Agricola Vintners - Flaxman Valley Shiraz - 2023

Here we go with Naimanya Original Vineyard, Burley ‘Hill’ and Home 100-plus-year-old vines. Seems to be some firepower in the resources here. The standout feature here is an unnerving sense of purity. Overall, so fresh, so fine, vibrant fruit, a swish of ultra-fine and quality, feathery tannins, red fruits, cinnamon toast spiciness, dark amaro characters, dried rose petals, faint game meat and chai tea – what the?!. Exotic, unbelievably complex, superb drinkability, vitality, length, intensity and levity. It’s so good. So so good. Any prestige wine anywhere will have to put up its dukes. It’s all about balance, persistence, layers of character and still an inimitable sense of the cooler places of a warm place that it comes from, let alone the intensity of quality old vines. It meets you with full eye contact and a firm handshake. It’s wildly delicious. Far out. 97+ Points Mike Bennie, winefront.com.au