2023 Polygon 1 Shiraz, Alkina

Just 878 bottles were made of this astounding single-parcel (or Polygon) Shiraz from Alkina, today one of the leading producers in the Barossa. Planted in 1955, Polygon No 1 amounts to a little under a hectare on soils of schist and quartzite, with some ferric clay. The resulting wine in 2023 is hugely complex on the nose with black and red fruit aromas and subtle savoury notes. The palate is tightly wound, with a resounding mineral core and the sheer freshness that’s a hallmark of Alkina. This might just be the apogee of Australian Shiraz.