Agricola Flaxman Valley Shiraz 2024

"This feels more robust than previous releases of Agricola’s Flaxman Valley, yet still holds its own with tension and texture. These are quite something, the 2024s a cavalcade of charisma and personality, yet finesse and a showcase of high-res tannin. “How do they make it so cheap, son?”. The first and foremost thing to discuss is the pixellated, fine, succulent tannin. It shapes the wine but also melts into it, lends freshness, draws comparison to Italianate endeavours and lends a freshness to each approach. A rich array of dark and brooding berry and cherry fruit, blue fruits too, Aussie bush characters, a bit of alpine herb, some turned earth, paprika-spiked salumi, roast beetroot, pepper and then elements of graphite and stone – I’m loath to push the list of descriptors but they just keep coming up. It sits low profile in the palate but manages to stain it too – almost, not quite, a pinosity, maybe cru Beaujolais, but hey, it’s its own thing too. An experience of subtleness, which is a strange thing to say for Barossa shiraz; this is so compelling." 97 Points Mike Bennie