Tight, peppery style has generous black cherry and pomegranate flavors, lively acidity and fine tannins, beautifully proportioned, showing impressive depth and length. Needs time to let the pieces fall into place. Best from 2007 through 2015. 1,084 cases imported. -H.S.

Top 100 90+ point wines under $25. This bottling of Grenache is Beautifully proportioned, with impressive depth and length and generous black cherry and pomegranite flavors. Winemaker Peter Fraser sources the estate-grown fruit from up to 60 year old vines and ages the wine for 15 months in 1-2 year old French barriques.

This is some of the Vale's most sought-after Grenache; it was planted by the Smart family in 1946 and narrowly escaped being pulled up a few years back. Mint, fresh herb and black pepper aromas are profound; on the palate, lifted black cherry and plum fruit is swathed in fine tannins. A wine worth seeking out, as it tends to sell out shortly after release.

Has a wonderful sense of freshness to the blueberry and plum flavors, shaded with peppermint and a touch of espresso as the finish lasts and lasts against mildly grippy tannins. Has style without sacrificing purity. Best from 2006 through 2015.

Big, rich and juicy, brimming with blueberry, plum, blackberry and black pepper flavors that are so lively they seem to jump out of the glass. the finish lingers intensely, cloaked in ultra refined tannins. Drink now through 2012.

Appealing blackberry and mulberry aromas with a touch vanilla cola and licorice. Good density on the mid-palate. I enjoy the plush nature of the palate, the depth of fruit and the distinct vein of spice. A stunning example of a preservative-free wine.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings This red-fruited style has bright red berries and some slightly earthy nuances, too. Then a fresh, pure and easygoing palate that offers a neatly resolved finish. Drink now. Screw cap

This is Yangarra's foray into this very Australian preservative-free category of wines, and the result is delicious. Brambly fruit, baking spices, coffee, vanilla and ground peppercorn aromas lead to a palate that is plush but firm, deftly woven with stony, mineral tannins, an earthy core and a long savory, herbal finish. This is a clean-cut, warming wine that makes you want to eat a gamy casserole on a cold day in winter.

Why Australian Wine is Some of the Most Exciting in the World Bright and fruity with a cascade of vibrant blue fruits, bananas, crushed stones and blackberry tart. Medium body, light tannins and a fruity, essence-like finish. Cold soak and carbonic maceration.

The fruit is grown at Kangarilla, McLaren Vale from 17-21-year-old shiraz vines that sit between 150-180m above sea level. The 100 hectares of vineyards at Yangarra are divided into 35 individual blocks spread amongst 70 hectares of creeks, native vegetation and native corridors. Each block is defined by different aspects and subtle variations of the sand and ironstone soils. This wine is grown primarily on the sandy sites. The PF shiraz blocks are among the first blocks to be picked and are said to often be low in sugar and high in natural acidity. Whole berries are double sorted, lightly broken and dumped into small open-top fermenters. No additives were used for the wine’s entire production. A few days of cold soak precedes a natural yeast fermentation and a careful regime of plunging and drain to return a perfect extraction. This wine is delicious, and soars far above its winemaking. Uncannily textural and dry with firm, round fruit that spills across the palate spreading dense soft tannins everywhere, supporting rather than affecting the finish. Pure is a perfect word to describe this wine. The PF Shiraz is made from grapes grown without herbicides, fungicides or synthetic chemicals. It is made without additions of any kind: sulphur (preservative), acid, tannin or finings. There is no barrel aging and the alcohol, at 14.5%, is natural. Wow.

A beautifully fragrant and floral shiraz that offers up masses of perfume and rich red to dark berry fruit aromas, alluring stuff here. The palate has a pulpy, bright and succulent core of cassis, blueberry and mulberry fruit, smooth playful tannins, terrific flesh. Drink now.

Deep purple. Deep aromas of black cherries, dark currants, roasted figs, along with violets, sweet cocoa, mint, menthol and warm clay. Full and rich on the palate with velvety tannins and medium acidity. Flavors of roasted figs, plum cake, black cherries, along with mint, pepper, violets, cocoa. There’s some earthy, dusty, spice rub mixed in here, too. A lot going on, and it’s bright despite its richness and depth. I’d love to taste this in five years. Aged 15 months in 45% new French oak.

Pizza Friendly? Sure is, although the initials designate preservative free winemaking so no additives at all in this wine. Winemaker Peter Fraser (PF) states that he harvested on grape pH numbers and hence the lower than usual alcohol for McLaren vale shiraz at just 12.5%. It's a revelation of sorts, as the wine looks complete and really fresh, bursting with black fruits and gently earthy, liquorice and spice notes. The flavors are all here too, plenty of dark plum, more liquorice, black cherry and raspberry. Drink young.

Interesting new release. Grown biodynamically. No additions whatsoever. Falls under the banner of natural in its growing and making. Regardless of your feelings towards the Natural Wine Movement you'd be pretty hard to please if you didn't enjoy drinking this. It's fresh, vibrant and delicious. Raw and tank-sample-ish, thoroughly nouveau, alive with blackberry/brown bread/plum-like flavour and then juicy and textural through the finish. It even has some guts. It's a great red to rip into.

No additions of any type. Grown biodynamically. Could be labelled 'natural' wine. Tastes like a tank sample. Raw, yeasty and brimful of fruit. Incredibly vibrant and alive. Plums, dark cherries and brown bread. A gentle dusting of chocolate. Grippy, grapey tannin. McLaren Vale shiraz flavour on naked display. Nouveau style.

Deep, smooth and juicy with rich blackberry and cassis; bright, tangy and nicely structured; seamless, intense and nicely balanced; long and stylish.

Deep, smooth and juicy with rich blackberry and cassis; bright, tangy and nicely structured; seamless, intense and nicely balanced; long and stylish.

Rich and plump, a flood of fruit, with powerful blackberry, plum and a wee touch of peppermint, all echoing through the long finish. A serious McLaren vale Shiraz built to last.

This Kendall-Jackson project from Australia debuted with the 2000 vintage; beginning with the 2001 vintage they introduced the Appellation Series to showcase the regional Australian character (the original Varietal Series blends grapes from different sources). Winemaker Peter Fraser blends grapes for this wine from two different sub-regions of McLaren Vale: the cooler Foothills/BlewittSprings subregion and the warmer Seaview Hilltops region.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings There’s a rich array of ripe dark plums and blueberries on offer here, in a youthful, fresh mode. The palate has trademark, deep-gauge tannins and dark-blue-fruit flavors. Firm and full of character. Certified organic. Drink now. Screw cap.

Juicy and succulent, with blackberry, blueberry and pomegranate flavors at the polished core. Accents of black pepper and clove linger on the spicy finish, which is full of finesse and thick tannins. Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre.

Old vine grenache makes up the thrust of this wine. It’s from organically grown (certified) vineyards. McLaren Vale does GSMs very well, I reckon. Let the shiraz play second fiddle to the region’s better red grape variety, I say. It’s a nice thing to drink, easy thing to drink, feels smooth, even and tidy-ish in its components. That being said, oak peeks out a bit in old spice cupboard, pencil shavings and twigginess in perfume and palate, but there’s just about enough dark fruit, Xmas cake dried fruits and spice and earthiness to move things along. Just medium weight, finishes a touch short with smudged dusty tannins. Again, nice drink.

Medium garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Grenache / Shiraz / Mourvèdre offers a seductive perfume of potpourri, incense and baking spices over a core of kirsch and raspberry tart. Full-bodied, concentrated, voluptuous and oh-so-spicy, it delivers gorgeous red berry layers and a velvety texture to the palate and a finish that goes on-and-on.

Deep purple-red glowing youthful colour and a pepper/spice and gently vegetal aroma which is clean and characterful. It's intense and full-bodied with taut acidity and greater amplitude than the straight grenache, lasting long on the aftertaste. A terrific mouthful of wine at the price.