Penfolds current releases 2020- all winners!

On the white side of things, Bin 311 Chardonnay and Bin 51 Riesling have never disappointed and all the Special Bin and limited releases have consistently made me smile. With the exception of a few specific releases, all Penfold’s wines are multi regional, multi vineyard blends bringing a more consistent aspect to the wines.

Bin 311 Chardonnay 2017- 95 Points – Campbell Mattinson   

I’ve always enjoyed this wine and this vintage is no exception. Launched in 2005, sourcing 100% of the fruit from Tumbarumba (cool climate region southwest of Sydney). This vintage truly reflects the winemakers’ mantra ‘we always go where the fruit grows best and where its best suits style’. In 2017, the fruit sourcing has moved to cool-climate multi-regional embracing fruit from Adelaide Hills, Tasmania as well as Tumbarumba.

The nose is fresh and inviting with aromas of white peach, nuts, nougat and crème brulee with a promise of more to come.

Palate is fresh and lively with lime, citrus, white stone fruits, with secondary notes of peach, green apple and a beautiful balance of saline and minerality. Impressive length and acidity make this ‘new’ regional blend something completely different from earlier vintages and worth rediscovering all over again.

Bin 28 Shiraz 2016- 96 pt, James Halliday.

The renown black fruit dominated flavor profile of Bin 28’s reputation is not only intact but reinforced by the 2016 vintage. An impressive balance of depth, complexity, elegance and drinkable appeal is stylishly grafted together to create a wine greater than the sum of the parts. Greater than the individual parcels of grapes from Barossa Valley, or McLaren Vale or Padthaway that go into making up this impressive wine. So much power and balance with impressive structure, this will cellar out 20 years without a problem. Bin 28 is growing up, and in the process, developing both character and charm. A must try wine for 2020. Not at all surprised by the 96 pt rating.

Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2017- 97 pt, James Halliday.  

Known as ‘Baby Grange’ due to aging in Grange barrels, this remarkable blend of 54% Cabernet and 46% Shiraz is sourced from McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and Wrattonbully vineyards. Impressive, complex and compelling, with attitude. Enticing nose of dark fruits establishes your anticipation but one sip will reassure you there is no disappointment is store. Impressive layers of black and blue fruits with secondary notes of plum, black current, chocolate, sweet tobacco and spices, engineered, almost seamlessly, to impress. I know I didn’t mention how friendly and approachable the silky-smooth mouthfeel is or the impeccable balance and structure or the very long finish but it has all of that and more. Discover it for yourself.

Bin 407 Cabernet 2017- 96 pt, James Halliday.  

This vintage benefits from ‘hand me down’ juice down the declassified Bin 707 (around $500 a bottle) but very much a Bin 407 from the first sip. Grapes are sourced from Padthaway, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley Coonawarra and Wrattonbully- all exceptional regions in St Australia. This vintage is characterized by depth and complexity delivered in a medium bodied approachable Cabernet.

Nose is restrained with cherries, dark fruits and an interesting array of spices,

Palate is all Black currents, cherries, plum with a nice rich mouthfeel with cassis and an enticing savory note on the finish dominated by olives, herbs, mint and oak.

Deep and complexity is evident from the first sip. Despite being textbook 407 there is a subtle shift in style to old world and more austere style. Still has all the trade-marks of a multi-regional Australian Cabernet. I think this is going to surprise a few people in 5 – 10 years and will cellar out 20 plus years.  

Penfolds St Henri 2016- 98pt Andrew Caillard MW.  

I have to say from the outset that this is my favorite Penfolds wine. It doesn’t possess the reverence or reputation of Grange but it’s like connecting with an old friend every time I open one, not to mention substantially cheaper. I’ve been fortunate to drink at least 25 vintages of this amazing wine. All have been an absolute pleasure and this is one of the best St Henri’s I’ve tasted, certainly as good as the 1990, 2004, 2006 and 2010 vintages and I would take a guess and say it could out perform all of those vintages with some cellar time.

The 2016 is predominately Shiraz with just 5% Cabernet Sauvignon added. The only bad news about this wine is they only produced 690 cases produced- and that’s 6 packs.

Nose is dominated by olives, coffee, bay leaf and chocolate with dark fruits and framed with savory spices and bell pepper gently support this compelling nose.

Palate is immediately impressive, even with this only being opened 10 minutes and improved over the next 3 – 4 hours. From the first sip this wine screams potential and will cellar out a minimum of 30 to 40 years. The palate is complex with layers of fruits seamlessly folding into each other with a total package approach. Layers of blackberries, cherries, blueberries and chocolate with secondary notes of fleshy prunes, plums, red current and spices on a long impressive finish.

Spectacular with so much elegance and restraint. Don’t get me wrong, this is a big wine and bound to impress even the most obsessive, astute buyer and will make you smile from the first sip. It doesn’t get much better than this!