Australia’s finest: Langton’s Top 40

Measly yields (around 270 grams of fruit per vine), the product of high density planting, account for Pinot pioneer and obsessive Phillip Jones’ success. From five rows of ‘precocious’ vines, the Reserve displays great power, depth and layer delivered with superb equilibrium and intensity, with spice and earth sluiced plum, cassis and beetroot and a supple underlay of cool, silty tannins. A full-bodied but very buoyant, complex Pinot with terrific length.

Since planting Paringa Estate in 1985, Mornington Peninsula pioneer Lindsay McCall has picked the eyes out of his vineyard for this muscular flagship Pinot, which sees around 80% new French oak. Long and involving, it has campari lift and earthier fern and pine needle forest floor notes to its well-focussed, concentrated red cherry, currant and berry fruit. It finishes with a lick of chocolatey oak and fine-grained tannins.

First made by Drew Noon’s father in 1976 (and called 'Burgundy'), this old vine Grenache-dominated red has evolved into an unusual, highly expressive blend of 100% estate-grown, dry-farmed Grenache, Shiraz and Graciano, with membrillo spice, orange peel and garrigue nuances to its expansive sweet plum and blackberry fruit. Having completed ageing in a 4,500 litre oak vat, it displays impressive freshness and persistence for a wine of such swagger and girth.

This flagship wine comes from the crème de la crème of some 45 different batches of Cabernet Sauvignon – in 2008, Dead Morris Vineyard (79%) and Quarry Block vineyard (21%). With powerful, ripe supporting tannins it builds inexorably in the mouth, revealing great concentration and complexity, with classic dried herbs, black olive, tufa and cassis. The long finish showcases Coonawarra’s tufa and fresh porcini minerality.

A low yielding year of 4 tons per hectare, owing to hail and storms during the ripening period. The grapes were harvested between 20 February and 7 March and the wine was aged for 17 months in oak, 60% new. Sleek blackcurrant and richer crème de mure and cassis flavours are interwoven with mulchy rose petal, bitter chocolate, charred radicchio, earth and iodine notes. Fine-grained tannins underpin the whole, demonstrating terrific structure and complexity.

This estate favours South Australia’s historic Reynell Cabernet clone which, says winemaker Phil Lehmann, 'produces piercingly varietal flavours in the blackcurrant spectrum'. Notes of roast chestnuts, black olive and leather lend a savoury, mellow edge to a buoyant, juicily motile cassis-driven palate with a hint of mint. Inky florals and gravelly minerality on the back palate together with fine-grained tannins lend great finesse to the finish.

Made only in top vintages, Wynn’s flagship Cabernet is named after Coonawarra’s pioneer, pastoralist and parliamentarian John Riddoch. Deep-set notes of perfumed cassis and toasty oak to the nose follows through on an assertive, highly concentrated palate with coal-edged blackcurrant and savoury olive nuances. A sturdy arc of fine, mineral iron-filing tannins buttresses and guides the fruit, pushing out a long but firm finish with laser beam focus and intensity. Much yet to give.

Top cuvées, each release named after a different family member or friend, come from the Watson’s original 1973 dry-grown vineyard. Spearheading a renaissance following an interregnum when fruit was sold, second generation winemaker Stuart aims for Bordeaux-like 'concentration without sweetness'. Salted black olive, balsamic and toasted praline oak add depth and nuance to this dense, forceful Cabernet’s concentrated blueberry and cassis. Rich, ripe tannins frame and complete the build. Young.

Unexpectedly, perhaps, the Riesling king’s refined Cabernet blend comes from his, and indeed Clare Valley’s, highest vineyard at 570 metres. Planted in 1986, rocky outcrops punctuate Gaia’s two hectares of low-yielding vines, even though Grosset removed 11 truckloads of rock. Cabernet Franc flourishes, lending great perfume to this wine’s sweet, dried herb-edged blueberry and blackberry. Balsamic and gravel notes emerge on a long finish, with fine tilth and subtle milk chocolate tannins. Lovely.

A small patch of the Justin vineyard’s 40 year old vines produces Houghton’s best Cabernet, named Jack Mann in tribute to the winemaker who served 51 vintages at Houghton and selected the celebrated Houghton clone from which it is made. It is a rich but well-structured Cabernet with perfumed, juicy blueberry, blackcurrant and mulberry fruit, accompanied by cedar oak, black tea, a hint of balsamic and firm, fine-grained tannins.

Under Virginia Wilcock’s watch, Margaret River’s oldest estate is producing elegant Bordeaux varietal reds from 100% estate fruit. Flagship Heytesbury features Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec from the original vines, planted in 1967, with a dash of Petit Verdot. It has not an ounce of fat, and great sheen to its vivid mulberry and cassis fruit. Complexing balsamic and frangipane notes bring lift and layer, while highly polished, super-fine tannins make for a long, slippery finish.

Made from the top 20-25% of Cabernet fruit from Wynns’ sizeable Coonawarra estate, this 57th vintage brims with sophistication and pedigree. Nowadays medium-bodied and matured in French oak barriques, hogsheads and vats, this Coonawarra stalwart ticks all the Coonawarra boxes with its long, very persistent palate of juicy, perfumed cassis, savoury black olive and cedar oak. Polished to perfection; stunning value.

Dr Tom Cullity, Vasse Felix’s founder and a Margaret River pioneer, focussed on Cabernet Sauvignon from the off; Vasse Felix has made a Cabernet every year since 1972. The 2012 blend comprises 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. It is a spicy, gravelly Cabernet with dried herbs, balsamic and chocolate notes to its bright, juicy blackcurrant and plum fruit. The fine tannins are polished and very elegant.

Winter rains ended the drought. This and a temperate growing season produced an animated, really expressive 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Shiraz blend. Reducing the new oak and American component to 80% and 19% respectively doubtless helped too. Vivid blueberry, bilberry and blackcurrant fruit with plum skin tannins and a grunt of black pepper let rip on a juicy, perfumed palate of great persistence. Lovely freshness and immediacy with the bones to age.

A broodingly youthful "baby Grange" combining chocolate, cassis and blueberry Cabernet aromas with the sweeter, cinnamon, camphor and pepper notes of Shiraz but yet to fully integrate. Substantial and chewy with a firm spine of acidity.

True to the Henschke family’s elegant style, this twist on an Australian classic - Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon - incorporates two extra Bordeaux players, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Mostly sourced from old vine material, it has dried herb fragrance and gravel minerality to its juicy plum and cassis fruit. Fine-thread tannins and chocolatey oak seamlessly meld the whole. Stylish.

Longevity - of vines, wines and style - is Wendouree’s hallmark. First planted in 1892, the cult 12 hectare estate produces deliciously un-reconstructed wines of sinew and grit. A less extractive regime has tamed the tannins without emasculating the wines. From a relatively bigger-berried block, the Mataro’s saddle soap and garrigue notes meld seamlessly with the Shiraz’s juicy, lithe plum and blackberry. The finish is long, with an underlay of mineral, iron filing tannins, showing terrific balance.

Similarities between the granite soils and continental climates of the Rhône and Canberra inspired Tim Kirk to make Shiraz Viognier, following a visit to Côte-Rôtie with Marcel Guigal in 1991. This is wonderfully fragrant, with finely etched layers of lively black pepper, crushed coriander seed, Campari florals and exotic orange peel to its red fruit, blackberry and blood plum core. Scintillating line and length, with wave upon echoing wave of spices.

Planted in 1860, these remarkable 150-year old Shiraz vines unquestionably produce one of the greatest wines of Australia. Its spice, tar and tabasco fragrance is intense and complex, repeated in a super-intense, opulent (but not sweet) palate. Pure black fruit flavours laced with spice are underpinned by an elegant balance of succulence and finesse of texture. Behind it there is a firm, muscular structure tapering to a long and satisfying finish.

A blend of 98% Shiraz and a leavening of just 2% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. This latest Grange is a typical, deeply saturated ruby in colour with an immensely seductive aromatic quality. Aromas of smoked meats, coconut and roasted coffee oak with a balsamic hint lead into a wonderful full-throttle, tongue-enveloping blackberry richness suffused with mocha, liquorice spiciness and a black olive background. A textured framework of tight but fine-grained tannins contains the fruit. The drinking window will open relatively early in three to four years and stay open for another 30 years plus.

<p>Labelled &lsquo;Claret&rsquo; until 1989 says less about St Henri&rsquo;s traditional dash of Cabernet and more about the elegance which derives from maturation in large, old 1,460 litre oak vats. In 2012, a 100% Shiraz, rolling acidity and fine tannins bring great fluidity to its juicy, very pure and bright blackberry and raspberry fruit. This elegant, supple Shiraz reveals subtle anise and leather notes on a long, beautifully balanced finish. Seamless.</p>

Tradition at its best. Small batch, hands on winemaking at Robert O’Callaghan’s retro-fitted bluestone winery employs a 1910 vintage petrol driven Bagshaw crusher, old basket presses and open slate fermenters. This is an expansive old vine Barossa Shiraz with earthy chocolate undertones and perfumed oak vanillin to its fleshy plum, spicy plum pudding, blackberry and cherry fruit flavours. Juicy with supple tannins, the finish is sustained and very satisfying. Terrific balance.

Produced predominantly from 15 rows of Concongella Clone Shiraz planted by Henry Best in 1866. Savoury notes of black and green peppercorn, coltsfoot, dried herbs, orange peel, charcuterie, eucalyptus and cappuccino oak parry playfully with red and black fruits. An attractive rasp of tannins anchors the flavours, while dancing acidity extends them. Immensely characterful, with great energy and tension.

Fortunately for wine lovers, plans to locate Pokolbin cemetery on the site of the Hunter’s best-known vineyard of the modern era never came to pass. A beautifully balanced, very supple Graveyard, this has swathes of fleshy blackberry and succulent blackcurrant that stake out the mid-palate, well supported by savoury, supple tannins. Lifted red fruits and spice pull through on a long, powerful finish. In the Hunter Burgundy mould.

Founder Dave Powell singled out old vineyards principally in the north-west Barossa, where it is drier and yields are super-low. This hedonistic Shiraz Viognier has a pure velvet punch of crushed red cherry, bilberry, blackberry and raspberry fruit, with confit notes and a hint of tar alongside chocolate and oak vanillin. A raft of old vine spice and minerality brings savoury balance and, with a kick of alcohol, great gravelly, peppery resonance.

Small, thick-skinned berries with a very high seed content from Alfred Percy Birks’ original 1893 vines define this singular, savoury Shiraz. Under screwcap, fruit expression seems more buoyant, showing blackberry with a touch of jube, pronounced bay leaf, liquorice and expansive, attractively mulchy and silty tannins which build in the mouth. This is exceptionally long, with a firm undertow of acidity and traces of iodine and angostura bitters. Superbly balanced, with a strong centre of gravity.

Former Rockford winemaker Chris Ringland’s high octane Shiraz from his dry-grown 1910 planted Eden Valley vineyard caught Robert Parker’s eye when he tasted it. High in everything save bottles produced, this robust cult wine has piercing intensity to its oily rag-edged black fruit, perfumed oak, firm acid and dense but fine tannins. Its balance and gravelly, mineral finish, which Ringland attributes to unusually thick-skins, really take you by surprise.

They did not plant it, but the Schulz family have been custodians of Turkey Flat’s original 1847 vineyard since the 1860s. The 1847 vines provided both fruit and cuttings for the younger vineyards, which also contributed to this mid-weight, understated Barossan Shiraz. In a drier style, it has well-defined red and black berry and cherry fruit, fine tannins and lingering, deep-seated old vine spices. Lovely balance and subtle finesse.

Old vines with ‘dead arm’, or Eutypa dieback which slowly kills vine wood, reducing yields, provide a double whammy of concentration. In a mild year, the 2011 retains Dead Arm’s intensity of flavour, bringing its innate savouriness to the fore. This is an elegant Shiraz with pronounced inky florals, earth, smoked meat and ironstone minerality to its persistent blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. A particularly translucent expression of terroir and vintage.

Plum hue with bricking at the rim. Rich and dense with velvety tannins and mature flavours of sweet blueberry fruit leather, panforte, boozy plum pudding, tar, blood and gravel, with hints of coffee and medicinal herbs. Warm and satisfying, though more developed than expected since first tasting it in 2015. Breaking a drought run, 2010 was a mild year with a few hot weeks, but harvest dates were close to normal.

Peter Lehmann famously championed old vine Barossa Shiraz in the 1980s when growers were paid to grub it up. Created in 1987, this classic barrel-fermented 'best of the best' Shiraz comes from a dozen or so top vineyards, the oldest planted in 1885. Exuberant toasty, mocha oak (mostly French, with 10% American) and blueberry and black olive fruit make for a plush, perfumed wine, with a long chassis of fine-grained tannins.

Seven generations of Kalleskes have tended the family farm in Greenock since Johann Georg Kalleske migrated to Australia in 1838. From a single vineyard planted in 1875, this Shiraz honours him. Mocha, vanillin and coconut oak nuances are swiftly mopped up by this wine’s intensely perfumed crème de mûre, black cherry and framboise fruit. Sinewy tannins and ripe but present acidity guide and extend the shapley palate.

First produced in 1959, Bin 28 is Penfold’s earliest Bin-range wine. Though initially sourced from Penfold’s Kalimna vineyard in the Barossa, it has been a multi-regional blend for many years. There is plenty of bang for buck with Penfold's customary polish, energy and grip to Bin 28's blue and black berry and currant fruit. Mocha oak, dried herbs, star anise, clove, black olive and leather nuances add texture and layer.

This, the Barossa’s first Shiraz Viognier blend, is so-called because it derives from a single vineyard next to the winery planted to cuttings from old Runrig vineyards in 1994. Though it does not have the depth of Runrig, the young vines echo the flamboyance and purity of Runrig’s fruit. Descendant is creamy and seductive, with a velvety palate of crushed raspberry fruit, silky smooth tannins and mochaccino oak.

In 1878, Benno Seppelt started a tradition which produced Australia’s most revered fortified Tawny - reserving a puncheon of the vintage’s best ‘Port’ for 100 years, untouched. With mind-blowing intensity, this viscous Para raids the spice rack. Clove, tamarind, cassia, liquorice and star anise are joined by burnt treacle, molasses, citrus peel, Camp coffee essence and rancio notes, which go some way to balancing the still plump, toothsomely sweet rum and raisin fruit. A feast.