The new faces behind the Curtis Family Vineyards are Mark, Thomas & Jenna Curtis, with the guidance of their father, Claudio Curtis who lives on the vineyard just outside McLaren Vale. The name Curtis is thought to derive from Curtius, a noble and wealthy family of the First and Second Centuries AD, the Roman Empire era originating from the Latinium people. 

Martins Vineyards sources fruit from a combination of owned vineyards and premium McLaren Vale growers. The blend of individual vineyard and sub-regional characteristics is the key to the resulting style. Sub regions are Blewitt Springs, McLaren Flat, Willunga and McLaren Vale.

This is gloriously rich and enticing with blackberry, warm spice, tapenade and cedary oak characters on the nose. The palate is equally impressive, displaying outstanding weight and power combined with velvety mouthfeel, finishing superbly long and delicious. At its best: now to 2040. Price: $150.00; Rating: 97 Points; Sam Kim; Wine Orbit

This wine is part of a limited series of McLaren Vale Shiraz from the Martins Vineyard and for me, perhaps the most impressive in the range – which is saying something as it has plenty of competition. Vibrant purple in colour, this offers a lovely seductive nose, which is deeply flavoured with blackberry notes, plums, boot leather, bergamot, black cherries and spices. Hints of oak but melding well. Dense in structure though well balanced at all times, this is very long and has satiny tannins in abundance. It should sail through a decade in the cellar, though is drinking well now. Simply a cracking McLaren Vale Shiraz. Price: $150.00; Alcohol: 14.5%; Rating: 96 Points; Ken Gargett