Callum Powell knows a thing or two about shiraz and the Barossa. Stepping away from Powell & Son a few years ago has allowed him to to really drill down and focus on his Agricola label. Sourcing fruit from a number of sites and bottling them as individual expressions is the name of the game here.
Unlike the wines of his father which are intense, brooding and of an epic scale, Callum has crafted a set of wines that take all the knowledge, skill and fastidiousness that he has learnt from him and interpreted them in such a way that this excellent wine will make shiraz fans both old and new salivate.
A bout of hail decimated the Flaxman crop this year, facing a tiny yiels this years cuvee was supplemented with high quality fruit from neighbouring plots, Chris Ringland's Three Rivers vineyard and Nathan Burley's Hill and Naimanya vineyards respectively.
Bold and plus red and blue fruited vivacity on show here, vibrant, full and just a little gamey. Pepper plays a part filling the gaps as cherry, blue berry and snappy red fruits all do their thing whilst a keen mineral edge cuts a path for some fine tannin to take you through to a very lengthy and seamless back palate. Poised and palpable, this is Syrah of the Barossa, calling it shiraz just doesn't seem grand enough.