Why Australian Wine is Some of the Most Exciting in the World A plush nose of dried violets, blackberry compote, chocolate, brambles and sugar plums. The palate’s very in tune though with a good serving of pretty acidity, ripe yet steely tannins and a chewy finish.

Hand-picked from selected estate blocks, destemmed whole berries twice sorted then crushed to open fermenters, cold soak, wild fermentation, 10 days on skins; no additives of any kind, but filtered. I assume the wine has not seen oak, nor the addition of SO2. Vivid, deep purple; typical of the adventurous and skilled Peter Fraser, with a rumbling tsunami of black fruit flavours. Bring on a large T-bone steak, and I'll happily do battle.

These days, I more look forward to tasting Grenache (and Mataro) based wines from McLaren Vale, rather than Shiraz. Though, of course, there’s still a lot of excellent Shiraz being made there (from the right sites, with the right treatment in the winery). Here’s a spicy and meaty rendition of McLaren Vale Shiraz. It almost has a soy sauce character, along with blueberry and plum, and a dab of vanilla oak perfume. Medium bodied, fleshy and savoury, thick tannin, even acidity, and a savoury thyme-laced finish of excellent length. Style and charisma. Terrific Shiraz.

Take Note: Real Australian Wine Is Here Dense and layered shiraz with loads of ripe fruit, yet remains vivid and lively. Full body, velvety tannins and a long, savory finish. Drink or hold.

An attractive meaty savory edge to this dense and concentrated shiraz, plenty of deep plum and fragrant spice on the nose, the palate delivers a supple twirling core of dark plum and black cherry fruit right through to a long and flavorsome, smoothly hewn finish. Deceptive power here. Drink now.

Estate-grown shiraz from rising (if not established) McLaren Vale star, Yangarra. This wine is coming together beautifully. It's a perfumed, expressive shiraz with more than a touch of class. Saturated plum, soy, five spice and smoky, musky oak. There's a gunpowder note here too. It has the flavour, the brightness, the aromatics and the charm. And it has the tannin to see it age well too. Impeccable.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2010 Shiraz offers quite a floral nose with a core of dark fruits, blueberries and dark chocolate. Big, rich and voluptuous yet wonderfully balanced in the mouth, it has medium to firm finely grained tannins and a fresh acid line, finishing with good length. Approachable now, it should drink best 2014-2022+.

Sweet black fruit on the nose and palate. Very luscious -- I'd say pluscious. (I'm copyrighting that.) Layers of dark fruit pleasure, caress me softly. Full-bodied right to the end. Great finish. Shiraz food pairings: grilled meats and vegetables, stew, pizza, barbecued beef, bison steak.

Dense colour, a high-quality regional style with an assemblage of black fruits, dark chocolate and a dash of licorice on the supple, medium-to-full bodied palate; extract and tannins well balanced.

Why Australian Wine is Some of the Most Exciting in the World A bright yet ripe nose of brambleberry essence, dried herbs, licorice and loads of spices. Medium to full body, chewy tannins, a fine line of acidity and a flavorful finish.

Take Note: Real Australian Wine Is Here Very aromatic with blackberries, spices, orange peel and tea. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a tangy finish. Energetic and focused with juicy fruit. Blend of 68% grenache, 26% shiraz and 6% mourvèdre. Drink now. Screw cap.

Normally reserved for GSM, but in best years a small parcel made as a single varietal. Very attractive purple and red fruits; great flavour and supple mouthfeel.

Succulent, lipsmacking rendition of this famous blend. Combines fruit and tannin with style. Red cherries, earth and game with leathery, blackberried power humming in the background. Complex. Yangarra keeps putting ticks in all the right boxes.

Total production of 132 cases from 9 year old vines. What a great future this vineyard has! A more brooding expression of Mataro here; dark in colour and temperament. Earth, some reductive stink on opening, pepper and spices, black fruit, subtle underlying floral perfume. Chocolate. Full bodied, dense and well packed, plenty of grainy firm tannin, flickers of red fruit - no shortage of bass notes here - but still fresh and pretty long. Rolling licks of tannin and dried herb on the finish. Should cellar a treat too.

When Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke purchased this 250-acre vineyard in 2001, they brought on Peter Fraser to make the wine and Michael Lane to farm the vines. They began to implement biodynamic practices in 2008, and to nudge the style toward traditional winemaking in open-top fermenters without added yeast. The grenache in this blend (from bush vines planted in 1946) adds bright red fruit, combining with younger vine shiraz (31 percent) and mourvèdre (28 percent) in a scent that carries the arid scrub of McLaren Vale right to the glass. The wine ends clean and fresh, with a light tannin pickup, as friendly and pleasantly funky as a finely grown Mediterranean blend from the southern Rhône.

With a deep red-purple colour, it expresses very ripe, bold, sweet fruit. The sweetly ripe plum aromas seem slightly shiraz-dominant while the body weight is medium-full. The tannins are emphatic yet supple, the balance is impeccable and the flavours irresistible. A great success, especially considering the wet 2011 vintage. Best now to 2026. 14 per cent alcohol.

An engaging, complex aroma of lime juice and oatmeal with hints of saffron and white blossoms. The palate is exceedingly soft and gentle, yet incredibly flavoursome and stylish. Gorgeous chalkiness and a hint of grapefruit pith on the finish.

This partial skins-fermented white has a cloudy appearance and delivers a wealth of bright tropical and stone fruits on the nose, plenty of waxy lemon and fresh straw too, really fresh and attractive. The palate delivers a very settled and deeply balanced impression, more lemon and waxy melon here too, fine smooth phenolic sheen through the finish. Profound wine. Drink now.

I’m not a big one for the white Rhones, not least local efforts, but wow this is good un. Waxy, honeysuckle, spice, fennel, melon, citrus and sort of chicken soup savoury flavour – in a good way. Bright acid, slight slippery feel, but light and keen – gentle creaminess with a chalky tweak on the finish. Lively herb and acid twang too. Good lines and great to drink. Touch and go for 94 points.

McLaren Vale shiraz really eats up while bunches, there's very little exaggerated character here, just rich and convincing dark plum, mulberry and black cherry fruits, swirling spicy fragrance and a deeper tar and earth layer. The palate has a long and powerful thread of dark rich plum and chocolate flavor. The tannins ripple handsomely below all the flesh. Great wine.

Well, you know, I’m on record as saying I don’t have much fun with Viognier, but every now and then a good one crops up. Some chicken stock, fresh apricot, vanilla and florals with a good bit of spice which also manifests itself as a subtle ginger beer character – and I am partial to a bit of ginger beer, I must say. It’s bright, light and energetic with a lightly chalky texture and particularly fine acidity. Has length too. Pretty much spot on. None of your fat-grandma-style here, thanks very much.

I remember tasting components of this wine in barrel with Peter Fraser a few months ago. It's great to now see all elements coming together as they dance across the mouth. Fraser doesn't make bad wine - this is a beauty. In essence, it's a 'heat resilient' blend with white varieties sourced in Chateauneuf-du-Pape and grown on newly planted cuttings on Yangarra's single vineyard Estate in McLaren Vale. I spent some time in the vineyard and winery talking to Fraser at the time - much work has been spent rethinking how the vineyard is being managed and maintained to ensure fruit quality. Made in a 'back to basics' style in mind, the fruit was hand-picked and whole bunch pressed. When I say fruit I mean Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Picpoul and Bourboulenc (35/30/20/10/5). All varieties were fermented together in 675L ceramic eggs, except the Roussanne as it was picked twelve days earlier. No sulphur or additions. Deliciously moreish, I'm thinking long tables and the lunch bell ringing. This oozes food appeal. It's textural with layers of interest and great width through the mouth. A toasted nuttiness is carried on the back of the fruit, lingering long. Savoury characters are the hero of the day, but the energy the wine exudes makes it irresistible. Yellow flowers, a sly showing of musk, super delicate honey tones before elegant stonefruits and pear lay patiently in the background before rearing their head. Super soft spices kick in on a finger licking finish - a class act. Drink now to three years.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings A beautiful South of France-style white with freshly squeezed lemon juice, thyme, sea salt, apple curd, apricots and a touch of dried honeysuckle and vanilla. So driven and minerally on the palate, it draws a fine line between oiliness and vitality, but hits the nail right on the head. Medium-bodied and very vibrant. A blend of 35% grenache blanc, 30% clairette, 20% roussanne, 10% picpoul and 5% bourboulenc. Drink now. Screw cap.

Smooth and ripe with deep color and rich black cherry fruit; racy and tangy with a long, fresh finish.

The 2015 WillaKenzie Estate Kiana gives the impression of purple-ness. Its nose is reserved at the moment, though it offers promise with fruit punch aromas, uncured bacon and molasses. The tannin is fine grained and refined, the acid juicy and the overall weight modest. The flavors a bit more alive than the nose at this stage, with raspberry, boysenberry and pomegranate driving a profile supported by tobacco leaf and tar. Coming together nicely, I think it’ll continue to develop positively over the next five to ten years. 93 points, value: A.