The 6 a Side Showdown - BV vs. MV

Big, bold, and packed with flavour… but with a layer of polish that keeps everything in check. The nose is classic Barossa: ripe plum and blackberry, a lick of licorice, mocha, coffee grounds, and a lifted, perfumed edge that gives it real appeal. The palate delivers in spades. Dense, concentrated fruit wrapped around fine oak, with plush texture and serious generosity. Think dark plum, black cherry, a touch of savoury spice, and a rich dark chocolate finish that lingers. This is a cracking example of a strong Barossa vintage— opulent, satisfying, and built for lovers of full-bodied reds.

The Martins has maintained the exceptionally high standard it set with the 2018 vintage. Fruits are blacks and blues, with blueberries, blackberries, olive tapenade, dark chocolate, plentiful cedar and vanilla populating a powerful and long palate. The tannins are polished, waxy and plentiful. The best Martin's yet!

Every vintage thus far has been compared favourably to Penfolds Grange and the 24 whilst not having drawn that comparison already has a 98 point score under its belt. Handpicked grapes from an 80 year old contoured vineyard in Gomersal; long, slow fermentation including more than 10% whole bunch fruit before basket pressing into 30% new oak inc. both French and American. A stunningly perfumed nose leads to a palate with exceptional structure and richness. Blue fruits, black fruits, coffee, cherries, red plum, dark chocolate, spice and fine, powdery tannins to finish. A pinnacle Barossa Shiraz experience.

Black and blue fruits wrapped in the silk and spice you’d expect from a classic McLaren Vale Shiraz. Generous yet balanced, with a vibrant acidity that lifts the fruit. There's a touch more oak here than we've seen in previous vintages, giving this an extra density and dimension.

Worth getting in touch with us for mate's rates on this one.

Another delicious release of Hillside Shiraz from low yielding vineyards in Marananga, old vines from Stonewell, planted to the R6 and 1654 clones. There’s old vine fruit from Greenock, the vines so old that the clonal selection is unknown. Matured in a combination of new French and older American oak, this is a stunning Barossa Shiraz offering black fruits, blue fruits, blackberries, coffee, graphite, chocolate, minerals, liquorice, spice, blueberries, cedar and firm tannins.

Old school in the best of ways according to Campbell Mattinson, who notes this wines substantial, bold and inky black fruits, coffee, dark chocolate and cream, and its slick of authoritative tannins. It is ripe and oaky, but not so much that the gorgeous fruit is prevented from shining. A gloriously engaging mouthfeel already which will also improve with cellaring for a decade or more.

Low yield, high quality Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz are all employed here in a very successful homage to the great Grenache dominant blends of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Thie is medium bodied, spiced and savoury with plenty of red and blue fruits and, as Halliday's Wine companion suggests, it is a study in fruit 'detail with an airy grace'. It is gorgeous. In spite of its age, this benefits from decanting and will continue to improve with cellaring.

Stunning dry grown, old vine Barossa Grenache, this. Probably should be upwards of $100 a bottle. Incredibly expressive black and red fruits, soul stirring aromatics and a wonderful spiced and cedary finish. Magnificent.

Another spellbinding Alcala Grenache; estate grown and entirely sourced from the Firehawk Farm vineyard. Ripe plush fruits of dark cherries and strawberry. Plenty of punchy, exaggerated aromatics from the high % of whole bunch in the ferment and a significant whack of new French oak. Brimming with life, bold, yet nuanced of fruit and just gorgeous.