“Bin 169 is a contemporary Penfolds reflection and showcase of Cabernet and of Coonawarra. This wine symbolically guards Bin 707 in the same reverent way that RWT shields Grange.” Penfolds Chief Winemaker – Peter Gago.

Bin 169 was created to reflect Penfolds contemporary winemaking approach emphasising both regionality and maturation of Cabernet Sauvignon in fine grained French oak. The Penfolds Bin 169 is a style that is immediately Penfolds, whilst simultaneously illustrative of its ongoing search for diversity and style separation. An honest reflection of the region and a testament of Penfolds’ longstanding commitment to the vineyards of Coonawarra.

Tasting Note

Colour – Deep, plum red.

Nose – Lifted dark berried fruits, blueberry and blackcurrant. Roasted capsicum, black olive and complexed with aromas of fresh herbs and nutmeg and cinnamon. Integrated cedary French oak. Medium – full bodied – tightly structured (typical of cabernet).

Palate – Flavours of red fruits, blackberry, provide excellent fruit sweetness with dark milk chocolate Liquorice and leather. Richness and generosity. Lively acid combined with balanced powdery tannins. Superb length.

Maturation

13 months in 100% new French oak

Vintage Conditions

Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay 2018 truly reflects the winemakers’ mantra ‘we always go where the fruit grows best and where it best suits style’. In 2018, fruit sourcing moved to multi-regional cool-climate regions; Adelaide Hills, Tumbarumba, Tasmania. In true Bin 311 style, it exhibits lemon/lime aromas and a mineral acid backbone, complemented by barrel fermentation and maturation in seasoned oak. Minimal filtration is employed, preserving elegant fruit flavours.

Tasting Note

Colour – Light straw

Nose – Full-flavoured, endowed with a concentrated fruit spectrum of citrus, grapefruit and white peach. Hints of sherbet, camomile and goats cheese complex the aromatic offer – a chardonnay cast assembled from three States of Australia. Certainly, there’s quite the performance happening in the glass, with barely a swirl of the glass and some air required to light up the stage!

Palate – First and foremost, this wine extolls freshness, yet not at the expense of an endearing richness and generosity of flavour. Whilst some may perceive it to be slightly ‘larger-framed’ than in previous years it nevertheless retains trademark Bin 311 mineral acidity and linearity. Rockmelon and white peach fruits are pronounced. Underlying sherbet and fresh lemon tart impressions coupled with a lovely creaminess add to the structural and flavour pool. A trademark Penfolds phenolic grip certainly doesn’t curtail length or volume. Yes, proactively rich, fresh and assertive! Drinkability? Do we have to wait?!

Maturation

10 months in French oak barriques (30% new, 20% 1-y.o., 50% seasoned)

Vintage Conditions

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. The alphanumeric Bin designation 798 was bestowed upon the wine from the 2016 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. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa shiraz at the highest quality level. RWT wines area built for the long haul, with the precision, concentration and balance to age for many years.

Tasting Note

Colour – Great depth of crimson. Lustre, brilliance

Nose – Blueberry RWT markers thrust ahead of goji berry and loganberry fruits. An aromatic swirl of choc/hazelnut/liquorice propels all that is RWT style and class. Thereon, lifted scents of just glazed crème brûlée and wafts of icing sugar. Barrel-ferment and ferric overtones gently bring all back down to ground level – Barossa iron/earths no less.

Palate – Viscous and lush. An immediate supple fleshiness, liveliness. At release, during this primary fruit stage – berried ice-cream and black forest cake fruits unfold – redcurrant and blackberry. Powdery tannins – silky and glossy – offer textbook velvet/cashmere texture. So smooth! Dense, verging on unctuous, without any reliance or concession to alcohol or oak. Wonderful length, depth, balance.

Maturation

16 months in French oak hogsheads (64% new and 36% 1-y.o.)

Vintage Conditions

Penfolds St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual amongst high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. Released for the first time by Penfolds in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957), it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. 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.

Tasting Note

Colour – Deep plum red

Nose – Savoury notes first detected, yet quickly courted by generous cherry liqueur/chocolate aromas. Scents of dried beef sit alongside a textbook garrigue deconstruction – dried herb/oregano/thyme/lavender. Perplexingly, an exotic emission continues – best guess – copha, cranberry and activated walnut! Shiraz unplugged… oak or artefact not part of this wine’s demeanour. Smells like? St Henri.

Palate – A masterclass of texture: plush, glossy, seamless – abetted by silky, polished tannins. One taster quipped: “millennial tannins”! Black olive; coffee and mocha flavours abound, as do the generous shiraz fruits sourced from the northern viticultural reaches of South Australia. Medium-bodied, with a great core and lovely framework – yet what is sipped fills the mouth so effortlessly. A succulence is immediately noted – a fruited pomegranate/cranberry/quince paste-induced acidity, balanced with fruit sweetness. Not trying too hard. St Henri rarely does.

Maturation

12 months in 50+ y.o. vats

Vintage Conditions

Penfolds Grange, a powerful example of Penfolds’ multi-vineyard, multi-district blending approach, is among Australia’s most iconic wines. Recognized as a Heritage Icon of South Australia, Grange is crafted from fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured Shiraz grapes, showcasing a unique style that stands among the world’s finest wines. Since the 1951 experimental vintage, Grange has consistently displayed the harmony of Shiraz with South Australia’s diverse soils and climates.

Tasting Note

Colour – Bright, deep red with iris-purple at the rim.

Nose – A fusion of preserved figs, black plum, blackberry and black liquorice flirts with an aromatic elution of fish oil, anchovy, soy and sesame/nori. Nascent scents of toasted charred meats (rotisserie rib of beef?), rendered fat/marrow … An uplifting freshness and higher notes are liberated with air – awakened scents akin to cola, Chinotto, aniseed, root beer. Camouflaged (new!) oak has to be proactively sought out, verified. Strikes a Grange stylistic bullseye, all boxes ticked.

Palate – A retronasal transfer of the aromatics listed above converge to similarly adorn the palate. Full-bodied – turbo-propelled by a V.A./formic mix, affording attaque and grip, yet respectful of balance and style. Custom-fitted with impressive density and length – all dark and black, harmonious. Oak conceded – absorbed, compliant – effortlessly merging with blue and black fruits and dark chocolate/mocha notes. Solid, malleable tannins, with an exacting acid coupling, serve to polish and elevate; no doubt soon to preserve. Energetic, focussed. Much still to reveal … 97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon

Maturation

18 months in American oak hogsheads (100% new)

Vintage Conditions