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.
96 Points - Ken Gargett: "Always a star of the Collection, year after year." 96 Points - Andrew Caillard 95 Points - Tyson Stelzer The nose is greeted by a hallmark bouquet featuring dark fruit aromas of blackberries and plums, complemented by shaved dark chocolate and Black Forest cake. Aromatic dried herbs and a hint of boot polish add depth, with fine, toasty oak discreetly folded into the fruit.
Penfolds Great Grandfather Tawny Giftbox Non-Vintage
Great Grandfather Rare Tawny was created in 1994 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Penfolds. Subsequent blending material has been sourced from stage six of the ‘Grandfather Solera’ and individual batches of maturing Grandfather that are identified as having exceptional quality. These components are further aged before being blended and introduced into the ‘Great Grandfather Solera’. After an initial launch of exactly 1994 bottles to commemorate the year of its inaugural release, Great Grandfather is only ever released in limited quantities to ensure the age and quality of the style is never compromised. With a minimum average blended age of 30 years, Penfolds Great Grandfather Rare Tawny delivers a beguiling mix of age, structure, strength and complexity with each and every sip. Penolds Great Grandfather Rare Tawny is a highly coveted gift for life’s special milestones.
Penfolds Bin 707 is widely regarded as the ‘benchmark’ of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. A full-bodied wine with outstanding depth, complexity and structure, the palate offers great intensity and concentration of varietal flavour, balanced by a finely integrated oak character from 18 months maturation in new small American oak barrels. Aromas: Poured, swirled - persuasive Cabernet black olive, graphite and tapenade aromatics may initially relax Bin 707 style sceptics. Yet just when the guard is dropped, in creeps a scented wave of choc mint, Asian spices and sage/bay leaf botanicals. Taking no prisoners - a good measure of soot/ ironstone/ sump oil blackness, and a floral headiness of iris and dried hibiscus. Yes, a full-on, uncamouflaged Bin 707 aromatic assault. Not for the meek. Unashamedly 100% Cabernet, 100% new oak, 100% Penfolds. Palate: All is convincingly redeemed on the palate. No stylistic retreat, yet engagingly a better understanding of what lies beneath…Texturally, a suppleness and tightness that is indeed profound. Fine long ripe tannins offer polish and a felt like ‘attaque’. Perhaps trademark – a significant mid-palate and convincing length – synergising an amalgam of Cabernets (only) off the varied soils of Coonawarra/ Barossa Valley/Padthaway/ McLaren Vale. A base of ferrics and black-pudding/ blood-sausage – laced with white milk-chocolate and red and black berry fruits. 100% new oak – thought about only when reminded. All Bin 707 boxes ticked, except one – time. Peaking Drinking: 2028 - 2050. Awards: • 98 Points - Ken Gargett, The World of Fine Wine. • 97 Points - Andrew Caillard, MW. • 97 Points - Tyson Stelzer.
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!
St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. 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 with age. It is matured in an assortment of old large vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of cabernet may sneak into the blend, the focal point for St Henri remains shiraz.Structural descriptors don’t usually lead the charge for St Henri, but they are certainly faithful to the 2019 vintage. A fine graphite core. The warmth and creaminess of Mexican sauce with the weight of wild game: venison loin, braised hare. Eventually sweet custard flavours emerge, smooth and textural. Portuguese tart! A suggestion of fine salinity aligns with mouth-watering acidity, cleansing. As always with St Henri, restrained, no need to be showy. The dark cocoa tannins are so fine they could be spun from silk. Will age and evolve beautifully for decades.
Inspired by the iconic jet that took it to the world. The rich and powerful Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, our first commercial release of a single cabernet-based wine, is linked to Max Schubert’s dream of making a great Australian red wine that could last at least 20 years. During the ‘50s and early ‘60s cabernet sauvignon was mostly used for blending, but Schubert’s breakthrough with the varietal as a stand-alone wine came in 1964 with inaugural vintage. Early Bin 707s were typically open fermented under wax-lined header boards and matured in seasoned old oak (rather than new oak). The wine was not made from 1970 to 1975 (when fruit was directed to other wines) nor in 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2011 or 2017 (when fruit of the required style and quality was not available). Palate; Powerful - propelled by a wave of fruits - fresh mulberry, fig, Goji berry, raspberry, fresh blackcurrant. And licorice. Ripe and firm, glossy tannins frame many layers, including those that appear to stand above. A textural creaminess, sumptuousness - possibly by way of oak? Balanced, complete, latent. AWARDS: • 99 Points - Tyson Stelzer • 98 Points - Ken Gargett • 98 Points - Ray Jordan • 19.5+ Points/20 - Matthew Jukes • 97 Points - Jeni Port
Bin 707 is a Cabernet Sauvignon reflection of Grange, intensely-flavoured fruit, completion of fermentation and maturation in new oak, expressing a Penfolds understanding of multi-vineyard, multi-region fruit sourcing. Bin 707 was first vintaged in 1964. The wine was not made from 1970 to 1975 when fruit was directed to other wines, nor in 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003 or 2011 (when fruit of the required style and quality was not available). Full bodied and with proven cellaring potential, Bin 707 retains a secure place among the ranks of Australias finest Cabernets.
Unmistakably, Grange, this 2012 vintage is complex, flamboyant and lifted. An aromatic multi-cultural characteristics. The earthiness is well integrated with the aromas of dark fruits, grounded coffee, red liquorice and black olives, which leads to a firmly structured finish.