William James Maxwell was an architectural sculptor who migrated from Scotland to Australia in 1875. He built a mock castle and established a family vineyard just outside Adelaide, which he named Woodlands Park. His son planted vines in nearby McLaren Vale and his grandson served a term as winemaker for Hardy Wines at the historic Tintara wineworks. William Maxwell's progeny remain in McLaren Vale, producing the southern hemisphere's most successful brands of Honey Mead, as well as vintages of the most extraordinary value in McLaren Vale Shiraz. But what does Maxwell taste like? Gentleman James Halliday describes Maxwell as robust, picking the eyes out of McLaren Vale shiraz; licorice, dark chocolate,.. Made of mature vine mclaren vale »

Stephen George grew up amongst the grape vines, very near the hamlet of Reynella and the nascent Skillogalee in Valley Clare. Both salubrious sites which were originally planted to vine by George senior in 1970. Stephen's pioneering work at Ashton Hills was a major catalyst for the development of Adelaide Hills as an internationally renowned wine growing region. Along with the eminent Brian Croser, Stephen was one of the principals who placed Adelaide Hills on the map, resolved to produce the best Pinot Noir in the country and bring global fame to the Adelaide Hills Piccadilly Pinot style... From the misty chills of ashton hills»

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»

Somewhere near the Seaview end of McLaren Vale's Chapel Hill Road, a perfunctory passerine perched her pincers astride a pair of power poles and saw herself alit. Down she went amongst the dry grown branches of an old Grenache vineyard, setting the valuable veterans ablaze. The scorched site eventually came to the attention of a winemaking trio, the Messrs Leske, Tynan & Cooke, Masters of Wine and a venerable vintner, all driven by a consuming passion to make greater Grenache. Thistledown vintage very small amounts of the most extraordinary Grenache. Beautifully detailed and conspicuously elegant, their floral bouquets and graceful finish emulate the aromatic lift and peacock's tail of a prettily.. Polly & the pyre to paradise»

Sandro Mosele is one of Victoria's most accomplished vignerons, his celebrated editions of Kooyong and Port Phillip estates are amongst the most cherished renderings of Burgundy styled Pinot Noir in the nation. Mosele has applied his art to a precious parcel of fruit, picked off a single, modest block of vine, grown to the fully fertile soils of a lamb and beef stud, on the brisk, maritime blown coastals of Gippsland South. This is not Pinot for profit, Walkerville represents an aesthetic appreciation of fruit from the farmer, invigorated by the blessings of providence and consecrations of local livestock. A cornucopia of comely characters, forcemeats and fennel, pectins and pith, Walkerville make Pinot Noir as it should be, bucolic, pastoral,.. The grazier's garden of gippsland»

Tim and Simon and all the Wicks, nurse the rootstock and foster the clones which are in highest demand by the Adelaide Hills most accomplished vignerons. The Wicks are Adelaide Hills born and bred, they called upon an old mate named Tim Knappstein to assist in the establishment of a vineyard and wineworks, set amongst the ancient eucalypts on the scenic slopes of Woodside. Each and every planting was determined according to a viticultural algorithm, based on clonal selections and terroir, aspect, soils and clime. The shrubs reached maturity and the wines that flowed are claiming a conspicuous tally of triumphs at significant national wine shows. Representing salient value for the exquisite quality of vintages, Wicks are an essential choice for adherents.. The wonderful wines of wicks»

Stephen George grew up amongst the grape vines, very near the hamlet of Reynella and the nascent Skillogalee in Valley Clare. Both salubrious sites which were originally planted to vine by George senior in 1970. Stephen's pioneering work at Ashton Hills was a major catalyst for the development of Adelaide Hills as an internationally renowned wine growing region. Along with the eminent Brian Croser, Stephen was one of the principals who placed Adelaide Hills on the map, resolved to produce the best Pinot Noir in the country and bring global fame to the Adelaide Hills Piccadilly Pinot style... From the misty chills of ashton hills»

Rolf Binder is one of the Barossa's quiet achieving superstars, recipient of the most conspicuous national accolades, Barossa Winemaker of Year and Best Small Producer, Best Barossa Shiraz Trophy and coveted listing in the illustrious Langtons Classification of Australian Wine. Binder's focus has always been on old vines fruit, in particular, the abstruse canon of early settler varietals which populated Barossa Valley during the 1840s. Wild bush vines Mataro, picked off patches at Tanunda along Langmeil Road, ancient growths of Grenache from Gomersal and Light Pass. Rolf's tour de force are eight superlative rows of Shiraz, established 1972 by the Binders junior and senior, which yield a mere 250 dozen of the most spectacular, full bodied Barossa.. Seven decades of tillage at tanunda»