Best of Cellared Shiraz

Wow, what a wine. A must-have for any McLaren Vale die-hards or pretty much anyone with a mouth and a heart. Rich dark fruit, chocolatey oak and fine-grained tannins. A classic Aussie style with 8+ years under the belt, primed and raring to go. Di Fabio Estate are a real wine-producer's producer. With a history in Australia dating back to the mid 60's, and much much longer in Italy, the Di Fabio family earned their stripes selling grapes to some of McLaren Vale's biggest names. As the years went by and whispers of their fruit's fantastic quality grew louder, they transitioned into full wine production and when we taste this gorgeous drop, we're so happy that they did. With premium fruit from old bush-vines in the Blewitt Springs sub-region, and a little bit of generational know-how, Di Fabio has crafted the ultimate people-pleaser. A dense, dark fruited wine that, although full-bodied, doesn't feel sluggish or clunky on the palate. Lively and rich blackberries and dark cherries are balanced by milk chocolate and sweet spice, a result of a very comprehensive oak treatment regime. This is a wine that was drinking beautifully five years ago, drinks beautifully today and will still be drinking beautifully in five years time. If you're a McLaren Vale fan, do yourself a favour.

"This is why red wine is cellared" - Campbell Mattinson. Let's not beat around the bush, this is a big shiraz, even by McLaren Vale's standards. Years of careful cellaring has brought a smoothness and silkiness to this wine, whilst not stifling the natural grunt and gutsiness of this gorgeous drop. Aged shiraz, done very, very, very well. A few years on and absolutely strutting its stuff. As Mattinson noted, this is exactly why we cellar red wine. It’s all come together beautifully - rich notes of coffee, blackberry, leather and earthiness meet sweet spice, hints of liquorice, and a long list of other subtleties. The palate’s smooth, layered and complete, framed by fine, resolved tannins that still hold the structure beautifully. All the promise it showed in its youth? Fully delivered. This is a mature stunner, right in the sweet spot.

A wine company, unlike any other. Think of them more as a team of grape nomads of the wine industry, travelling the best vineyards in search of vinous enlightenment and the holy grail of grape juice. On the 2016 trip they’ve come home with a rare shiraz from only the best vineyards - localised in the beautiful Barossa. Better unpack your bags and settle in, this one's got legs. Hailing from a hyper-focussed selection of only the very best fruit in the numerous sub-regions of the Barossa, this is a powerful and impressive shiraz. Made all the more impressive by the fact that there's only a tiny amount on offer. With lashings of rich, ripe fruit and a subtle earthy complexity, this explorer is full of spicy berries and just a hint of dark chocolate. Scrumptious shiraz has never travelled so well. Happy days! The freedom offered only to those dedicated enough to navigate their way in wine, knowing exactly what they are looking for is on full display here. Not limited by region or style, these legends grab the best fruit they can, for their exact purpose. Lucky for us that purpose is making really, really, really good wine.