A special series wine from a prominent McLaren Vale winery isn’t something that’s easy to get our hands on. And we mean, sometimes this stuff can’t even be picked up when you bang on the doors of wineries themselves. So, safe to say we were jumping for joy to land this beauty from Curtis. Intensely dense, which sounds just as smooth as it drinks. Heightened aromas of blackcurrant and black cherries waft enticingly from the decanter, which help to open this to its full potential. The oak influence is superbly balanced, helping to lift the marked quality of the fruit and give this beauty the longevity it deserves. Sometimes you say we spoil you mofos, and we’re starting to think that you’re right.

This strikes the fresh jam cord perfectly (and it's a hard chord to play); the trick is to find developed fruit flavours without falling into overly unctuous and too-ripe territory. When winemakers get it right the results are outstanding - lucky for you, this is one such wine. Spiced, herbacious, and delivering a long fantail finish that ties the wine neatly together and has you (almost unconsciously) lifting the glass back to your lips. I will tell you to cellar this (and you will be rewarded if you do) but it's hypocritical of me, because I've already consumed my modest allocation.

A wax dipped, deeply layered beauty out of the hands of Schild Estate, on of Barossa's most adored producers. Macerated plums, fresh vanilla pods, cracked pepper and roasted coffee beans are just some of the layers that you can expect here. Did we mention a robust, silky palate? That's right, this is a wine of very high calibre. Given Schild Estate is all about their heritage estate vineyards, I guess we should never have been surprised at how good this could get.