An iron fist in a velvet glove best describes these extraordinary wines. They are fashioned with passion and precision from the very old vineyard (shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, mataro and muscat of alexandria), with its unique terroir, by Tony and Lita Brady, who rightly see themselves as custodians of a priceless treasure. The 100-year-old stone winery is virtually unchanged from the day it was built; this is in every sense a treasure beyond price. I should explain, I buy three wines from Wendouree every year, always including the Shiraz. This is the only way I am able to provide tasting notes, and it's almost inevitably a last-minute exercise as I suddenly realise there are no notes in place. Moreover, Wendouree has never made any comment about its wines, and I realise that the change in style away from full-bodied to medium-bodied seems a permanent fixture of the landscape, not a one-off result of a given vintage. The best news of all is that I may actually get to drink some of the Wendourees I have bought over the past 10 years before I die, and not have to rely on my few remaining bottles from the 1970s (and rather more from the '80s and '90s). The Lord moves in mysterious ways. James Halliday