2020 Penfolds 'RWT Bin 798' Shiraz Barossa Valley

Vibrant. Red earth / ’Barossa dirt’ regional cues not hindered by a 15-month sojourn in French oak. Initially, a lift of trademark tar/bitumen and subtle V.A. ... above scents of assorted carpaccio meats, steak tartare, green olive, capers, rosemary. Upon sitting/swirling, patisserie scents of almond croissant, cinnamon bun ... and perhaps crème brûlée glaze (oak-derived?). To repeat, very Barossa!

A firm and binding structure, medium-bodied. Focused/defined, yet still generous. Mouth-watering acidity clutching opulent fruits renders an impressive pathway cleaved across front/middle/ back palate ... a pathway all ably assisted by chalky tannins and absorbed integrated oak. Currently youthful and energetic, yet this vintage already impatiently awaits its secondary and tertiary maturation phases. Tension. In the interim, partake.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine Enthusiast - "This is a strong vintage of RWT. It's austere, dense and still-young but is also seamlessly layered, almost unnoticeably complex. The brambly blueberry and raspberry fruit is woven with plums, dried herbs, spices and florals, with a note of freshly sealed tarmac. The palate is silky and supple, tightened by a muscular line of chalky tannins with lifted acidity and densely packed flavor. A long distance runner, this should be held another few years until around 2026, then drunk for several decades after. "