The Troll watches on as this Bethany Cabernet fruit ripens – the fruit is far more luscious than you would expect from Barossa Cabernet and perhaps that is due to the Troll’s influence... Sweet raspberry, cherry and spearmint all mix with the gentle Cabernet tannins and generous acid to create this unique Cabernet that is very easy to drink and with such natural fruit sweetness it just slides down. Not for the cellar, this wine is perfect for the Queensland climate –even a gentle chill would not do it any harm. -SG

Eden Riesling is sometimes linear and one dimensional. Dave Franz has created a wine here that defies any Eden 2008 Riesling that I have seen. There are layers and layers of fruit mixing lime rind, melon and guava as well as concentrated minerality and sherbet. The palate has generous, even acidity and every sip is a new exploration into Eden and its capacity for fruit flavours, testified too by the slightly savoury snow pea and fresh artichoke that seldom appear in the king of white varieties. -SG

Something always draws me in to Tim O’Callaghan’s wines. At first it was spotting the strangely labelled bottle at the Rockford Stonewall Cellar Door and then it was experiencing Tim’s winery and his great passion that is larger than life. The Watch Dog hides from sight on the nose, preferring a more subtle approach, while the palate hits you like a freight train – not unlike its canine counterpart. The palate offers so much great Barossa fruit upfront and then a harmonious mixture of Cabernet and Shiraz tannins that follow through to the end. Time has been very generous to this wine and it has many more years still to come. -SG

Clonakilla's flagship Shiraz Viognier is one of the new stars of Australian wine scene. If you want to check out why Tim Kirk's blending of the red and white grapes garners such praise then you can always start with the O'Riada. Shiraz is co-fermented with 6% Viognier to produce a medium bodied wine of delicacy, elegance and true poise. Make sure you give it a good decant if you want to pour it in the next year or two. - JP