2006 Shiraz and Blends Wines from Wineries List: R

The Burvill is, perhaps unsurprisingly, named after the Rockbare winemaker Tim Burvill. No surprises there really. No surprises either with the wine style produced - a rich, decadent full flavoured and entirely classic McLaren Vale Shiraz showcasing the very best of this region. Like a warm hug of McLaren Vale Shiraz love.

Super ripe premium shiraz was hand picked at 20° Baumé, cooled for four days and then open fermented. Fortified with aged brandy spirit to halt fermentation. The result is a luscious smooth full flavoured mouthfeel with rich dark fruit and cassis. Enjoy now or cellar until you retire!

This is the first release of our premium Shiraz, only to be released when there has been an exceptionally good season such as 2006. A rich full bodied wine with cassis, spice, cigar box and stewed plums, soft ripe tannins complete this delightful wine.

Light but bright hue; light- to medium-bodied, lively and fresh; both red and black fruits plus lots of spice; good length and restrained oak; delicious early-drinking style.

With low yielding pushing the boundaries of ripeness, these wines have huge alcohol and powerful fruit with liquorice, dates, prunes and berry fruits.

Dusty, earthy spiced fruit aromas herald a faithful rendition of varietal rich fruit with chewy dark chocolate oak to finish on the palate.

Slight menthol nuances to the nose and very herbaceous fine green palate with powdery tannins. 3-5

Slightly hazy colour, although the hue is good; the wine has the power and concentration the alcohol would suggest, but why needed in the '06 vintage? The alcohol and the cork suggest export to the US, but the back label image would have no chance of approval by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms).

Porty/cough elixir-like aromas and a hot, ripe palate with bright, lively flavours and firm tannins.

Oily, developed and very, very ripe. Quite raisined aromas. Lovely and soft and rich in the mouth.

Softly aged aromas with a hint of hessian. Fruit still strong on the palate. Lots of oak and alcoholic warmth.

Complex, porty nose and a nicely balanced, but very simple, savoury palate. _Its okay!î

Herbal/medicinal bouquet with a sprinkling of pepper. Gentle, peppery palate withsome good fruit and ´fluffy tannins!

Tighter, firmer style with plenty of oak. Red berries and vanilla oak on the nose and firm, hot and tannic in the mouth.

Seamlessly integrated aged wine with lovely cool, shaded varietal fruit, nice spiciness, toasty oak and greenish tannins.

Interesting aromas reminding one judge of freshly baked bread and a mixed grill! Dense, intense, cool-climate palate.

Rutherglen Estates is a large commercial operation with five vineyards totalling 358 hectares in the region. This wine is sourced from a single block of shiraz next to the viognier on the 20-hectare home vineyard, which is approaching maturity now that the vines are ten years old. It is rich, ripe and concentrated with some floral blueberry notes, dark plum and mulberry flavours, smooth, fleshy texture and an elegant tannin backbone

Chris Ringland is building an expanding repertoire of mostly rich red wines - his area of special interest and talent. Here he's tapped into some terrific material in the Ebenezer district, making an impressive, ripe stallion-like shiraz that sports mouth-quenching dark berry and plum flavour, choc-coated tannins and a handy serve of freshly toasted oak. This looks, smells and tastes fantastic!

This wine is deeply coloured with a bright purple hue. The characters of mint, black plum, mulberry and a unique character of golden pear dominate the aromas with a backbone of spice and earth. The flavours are of berry fruits with a richness and acidity balance by fine graining tannins that give the wine great length. The fruit flavours persist and have great linger on the palate.

Dense, impenetrable colour; massive, heavily extracted and tannic; the opposite end of the universe to the thin varietal '06.