Just a 45-minute drive south of Adelaide in the heart of one of Australia’s oldest and most acclaimed wine regions, Mclaren Vale is a wine lover paradise. Best known for Shiraz, McLaren Vale also excels in the production of ultra-premium Cabernet and Grenache. These are full of richness and intensity and this StarDozen is a great place to start your Mclaren Vale journey with 3 bottles each from 4 renowned producers. All four wines have received 95 Points or better from Australia's leading wine critics which serves to highlight the tremendous quality of the region.

The StarDozen consists of the following:

3 bottles      Varney McLaren Vale GSM 2021
3 bottles      Ulithorne Frux Frugis Shiraz 2018
3 bottles      Serafino McLaren Reserve Grenache 2022
3 bottles      Curtis Small Batch McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz 2021

Varney McLaren Vale GSM 2021
Serve this in buckets! What a beauty! GSMs done well are cracking drinks and this release is worth bashing down the door for. A delicious fusion of fruit, savoury delight and earthiness, this GSM is absolutely humming. Raspberries, baked blueberries and mulberries are the beating heart of this wine. Each part of the blend works in unison rather than seeking the limelight and that's precisely why I can't get enough of it. A clever wine that has been made and blended exceptionally well. Great stuff, and yes, bash the door down. Drink to: 2029+; Price: $35.00; Rating: 95 Points; QWine

Ulithorne Frux Frugis Shiraz 2018
Blewitt Springs fruit. Micro-fermented in new and used French wood after hand harvesting. The right portions of each, judging by a finely hewn bridle of tannins, controlling and directing the fray. As far as warm-climate shiraz goes, this is good. Contemporary in terms of lifted florals and a modicum of tension. Avuncular in terms of weight, power and the armchair you'll need to settle into after drinking it. Finishes with a dose of heat. Date: Dec 2021; Alcohol: 14.5%; Drink by: 2034; Rating: 95 Points; Ned Goodwin MW; James Halliday Wine Companion

Serafino McLaren Reserve Grenache 2022
Yet another of the remarkable Grenache wines we are seeing these days. This multi-trophy winning wine shows just what Grenache can do in McLaren Vale. The fruit comes from Blewitt Springs, one of my favourite subregions, producing wines of finesse and generally medium weight while losing nothing in flavour intensity. So bright and pure with a light perfume of cherry and raspberry with a rose petal background. A wonderful example of the variety. Price: $40.00; Drink to: 2023 - 2031; Rating: 97 Points; Ray Jordan

Curtis Small Batch McLaren Vale Grenache Shiraz 2021
Immensely complex and enticing, the wine shows dark fruit richness, cake spice, toasted nut and potpourri characters on the nose. The superbly weighted palate delivers sumptuous mouthfeel combined with finely woven tannins, finishing impressively long and gratifying. At its best: now to 2037. Date: Oct 2023; Price: $80.00; Rating: 96 Points; Sam Kim; Wine Orbit