in 1997. This exotic, full-bodied, powerful Merlot displays lavish quantities of toasty French oak. – aged for 30 to 40 months prior to bottling. From $109.00 AUD

Established in 1890 by brothers Herbert and Frederick Kay, the Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards grace the rolling foothills of the Southern Mt.Lofty Ranges, 40 kms south of Adelaide. The heritage listed winery celebrated its first grape crush in 1895 and is the oldest McLaren Vale winery still in founding family hands with third generation Colin Kay continuing the family winemaking tradition. Located at the top of a hill 5 kms from the McLaren Vale township, the Cellar Door and original winery complex  boast some stunning panoramic views of the surrounding picturesque valleys and hillsides. Robert Parker Jr.: "The 1998 Shiraz Block 6, made from 106-year old vines, is impressively thick-looking, has formidable concentration, gorgeously pure, peppery, cre`me de cassis notes, intermixed with new saddle leather, incense, smoky charcoal, and vanillin. Fabulously concentrated and unctuously textured, with a finish that remained on my palate for 60+ seconds, this large-scaled, classic Australian Shiraz from old, unirrigated, head pruned vines should age effortlessly for 20-25 years. If you can find it and afford it, don't hesitate!" 98/100 RP Jr. 2001

Leeuwin Estate is a boutique, family owned and operated winery located in the picturesque Margaret River district, 360km south of Perth, Western Australia. One of the icon wineries of Australia, it has earned an international reputation for making wines that rank alongside the world's finest. In 1978 the estate was thrust into the international spotlight when Decanter magazine (UK) gave its highest recommendation to the 1981 'Art Series' Chardonnay in an international blind tasting. It has since become a benchmark estate on the world stage, with Wine Spectator awarding two of the past four Art Series Chardonnays 97 points. The Estate, a pioneer in the business of Wine Tourism, has also evolved as an exciting destination for visitors. In the process it has won numerous Australian Tourism Awards. The winery incorporates a Gold Plate Award winning restaurant, Art Gallery, and serviced boardroom. The wine spends up to 14 months in oak with extended lees contact after which it is transferred into stainless steel tanks before bottling and further maturation prior to release.

Moss Wood is a small estate located at Wilyabrup, approximately 320 kilometres south west of Perth, in the heart of the Margaret River, Western Australia. Dr Bill Pannell established Moss Wood in 1969 at what is clearly one of the choicest and most beautiful vineyard sites in Australia. Keith and Clare Mugford who bought the property in 1985 have taken Moss Wood to the pinnacle of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. The first vintage was in 1973 with a production of 250 cases. The 8.34 hectare vineyard is situated on a gentle, north-east facing slope, where the soils vary from sandy loam to a gravelly, red-brown loam, over a clay subsoil. The low yeilding and unirrigated vines are wide spaced with 3.0 metres between rows and 1.8 metres between vines. Moss Wood has now evolved the cabernet blend to include small amounts of Cabernet Franc (5%), Petit Verdot (5%) and Merlot (0.05%) making the wine deeper in colour, more perfumed and textured. All Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon sees extended oak ageing of 24 months in French barriques.

The darling of the Australian small winery scene, Noon is a micro winery with a great following both in Australia and in particular the US. Drew Noon produces some unique wines packed with ripe red fruit and often high levels of alcohol. The wines are matured for 18 months in a combination of new (25-50%) and used American oak and the overall production is minuscule. Robert parker Jr.: "The 1997 Shiraz Reserve is one of the most concentrated wines I have ever tasted (reminiscent of the Clarendon Hills Astralis), yields were not low at 3.5 tons per acre, but the 35-year old vine age and sur-maturite of this wine have resulted in something special. It boasts an opaque black/purple colour, followed by a sumptuous nose of liquorice, Asian spices, tar, and concentrated blackberry fruit. Thick in the mouth, with remarkably full body and surprising balance, the alcohol (15.8%), tannin, and acidity are lost in the cascades of fruit." 98/100 RP Jr. 1999. From $119 AUD

Penfolds is probably the most extraordinary of the world’s wine brands with an enviable reputation for quality at every price level. Penfolds has been producing remarkable wines for over 150 years and indisputably lead the development of Australian fine wine in the modern era. Penfolds was founded in 1844 by Dr. Rawson Penfold, a young English doctor who migrated to one of his country’s most distant colonies over a century and a half ago. Before he left Britain he had obtained vine cuttings from the south of France and these were planted around the site of the modest stone cottage he built with his wife, Mary, at Magill on the outskirts of Adelaide. DR Penfold built up his medical practice and made fortified wines - port and sherry - for his patients. As the demand for their wine grew, the Penfolds expanded the vineyards and increased production - the rest is history! The introduction of Penfolds Grange Hermitage in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine, since then a series of standout wines - both red and white - have been released under the Penfolds label. Penfolds owns vineyards throughout all the major premium wine grape-growing regions of South Australia. As well as the Magill vineyard surrounding the original winery, there are Penfolds vineyards in the Barossa Valley, home of the world renowned Kalimna and Koonunga Hill vineyards. Vineyards are also owned in the Clare Valley, the Eden Valley, McLaren Vale just south of Adelaide, and in Padthaway and Coonawarra in the far southeast of the state. Grapes are also purchased under long-term contracts from all premium areas in South Australia. Today, Penfolds is one of the largest exporters of Australian wine. Though the winery produces a wide range of wines - over 30 labels, it is best known for its Grange Hermitage.

First vintaged in 1997, RWT sits just below Grange on the Penfolds Shiraz ‘family tree’. The initials RWT stand for ‘Red Winemaking Trial’, the name given to the wine internally when developmental work began on it in 1995. While Grange is a multi-region blend, RWT is a single-region, multi-vineyard blend using only high quality fruit of a particular style available from the Barossa valley. Aged in new and 1 to 2 year old used French oak. From $129.00 AUD

The so called ‘White Grange’, Yattarna was first vintaged in 1995 following one of the most comprehensive and highly publicised wine development programs ever conducted in Australia, started by Penfolds in 1992 and developing more that 100 trial wines along the way. A Multi-district blend with fruit sourced from premium vineyards in the Piccadilly and Adelaide hills districts of South Australia. Bottled unfiltered and using French oak. This is Penfolds finest Chardonnay. About 1000 dozen per vintage. From $110.00 AUD

First vintaged in 1957 – the 1956 was experimental. St.Henri is a typical Penfolds Multi-region blend using Shiraz from the Barossa, Clare and Eden Valleys, and McLaren Vale with sometimes a small amount (less than 5%) of Cabernet from Coonawarra. Compared to wines of today, St.Henri is considered an ‘old fashioned’ wine. Before bottling it is matured for 12 to 18 months in large (2000 litre) old, oak vats that allow the wine to develop, but impart no oak character. From $59.00 AUD

This is Penfolds only single-vineyard wine. It is the only wine still grown and made on the remaining 5 ha of the original Penfolds property at Magill, in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs, in the same winery where Max Schubert developed Grange. First made in 1983, the grapes are hand picked and basket pressed. Matured in new French and American oak. Magill Estate is a tourist attraction and a drawcard for winelovers around the world. The site was restored and refurbished in 1994 for Penfolds 150th birthday and it incorporates the Grange cottage, built for Dr.Penfold in 1845. From $75.00 AUD

Created by the legendary Max Schubert – creator of Grange – Bin 389 is known as ‘poor man’s Grange’ or ‘baby Grange’ because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous year’s Grange. First made in 1960, this was the wine that built Penfolds solid reputation with red wine drinkers. A multi-region blend using grapes from the Barossa Valley, Padthaway and Coonawarra. The proportion of cabernet in Bin 389 is typically around 60% but can be up to 80%. Matured in American oak – 80% 1 to 2 years old, 20% new. From $39.00 AUD

Launched with the 1990 vintage, the increased volumes of high quality fruit gave Penfolds the opportunity to produced Bin 407 as a more affordable and more widely available premium Cabernet than the Bin 707. Bin 407 is true to Penfolds multi-region, multi-vineyard blending policy, with premium Cabernet sourced from a range of South Australian districts. Aged 12 months in new and used French and American oak. Concentration and sweetness of fruit, balanced with soft tannins, are the hallmarks of the Bin 407 style. From $29.00 AUD

Launched in 1962, Penfolds Bin 128 is one of a number of Penfolds reds that resulted from Max Schubert’s experimental winemaking program. Bin 128 is a single-region wine that reflects the unique climate and growing conditions of South Australia’s Coonawarra district and the elegant style of cool-climate Shiraz. Coonawarra typically produces zesty, spicy and supple Shiraz with a richness of flavour and a mouth-filling roundness on the palate. Bin 128 is one of the most distinctive reds in the Penfolds stable. Firstly it is one of the few Penfolds reds that isn’t a multi-regional blend and from the 1980 vintage, French oak replaced American making it one of only 2 Penfolds reds to be matured solely in French oak. From $25.00 AUD

Bin 28 is a traditional warm-climate Australian Shiraz. First made in 1962, Bin 28 is named after the famous Barossa Valley Kalimna vineyard purchased by Penfolds in 1945 and from which the wine was originally sourced. The Kalimna vineyard is one of the finest in Australia and today produces much of the base wine for Grange. Some of the low yielding vines here are 100 years old and produce intensely flavoured fruit. Today, Bin 28 is a multi-region, multi-vineyard blend, with fruit used from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway and Kalimna. Aged for 12 months in used American oak. From $25.00 AUD

First vintaged in 1979, Petaluma Coonawarra is a blend of about 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot but it can be as high as 40% Merlot and does vary from vintage to vintage. Maximum flavour and complexity are retained in the wine through minimal handling. Egg white fining, bottling without filtration and 18 months to 2 years in new French Allier and Nevers oak produce a very sophisticated wine. From $59 AUD.

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The Petaluma Grapes for the Merlot are sourced from two vineyards. The Evans vineyard is located in the heart of Coonawarra and consists of 7.5 acres of mature vines. The second source of grapes comes from the Petaluma Sharefarmers vineyards outside the deliniated Coonawarra district, but on similar Terra Rossa soils. The Sharefarmers vineyard consists of 10 acres of 17 year old vines. Both vineyards are meticulously maintained with viticultural practice being conducted on a similar basis to classed growth Bordeaux. Matured in new Nevers and Alliers oak casks and bottled after 18 months oak maturation. Very little produced. Sold using Indent Offers – you pre-purchase the wine 2 years in advance. An outstanding world class Merlot. 1990 onwards. From $55.00 AUD

Petaluma pioneered the planting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Piccadilly Valley in 1979, providing the grapes for Petaluma Chardonnay and Croser sparkling wine since 1986. The Chardonnay is sourced from five "Distinguished Site" vineyards in the cool Piccadilly Valley near Adelaide. Though each of the five vineyards has its own typical characteristics, they all share in common the basic 'prerequisites' for a "Distinguished Site". i.e being hot-spots in a cool area, lying on steep slopes, facing and absorbing as much sun as possible, etc. Intensely ripe Chardonnay grapes from the warmer ‘distinguished site’ vineyards are hand picked, crushed and chilled before fermentation in dense French oak barriques to make Petaluma Chardonnay. From $36.00 AUD

Tiers is the lowest and warmest vineyard of the Piccadilly Valley and is a naturally protected North East facing slope adjacent to the winery. With the vines maturing in each vintage, the meticulously crafted Petaluma Chardonnay has improved through the 90s, to the extent that The Tiers is now a near perfect wine, and one of Australia's finest Chardonnays. Produced from grapes yielding around 2.5 tonnes per acre. Only a small parcel of hand-picked Chardonnay is bottled from the Tiers vineyard. The minuscule crop delivers a wine of extraordinary aroma and concentration. As little as 300 cases produced. Barrel fermented in French oak. From $139 AUD

Robert O’Callaghan is the very modest owner and winemaker of Rockford Wines in the Barossa Valley. One of the most respected boutique wineries in Australia, Rockford produces the Basket Press Shiraz (first vintage 1984) and the Black Shiraz, a sparkling red that is almost black in colour. In the l970s when wineries were updating their equipment, Robert bought and restored buildings from the 1850's and old winemaking machinery so that he could make his wines using both traditional winemaking techniques and equipment - his only concession to the latter half of the twentieth century is refrigeration and some new forms of yeast. The Shiraz fruit is sourced from local growers – many of the best dry-grown old vine Shiraz vineyards in the Barossa – including around Kalimna, Ebenezer, the Eden Valley and Central Barossa. The vines are between 60 and 136 years old giving fruit of tremendous colour, power and richness.

Barossa winemaker Chris Ringland produces extremely small amounts of his Three Rivers shiraz - normaly less than 80 cases a year. Made from 100-year-old, low-yielding, dry-grown vines, Three Rivers Shiraz is probably the single most difficult Aussie Shiraz to get hold of. Robert Parker Jr.: "Arguably the greatest Shiraz made in Australia, this viscous, black/purple-coloured wine represents the essence of both wine and Shiraz... Once past the explosive bouquet of creme de cassis, espresso, melted fudge, and graphite, the wine offers layers of unctuously-textured flavours crammed with blackberries, smoke, charcoal, and currants with a finish of 70+ seconds. It should prove to be immortal, lasting for 30-50 years,... Kudos to Chris Ringland for this ultimate Australian blockbuster Shiraz." 100/100 RPJr. 2001

Torbreck is one of the new-style cult 'boutique' wineries in the Barossa. It was founded by Dave Powell in 1994, with the first wines made in 1995. Powell's philosophy has been to secure grapes from small parcels of the very best old-vine Barossa vineyards, and then to make hand-crafted wines in a traditional style that reflect their Barossa origins. Yields are invariably low, and the resulting wines are deeply impressive. Robert Parker Jr.: "There are nearly 600 cases of David Powell's most expensive red wine, the 1998 Run Rig, which is made from vines averaging between 50 and 130 years of age. A blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Viognier, it is aged completely in French oak for approximately 18 months prior to bottling. The colour is an opaque purple, and the bouquet offers an exotic concoction of tropical fruit, blackberry liqueur, creme de cassis, smoke, and honeysuckle notes... The wine is sumptuous and full-bodied, with a skyscraper-like profile of fabulous concentration and length that builds in the mouth." 99/100 RP Jr. 2001

Wild Duck Creek Estate, located in the countryside around Heathcote, was established in 1981 by David & Diana Anderson and comprises nine acres of vineyard with fruit sourced from another seven vineyards in the area. The Duck Muck Shiraz (about 200 cases or less are produced) is made only in exceptional vintages. Robert Parker Jr.: " Sadly, only 70 cases were produced... There is no doubting the extraordinary character and personality winemaker David Anderson has constructed... Opaque black purple-coloured, with a viscosity resembling vintage port, this thick, chewy Shiraz exhibits a panorama of black fruits intermixed with liquorice, tar, roasted herbs, and sweet oak. The acidity and tannin appear to be missing because of the wine's wealth of fruit, glycerine, and extract. It is a surreal, other-worldly style of Shiraz that needs to be sipped rather than gulped given its power and intensity." 99/100 RP Jr. 2000. From $699 AUD

The wine bearing John Riddoch's name was first produced in 1982. The wine is named after Scottish pioneer John Riddoch who planted Coonawarra's first vineyards in 1891. It is Wynns Coonawarra Estate's best Cabernet Sauvignon, made from the top one per cent of grapes and, even then, only in the years when grapes of extraordinarily high quality are available. This wine was not made in 1983, 1989 and 1995, reflecting Wynns policy of not compromising the quality of this Coonawarra benchmark. Matured in French oak for up to 26 months. From $65.00 AUD

As with John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, Michael (named after Wynns young son) Shiraz is only produced in exceptional vintages using only the top one per cent of available Coonawarra Shiraz. The first Michael (then called Michael Hermitage) was a one-off from the 1955 vintage. The wine was then revived with the superb 1990 vintage and Michael Shiraz has been produced each year (with the exception of 1992 and 1995) since then. Michael is matured in New American Oak for up to 18 months. From $65.00 AUD

Although vines were first planted in Coonawarra in 1891 it was in 1951 that the modern history of this famous region began. Situated about 60km inland the Coonawarra climate is predominantly maritime with dry, cool summers that ripen almost all grape varieties to perfection. The vibrant red "terra rossa" soil of Coonawarra is the most famous viticultural strip in Australia and the wine it is most famous for is Cabernet Sauvignon. The ‘Black Label’ was first produced in 1954. Matured in a combination of new and old French and American oak. Probably the best value and most reliable Cabernet in the country. From $28.00 AUD

Dr Bailey Carrodus established Yarra Yering in 1969, in what is now regarded as one of the choicest vineyard sites in the region. He purchased prime vineyard land at Gruyere near Coldstream in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, once a thriving wine community during the late 1800s. The vineyard was planted on a north-facing hillside in deep broken-up secondary gravelly soils with excellent drainage. It now encompasses about 78 acres, all of which is dry farmed. Shunning publicity, Dr Carrodus has built a cult following around the world over the last 30 years - so much so that his cellar door is only open for a few days a year before his annual production sells out. The Dry Red No 1 is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux blend - with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The Dry Red No. 2 is predominantly Shiraz, with a little Viognier. From $79 AUD

Magnums available of various years are: Penfolds Grange, Bin 707, RWT, St.Henri, Bin 389, Henschke Hill of Grace, Jim Barry The Armagh, Petaluma Coonawarra, Wynns John Riddoch & Michael, Irvine Grand Merlot, Grant Burge Meshach and more.