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Love the delicacy and concentration on display, concentrated black pepper and clove spice builds pretty quickly through the palate, again the campfire smoke, and push and pull of tannins and juicy black cherry and pomegranate freshness. Plenty of contrast and evolution happening in the glass, great quality although the floral character of Cabernet is less on display at this early stage, instead focusing on bay, fennel, anis and cassis. McLaren Vale dominant fruit for sourcing. 100% new American oak. Unfined and unfiltered, just racking every few months during ageing, Peter Gago chief winemaker.
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Jancis Robinson MW
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
You could almost believe this is on limestone soils, as it has the push and pull physicality that limestone delivers, coupled with the power of fully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. Huge grip and fragrance, with juicy and concentrated blueberry and blackcurrant pastille, pulled in by slate, cocoa bean, bay, eucalyptus and fennel. 100% new American oak. Unfined and unfiltered, just racking every few months during ageing, Peter Gago chief winemaker.
No 2020 vintage made. 8 months in 100% new American. 41% McLaren Vale (including 6% from Block 42), 36% Coonawarra. Oak and fruit both at the forefront – a great double-header. This brings everything together that makes Penfolds great – the boldness, the oak, the stippled tannins, the persistence. Dark and savoury on the length. (RH)
Full bottle 1,520 g. Seems strange there is no more specific appellation/GI on the label. Apparently it's a blend of McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Barossa Valley and Padthaway so it could presumably have been labelled South Australia? Sorry for the pedantic tangent. Presumably investors could not care less… Not made in 1981, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2011 or 2017 'when fruit of the required style and quality was not available'. Aged for 18 months in new American oak hogsheads. Blackish purple that is extremely dense. Colour right out to the rim. Extremely ripe Cabernet on the nose – bordeaux, this ain't! Camphor, crushed mulberry sort of perfume, heady in the extreme. Lots of almost salty, fresh tannin on the finish but the richness of the fruit on the way there compensates to such an extent that you could drink this tonight. (JR)
About the producer
Penfolds is Australia’s most famous wine producer, known best for their iconic top wine, Grange. First produced commercially in 1952, Grange has since gone on to become one of the world’s most famous fine wines. In 2001, the wine was listed as an Australian heritage icon.