Three very different wine regions, one very exciting shiraz. The fruit is the thing, captivating the senses in dark plum, black olive, wild bramble and blackberry, fully meshed in clove, bay leaf and exotic spice. Velvety across the tongue, the fruit has swallowed up the oak, leaving an integrated, textural whole with the kind of tannin structure and developing complexity to make for an assured future.

Just how good is this fruit? There is substance, depth and spice. It’s quite magical. Another multi-regional marvel from Alterra Terra, this time with Shiraz sourced from the Pyrenees, McLaren Vale and Macedon. It’s a mix of climates and elevations, a recipe for some complexity which is delivered and then some. Blackberry, dark plum, black olive, clove, dried herbs and woodsy spice mingle on the aroma. Achieves both plushness of supple tannins and a velvety mouthfeel. Ripe juicy fruits inhabit the middle palate, while the finish brings those lovely spices into play – lasting long, super spiced and intriguing in pepper, aniseed and bay leaf with wild bramble and leafy tobacco notes among the black fruits. Still very much in the throes of youth, but with a lot left in the tank. A long life awaits.

Fidelis Shiraz 2022. At the core of this stunning wine - whose entire make was a little over 200 cases - lies some unbelievable shiraz from a tiny, unknown and brilliant quartz-based vineyard near Avoca, Victoria. Without any exaggeration, Doug made this component into something very akin to Cote-Rotie in the Northern Rhone. It's been given a splash of McLaren Vale shiraz from an exceptional site in Blewitt Springs to add some plumpness and blackness, all of which is kept tightly in check by the floral perfume, textural and savoury aspects of the wine's true heart and soul.

Expressive aromas of blood plums, blackcurrants, cassia bark, spices, blood oranges, earth, dried herbs and cured meat. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with a rounded and textural mouthfeel that finishes with firmly framed tannins and balanced acidity. There's a lovely structure that finishes with herbal and savory undertones. A multi-regional blend. Drink or hold. Screw cap.