Right around the time that Frank Potts was planting his nascent Bleasdale Vineyards during the 1850s, an eccentric Prussian named Herman Daenke established a homestead along the banks of Bremer River, which he called Metala. The site was planted to viticulture by Arthur Formby in 1891 and became one of Langhorne Creek's most productive vineyards, it continues to supply fruit for a number of prestigious national brands. Legendary winemaker Brian Dolan took the radical step of bottling Metala under its own label in 1959 and won the inaugural Jimmy Watson Trophy in 1962. Two generations later, the brothers Tom and Guy Adams took a similar leap of faith and branded their Metala fruit as Brothers In Arms. The quality of wine re established Metala as a vineyard of global significance and claimed George Mackay Trophy.. The goodly farms of brothers in arms»

Just outside the Gippsland town of Leongatha, a few minutes down the road from the hallowed grounds at Bass Phillip estate, ten precious acres of exceptional terroir were planted in 1990, to artisanal clones of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. The propitious easterly aspects make the most of morning sun, an auspicious bequeath of fertile Ferrosols oblige the rootstock and infuse the fruit, while reducing the vigor and rationing the harvest. Lucinda Estate was never established as a producer of scale, its scant yields were always destined to be in pursuit of stunning Syrah and the perfect Pinot. Victoria's Gippsland is a place of paradise for vintages in the Burgundy style, a oenological wonderland of restrained releases from vivid little vineyards. Enthusiasts en route to a discovery of max value within an.. A glimpse of the gippsland grail»

One of the Australian west's most enduring marques, the illustrious vineyards of Howard Park are now in their fourth and fifth decade. Langton's Listed and recipient of the most prestigious accolades, Grande Medialle d'Or Concours Mondial and London International Wine & Spirits Competition. Howard Park were established from the ground up with a strict adherence to sustainable, holistic viticulture. Planted to sheep studs along Margaret River's Wilyabrup Creek, drawing fruit from the oldest Cabernet vines on Mount Barker, renowned for opulence and structure, they continue to deliver a range of superlative single vineyard bottlings with each vintage... The virtuous vines of howard park»

Mount Difficulty are a commune of growers, established 1998 within the elite dress circle of Central Otago vineyards. Propitiously placed around the ancient goldfields of Cromwell Basin, their harvests had long been called upon for bottling under the labels of New Zealand's most conspicuous brands. Launched as a limited release of small batch, single block vintages, the co operative of accomplished growers, has evolved through critical acclaim and word of mouth, into a formidable range of Central Otago, defined by their excellence and exquisite eloquence of.. Venerable vignerons of the very deep south»

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.. Here's what our most picky pundits prefer»

Lindsay McCall's enthusiasm for great wine began in the 1970s, he established his first Mornington plantings in 1985 on the site of a derelict orchard at Red Hill along Paringa Road. From day one, McCall focused on exactingly managing the soils and the vines, after completing his day job as local school teacher. His affinity for the land and astonishing feel for winemaking produced monumental vintages of Pinot Noir, which propelled the exquisite range of Paringa Estate wines to international renown. McCall works closely with Mornington's finest vignerons to nurture better standards of viticulture and deliver finer vintages with each harvest. Limited yields of.. Exquisite editions by the master of mornington»

It was a matrimony between an American biochemist and the founder of Margaret River Devils Lair, that set the scene for one of the nation's most illustrious estates. A member of the Top 1OO Wineries of World, Giant Steps were established 1997, with a view to assembling an elite range of limited release Yarra Valley vintages. Crafted from the fruit of superior sites, some yielding just a few hundred cases each year, these are exclusive editions from bespoke parcels of elite terroir, bearing the curiously cryptic monikers of precious blocks of vine, Gruyere Farm, Applejack and Wombat Creek. Fashioned for aficianados of the euro style, defined by their winsome.. Big wines from little vineyards»