Although this wine is plush, dense and rich, it possesses a compelling percussion and balance. Right up there with Grange and Hill Of Grace as one of Australia's best Shiraz, and from one of the greatest vintages too!
Penfolds Bin 389 is the classic South Australian red! Often referred to as 'Baby Grange' or 'Poor Man's Grange', Bin 389 was the wine that helped to build Penfolds' solid reputation with wine drinkers around the world. A magnificent blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from the very best regions and vineyards available to Peter Gago and his team, the robust nature of the Cabernet grape give structure and body to the wine while the opulent Shiraz fruit provides suppleness and intensity. A true icon of Australian wine first created by the legend himself, Max Schubert, Peter Gago is quoted as saying 'Through thick and thin, across all vintages, Bin 389 always delivers - benefitting from over half a century of practice!
Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1,460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz.
Penfolds St Henri is one of Australia's greatest red wines. The Shiraz for St Henri is selected for subtlety and elegance and the finished wine has the structure complexity for extended bottle maturation. The 1991 is a classic St Henri vintage that is good to drink until 2022.
Rockford Basket Press Shiraz has garnered a unique and cult following over its lifetime. With its 'old school' brown glass bottle and traditional label, Rockford Basket Press is one for the traditionalists. Big, bold and upfront fruit with all the lashings of chocolate, coffee bean and Christmas cake all have come to adore.
Lovely floral and spicy complexities, with hints of fruits of the forest, pepper and ginger snap. The palate displays the full range of dark berries, Mediterranean herbs, and savoury pan jus elements. It is tight and compact, intense and deep, firm and taut, with nicely measured grip and tremendous length. A powerhouse of a wine, but also one possessed of great elegance.
Bright plum in colour, Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon displays delicate notes of mint and blackcurrant, with a more savory bouquet of semi-dried tomatoes and fruit chutney at the end. A hint of oak and spice adds extra warmth. On the palate a flavour-wheel of spearmint, milo powder, chocolate and black liquorice.
Bold and impressively styled, the wine shows black blueberry, violet, cured meat and toasty oak characters. The palate delivers excellent depth and persistency, wonderfully framed by layers of fine tannins. Flavoursome and delectably appealing.
Penfolds RWT Shiraz is a big juicy Barossan Shiraz refined by the use of older French oak barrels. 1998 is considered to be one of the classic vintages of the modern age. Drinking wonderfully now but with many years still to come in its development, this is a great addition to any cellar.
Greenock Estate Single Vineyard Museum Reserve Shiraz
A very impressive Museum Release Reserve Shiraz from a single Barossa Valley vineyard, with two 96pt scores. Ken Garget WinePilot tells us it's from "Old vines from a single site…" but Ray Jordan is more dramatic: “Wow, this is Barossa Shiraz—it’s big, it’s bold, but there is a classy refinement here… It’s an opulent, plush, and generous style of Shiraz that captures what was a very good year in the Barossa. Dark prune-like characters with plums, dark cherry, and some spicy savoriness as well, with that final richer dark chocolate coating completing what is an excellent wine. 96pts.” (Ray Jordan, WinePilot). Sam Kim, Wine Orbit is just as enthusiastic: “This is powerful with refinement, showing dark fruit richness, toasted spice, smoked game, assorted nut, and dark cocoa characters on the nose, leading to a superbly weighted palate offering seductive complexity with velvety texture, finishing impressively long and plush. Wonderfully harmonious and structured with excellent depth and opulence. 96pts”.
Greenock Estate Single Vineyard Museum Reserve Shiraz 2017