The search for vineyards of special provenance began in the mid '90s when Scott Ireland settled in the Geelong region. Keen to work with excellent vineyards west and south of Melbourne, it didn't take long for him to realise that a great prospect existed. An opportunity to bring under the one umbrella, a patchwork quilt of vineyards where the match of grape variety to vineyard site produced great fruit.  Provenance Wines was born, the name chosen in recognition of the source vineyards.

An attractive deep violet colour in the glass. Lifted fruit aromas of licorice, black olive and allspice speak of vineyard rather than the winemaker’s toolkit. When tasted, powerful fruit flavour matched to medium weight is cut with a fine textural tannin input. The long in flavour finish, is matched to fresh natural acidity that completes/balances the wine.  An age-worthy refined wine.

From a vineyard planted in 1997, 5km south of the Bannockburn township in the Moorabool Valley. Fermented with whole berries and matured in mainly seasoned puncheons. A bright, medium ruby red. Aromas of blackberries, kirsch, olive tapenade and a little incense precede the supple, medium-bodied and deceptively well-structured palate. It's balanced enough to enjoy now with food, but it's also been built to cellar well, for at least the next seven to 10 years. Drink to: 2033; Price: $37.00; Alcohol: 13.8%; Rating: 95 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion

If cool climate shiraz is your thing, then you will love this wine. It's just so beautifully flavoured, and pitched. It tastes of black pepper, strings of herbs, ripe red/black cherries and roasted nuts, with sweet spice and cedarwood as boosters. But it's the whole of it, the cohesion, the silken mouthfeel and the length of the finish that really underlines this wine's quality. In short, it's an excellent wine. And more. Closure: Screwcap; Price: $37.00; Rated: 95 Points; Campbell Mattinson

An array of crunchy red and black fruit, raspberries, blueberries, mulberries, black cherries, a sprinkle of vanilla and crushed violets set the scene. Then it's time for spicy aromas: new leather, black olive tapenade, cooking herbs and cracked black pepper. A delightfully fruitful texture, crunchy, refreshing, yet voluptuous. It's a wine that gives a lot of joy, with plenty of primary fruit; very well-balanced overall. As young and energetic, ticks all the boxes for a contemporary Australian Shiraz that can equally please the drinker in the short term as with time. Drink to: 2025-2036; Price: $37.00; Rating: 95 Points; Lisa Cardelli