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.
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.
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay displays an initial bouquet of slate and wet stone, with nuances of lightly roasted almonds. Subtle hints of citrus, shrouded by nectarine and nashi pear fruits. On the palate, a spiced multi-citrus compote with a very delicate acidity. Balanced and will develop exceptionally well with cellaring.
Seamless and layered, combining sweet red and black fruits, cranberries, mulberries and blackcurrants. Mortadella, shaved fennel and dried fig entice. Savoury details of pâté, green olive tapenade, salsa verde and espresso liqueur carry exceptional length. Succulent and velvety in texture, the wine is underpinned by even, mouth-coating tannins. A beautifully crafted wine that promises to reward patient cellaring. Immediately heady yet refined, offering layered aromatics of exotic spice and elegance. Black berry fruit sits alongside pastel confectionary notes, perfumed violets and lavender, with deeper accents of dark Belgian and Varona chocolate, roasted coffee bean, Brazil nut and pecan pie. Savoury nuances of bresaola, olives and lavosh add intrigue and depth. On further inspection, notes of walnut and mahogany polish arise.
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.
Penfolds Bin 407 began life back in 1993 with the release of the 1990 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon. Created as a result of the availability of high quality Cabernet fruit, Bin 407 is inspired by its older brother, Bin 707. Not only offering varietal definition, but also approachability, structure and depth of flavour. The Bin 407 highlights the Penfolds approach to multi-region, multi-vineyard blending to create a Cabernet that rewards the drinker in both early and later years.
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.
Serious, self-assured. A generous fleshiness persists across the palate. Wild black cherries, cola, sarsaparilla. Sage leaves fried in nut-brown butter over grilled calves’ liver. Pistachio terrine. A fine graphite core and cherry succulence. Seamlessly woven tannins. The interplay between the oak, tannins and acid results in an even mouthfeel, a textural sheen. Cranberry acidity and succulence provide a lovely balance. Surprisingly approachable, given the varietal temperament. One to watch, will evolve beautifully over the next two/three decades.Bin 407 offers varietal definition and approachability, yet still with structure and depth of flavour. Textbook cabernet sauvignon, the varietally expressive Bin 407 highlights the rewards of Penfolds multi-region, multi vineyard blending, with a core of ripe fruit supported by sensitive use of French and American oak.
The initials RWT stand for ‘Red Winemaking Trial’, the name given to the project internally when developmental work began in 1995. Naturally, now no longer a ‘trial’, RWT Shiraz was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. Its style is opulent and fleshy, contrasting with Grange, which is more muscular and assertive. RWT is made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and plush texture. RWT wines are built for the long haul, with the precision, concentration and balance to age for many years.The palate is generous, with voluminous and enveloping tannins, so silken they betray their density and persistence. This sturdy foundation provides a perfect canvas upon which to display the spoils of the harvest, layers of flavours roll over the palate in waves. Varietally correct and true to origin. Blue fruits, boysenberry, plum and mulberry are front and centre, a signature of RWT. A suggestion of crème brûlée and panforte provide a sweet counterpoint to complex notes of exotic spice and cedary oak.