Agricola Vintners - DWxHV Shiraz - 2023

Geez, what a treat it is to work through the quartet of new release wines from Callum Powell of Agricola. Top of the pops. All day. This is a blend of Hoffmann Dallwitz vineyard sourcing with plantings dating from 1996 to 1888 and fruit from the Angas family’s 1961 Hutton Vale plot. What a combo! This is quite potent but still manages a sense of freshness and prettiness. Scents of ripe plum, ginger biscuit, cumin and cardamom in a big way, bloody meat, black tea, new leather and anise. Evocative. The palate shows off rich, dense fruit characters, intense black plum, cola, more gingery notes, that similar riff of curry spices, strong black tea feel to the fine but firm tannin profile and some bergamot and bay leaf to finish. Feels quite Italianate in a way – an almost robust sangiovese-esque profile, and good for it. But still, the beating heart of Barossa is is writ large. Tremendous. 95 Points Mike Bennie, winefront.com.au