2017 Vintage Longbottom H Syrah Adelaide Hills Padthaway 750 ml

“This is from Australia?” we asked in astonishment after the sommelier poured a fragrant, violet wine into our glasses.

With a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile, she crossed her arms and nodded. One swirl and sip and we knew this was no Barossa bruiser on the marble bar top before us, but a lithe Syrah of statuesque elegance and silky levity—more lean muscle than bulldozer power.

A smash-hit release molded by the Adelaide Hills—Australia’s ground zero for cool-climate bottles of breeze-kissed freshness and energy—this under-$20, 94-point marvel overdelivers in shocking fashion.

We’d instructed the sommelier to surprise us, and the outstanding 2017 Vintage Longbottom H Syrah went ahead and blew the lid off our expectations. A graceful, light-footed outlier in a market crowded with Australian Shiraz heavyweights, it’s expressive and deep, nuanced with cassis and tobacco, sprinkled with black pepper. 

Raised from limestone soils, the mid-weight body and seamless mouthfeel were reminiscent of Old World Syrah or even red Burgundy, but the core kept unfolding layer after layer of dense, ripe New World lushness.

It’s a good thing we put on our detective hat to track down the producer immediately after falling in love with the bottle. We got to the mother-and-daughter duo behind Vintage Longbottom just in time to snag some of the last remaining inventory of the 200 cases imported to the U.S.

It’s a small but highly coveted supply of the release that James Halliday’s Wine Companion turned into a blockbuster bargain with 94-point praise. 

“The H Series hits all the right notes, and the syrah may well be the finest of the trio,” wrote the leading Australian wine review publication, while Forbes has hailed Vintage Longbottom as “one of the great wine producers of Australia.”

The roots of the estate lie in the Padthaway region, situated on the Limestone Coast in South Australia. Here, Kim and Mark Longbottom planted their first vineyards in 1990, cultivating grapes in the mineral-rich soils chilled by the maritime climate and moistened by regular winter rains.

Tragically, Mark passed away in 2008; ten years later, their daughter Margo helped Kim resurrect the brand under the new Vintage Longbottom name. They moved operations to the Adelaide Hills, becoming a leading light in the rising region’s stylistic renaissance, accompanied by labels like Sidewood and Shaw + Smith. “Winelovers and critics alike find the slender, lithe Shirazes made by leading Adelaide Hills producers irresistible,” declared Decanter.

This bottle—called Syrah due to its similarity to the French style—has grapes split roughly half between Adelaide Hills and Padthaway. A portion of the wine is fermented in whole bunches for an extra dose of aromatic power and tannins, followed by malolactic fermentation in French oak.

You’d never guess a wine this delicious could cost less than $20. Just make sure you don’t get surprised by a “Sold Out” message.