This 2018 shiraz starts with blueberries and plums on the nose, followed by a pretty perfume. The palate is all McLaren with dense red and black fruit, richness and abundant tannin. It’s as intense, as complex, as high quality, as powerful as you are going to find, with all of that fruit supported by roasted nuts and spices, and super dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is indeed bold, but not overwhelming, as tannin dances with fruit, acidity, earthy notes and a long and moreish finish.

Deep, dark ripe fruit dazzles to begin, but then the nuance of age makes itself known, adding another element to this fantastic wine. A swarm of brambly, developed fruit is framed by punchy tannin and well integrated acidity. Seven years cellar time has allowed some fruit leather and umami to enter the flavour profile, but they're only there as a suggestion of what this wine might do over the next decade - right now its all about the fruit - luscious and complex and packing a genuine, no-holds-barred bit of punch. Chocolate, tobacco, pepper, spice – everything nice. Personally I'm torn: I would love to see what this wine looks like in the back half of the 2030s, but I know I'll drink my modest allocation by the end of the month.

Thorne-Clarke: a meeting of two families that settled on Barossa soils over a century ago. Like many, it’s a story of hard work, nose to the ground, generation after generation. Fast forward to the 21st century, and it’s all about their classy wines that stand out from the pack. True to their terroir-driven ethos, the Bona Fide shiraz is all about small scale and a watchful eye. Single vineyard, small batch fermentation, followed by American oak treatment for 18months (40% new). Only the best of the best made it to the final blend, meaning that you, yes YOU Mofo, are only getting the very best.