The trailblazers of the Adelaide Hills have created another outstanding wine. A superb expression of modern cool-climate Shiraz; Shaw & Smith is elegantly spicy and brimming with supple red-fruit flavours matched by fine tannins. An absolute ripper.

This Two Hands Shiraz is full bodied but very buoyant. Bright flavours are lifted and accented by notes of fresh blue and blackberry with hints of plum. Creamy complexity through the palate adds depth and interesting texture. Palate has great depth and a coating nature but doesnt feel heavy. Tannins start mid-palate and leave a lovely rolling chewy nature. Spicy through the finish with vanilla and sweet baking spices.

The 2015 Steading has a fragrancy, purity of fruit, mid-palate concentration and savoury tannin profile that makes it an exemplary wine. Vibrant aromas of violet, star anise hints of violet and spice all unfold to reveal an impressive array of underlying fruit flavours. Silky, succulent dark fruits, black olive, savoury earth, liquorice and Asian spice. These complex yet elegant flavours are all neatly interwoven with a perfect balance of acidity and supple, silky tannins. The 2015 Steading will continue to develop with time in the cellar, and provide those with patience great enjoyment well into the next decade.

Domaine Chanson Chablis 2020 vintage is a pale gold colour. Subtle aromas of citrus fruit on a hint of minerality. Well-structured and complex. Dense with a tight texture. Refreshing aftertaste with a salty note. After a very mild winter, spring arrived with warm temperatures in March which engendered a very quick and sustained growth of the vines. After a very short frost episode early May with no consequence in the vineyards, a mild weather with some rains settled down until end of June. Summer was punctuated in July by several and quite long heat waves. Vineyards with a clay soil were less affected by the low level of rainfalls during spring and by the summer heat. The harvest in Burgundy started around August 20, which was historically early for the region. Tasting : Pale gold colour. Subtle aromas of citrus fruit on a hint of minerality. Well-structured and complex. Dense with a tight texture. Refreshing aftertaste with a salty note.

Nanny Goat is a Central Otago winery specialising in Pinot Noir. Its name derives from the fact that much of the country is rough, dry, mountainous and desolate – seemingly suitable only for goats. Apparently, the brand’s owner, Aussie John Valmorbida, was climbing up to a hilltop restaurant near Queenstown when the goat idea struck him. It is rather appropriate. Hand picked and destemmed the fruit was sourced exclusively from their vineyards in Queensberry before going into into small open top fermenters, with the final blend containing 26% whole bunch. The individual fermenters underwent a short pre-fermentation maceration before fermenting naturally and being left on skins for up to 32 days before pressing. After a brief period of settling, the wine was roughly racked, taking a small portion of light lees and transferred to 225L French oak barriques (27% new) where it underwent natural malolactic fermentation and matured for 11 months before being racked, blended and bottled. Typical of Queensberry Pinot Noir, the nose is dark and brooding yet beautifully perfumed. Blueberry and boysenberry notes are layered amongst florals suggestive of rose petal and violets. Toasted sweet baking spices are interwoven with dried herbs, black Doris plum and an intriguing whole bunch derived herbaceous lift. The palate is taut and powerful with powdery fine tannins up front lending a sinewy elegance. A fine streak of acidity offers a lively backdrop to the abundant berry fruits, presenting a wine that is both powerful and dense yet beautifully light on its feet.