Penfold 2003 release
Penfold 2003 release
Having just seen the price and read tasting notes from Pefolds (difficult vintage etc etc) I'm wondering if they are worth the money anymore.
I normally get the 389, 407, 128 plus a few premium ones.
I like to do vertical tasting but if they are average wines the money could be better spent on another wine.
Well, the hype is certainly impressive....advertising almost convinces me.
graham
I normally get the 389, 407, 128 plus a few premium ones.
I like to do vertical tasting but if they are average wines the money could be better spent on another wine.
Well, the hype is certainly impressive....advertising almost convinces me.
graham
Nothing is so effective in keeping one young and full of lust as a discriminating palate thoroughly satisfied at least once a day.
Re: Penfold 2003 release
graham wrote:Having just seen the price and read tasting notes from Pefolds (difficult vintage etc etc) I'm wondering if they are worth the money anymore.
I normally get the 389, 407, 128 plus a few premium ones.
I like to do vertical tasting but if they are average wines the money could be better spent on another wine.
Well, the hype is certainly impressive....advertising almost convinces me.
graham
I'll try and taste them tomorrow. But I think increasing case quantities has taken the sting out of these wines. I've not bought a Bin wine since the 98 vintage (in fact, the only Pennies buys since that year have been some 99 St Henri and 02 RWT). I hold hopes for 2004, but I'd like to see the alcohol drop a full point and a less, hmm, well, constructed, feel to them. With current asking prices, you're probably a lot better picking up under-rated vintages (94, for instance) at auction.
cheers,
Graeme
I just posted this on my site:
Warning: The following paragraph could be construed as "Penfolds Bashing", do not read if that is likely to offend, you've been warned, no abusive emails please.
I tried the new Penfolds 2003/2004 Bin reds at Dan's this afternoon. I think Penfolds still hasn't found the plot they lost a few years back. Admittedly the 2003 vintage wasn't too kind in SA, but I want them to bring back the ripe, warm fruit and trademark Penfolds tannin and oak management of years past, last seen in about the 1998 vintage. I found them all lacking depth of flavour and structure and/or having a slight hard/green edge. The 2004 Bin 138 isn't green, it's soft and nicely juicy but is does lack substance and there are better early-drinking buys around $18-$19.
My 1-liner impressions:
Bin 138 2004 - Nice, ripe, soft, approachable now, thin on the mid-palate, lacks generosity.
Bin 128 2003 - Clean, sound, lacks any real appeal or substance.
Bin 28 - Earthy, promising nose, but lacks depth/body, slightly hard finish.
Bin 407 - Good varietal nose, not as leafy/herbaceous as some past vintages, palate lacks fruit generosity and the finish is quite hard at present. I just don't get the 407 style.
Bin 389 - Starts off Ok on the nose, resonable fruit but a bit thin on the mid-palate, slightly hard/green tinges to the finish. Not good value as a $36-$40 wine.
Warning: The following paragraph could be construed as "Penfolds Bashing", do not read if that is likely to offend, you've been warned, no abusive emails please.
I tried the new Penfolds 2003/2004 Bin reds at Dan's this afternoon. I think Penfolds still hasn't found the plot they lost a few years back. Admittedly the 2003 vintage wasn't too kind in SA, but I want them to bring back the ripe, warm fruit and trademark Penfolds tannin and oak management of years past, last seen in about the 1998 vintage. I found them all lacking depth of flavour and structure and/or having a slight hard/green edge. The 2004 Bin 138 isn't green, it's soft and nicely juicy but is does lack substance and there are better early-drinking buys around $18-$19.
My 1-liner impressions:
Bin 138 2004 - Nice, ripe, soft, approachable now, thin on the mid-palate, lacks generosity.
Bin 128 2003 - Clean, sound, lacks any real appeal or substance.
Bin 28 - Earthy, promising nose, but lacks depth/body, slightly hard finish.
Bin 407 - Good varietal nose, not as leafy/herbaceous as some past vintages, palate lacks fruit generosity and the finish is quite hard at present. I just don't get the 407 style.
Bin 389 - Starts off Ok on the nose, resonable fruit but a bit thin on the mid-palate, slightly hard/green tinges to the finish. Not good value as a $36-$40 wine.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian what you are saying isnt Penfolds bashing at all, just the truth. I liked alot of the 02's and bought most of them from Bin 28 upwards. Whilst I have not tried the 03's yet, they do worry me and I was skeptical on them as early as last year with all the talk on Pennies being back in form etc. Most people also thought the 02's were good enough but how good was 03 going to be when 01 and particually 99 were not as good as they should have been and in Most areas of SA were much better vintages? Before 96 Most 389's were excellent even from lesser vintages. I guess as long as they sell well, the good old recipe might stay hidden for a while.
Just came back from the Penfolds 2003 Release in NZ: Finewines NZ Limited put on a good spread, some great food. Jamie Sachs from Magill Restaurant talks through the wines, nice company and you know what ... afterwards I still feel like I want a REAL bottle of wine.
Bin 28 and Bin 128 2003 I thought were most average, nothing very interesting at all. 85-86 level.
The Bins 407 and 389 2004 were good-ish without being in any way outstanding: we were all told have all the 707 juice in them, but again I wouldn't buy them, even at release prices of $31nzd. 87-88 level.
I really quite liked the Bin 138 from 2004 (90?) ... but my tastebuds were still remembering last night's bottle of the 2002 Peter Lehmann Shiraz, drunk for the pure joy of the fruit and style: a wine that had got better by the glass. So no 2003 Penfolds for me I suspect.
Having said all this, Penfolds also presented the 1983 Bin 28 and 1984 Bin 389. The Bin 28 was quite enjoyable and reasonably complex: the 389 was fresh but a bit short. However, their ability to age even in poorish vintages was truly tremendously impressive.
The marketing ploy is obvious, what you see now in the 2003's can age to the 1983/1984. But if you follow your palate and what's in the glass, the conclusion is obvious:
You can buy better wine and better QPRs. Sorry Penfolds, you need to raise your game.
I'm a little sad. I like Pennies, I want them to be near the top. Now they are a bit like the Arsenal: great potential but second rate except the icons which ARE great but not cheap. I like the Cellar Reserve wines, again too expensive, but at least I taste something new and on occasions like the 2002 Grenache, new and outstanding.
Cheers -- Jay.
Bin 28 and Bin 128 2003 I thought were most average, nothing very interesting at all. 85-86 level.
The Bins 407 and 389 2004 were good-ish without being in any way outstanding: we were all told have all the 707 juice in them, but again I wouldn't buy them, even at release prices of $31nzd. 87-88 level.
I really quite liked the Bin 138 from 2004 (90?) ... but my tastebuds were still remembering last night's bottle of the 2002 Peter Lehmann Shiraz, drunk for the pure joy of the fruit and style: a wine that had got better by the glass. So no 2003 Penfolds for me I suspect.
Having said all this, Penfolds also presented the 1983 Bin 28 and 1984 Bin 389. The Bin 28 was quite enjoyable and reasonably complex: the 389 was fresh but a bit short. However, their ability to age even in poorish vintages was truly tremendously impressive.
The marketing ploy is obvious, what you see now in the 2003's can age to the 1983/1984. But if you follow your palate and what's in the glass, the conclusion is obvious:
You can buy better wine and better QPRs. Sorry Penfolds, you need to raise your game.
I'm a little sad. I like Pennies, I want them to be near the top. Now they are a bit like the Arsenal: great potential but second rate except the icons which ARE great but not cheap. I like the Cellar Reserve wines, again too expensive, but at least I taste something new and on occasions like the 2002 Grenache, new and outstanding.
Cheers -- Jay.
“There are no standards of taste in wine. Each mans own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard". Mark Twain.
Sean wrote:
The only white I tried was the 2005 Bin 311 Tumbarumba Chardonnay. Unfortunately, the bottle was much too warm and as a result the flavours and mouthfeel were dominated by the malo. To me it was broad, leesy and not value at all ($32). This poor showing was the wine rep's fault ...
Interesting Sean, I tried this today as well and totally agree with your comments - broad, malo and oak dominated and a total waste of some decent cool climate fruit - but in my case I don't think the wine was too warm, it came from an ice bucket and it was cooler than the temperature inside the air conditioned shooping centre.
I wanted to like this wine, but could not stand it.
platinum wrote:Has anyone tasted the Wolf Blass Grey Label 2004 releases yet? Now been released so young I wonder if they now spend less time in oak? I think the Shiraz is 15 degrees and the Cabernet 13.5. I cant wait to have a try to see what the 2004 vintage looks like.
Bought one of each for my tasting group, but not scheduled until Monday-week. Dan's are claiming it's an exclusive early release for them.
Cheers
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Brian
Life's too short to drink white wine and red wine is better for you too! :-)
Haven't tried these, but haven't really enjoyed a cheaper (<$40) Penfolds since about 1998.
What's really disappointing is that 2003 was a year of surplus (read cheaper) grapes. If wines are not to be cheaper, we should be getting better quality for our $. The 2004, 2005 and presumably 2006 grapes are also in surplus, but I'm not holding my breath .
One can hope that Fosters will undo the damage Rosemount did .
Cheers
Geoff (chal)
What's really disappointing is that 2003 was a year of surplus (read cheaper) grapes. If wines are not to be cheaper, we should be getting better quality for our $. The 2004, 2005 and presumably 2006 grapes are also in surplus, but I'm not holding my breath .
One can hope that Fosters will undo the damage Rosemount did .
Cheers
Geoff (chal)
Hi Craig,
I did pay that exhorbitant amount (alas!). Expected more and not close to worth it and I wouldn't do it again. I had hoped Penfolds might unlock a bit of Grange or RWT or something - they should have at the price. We live and learn. Thankfully I spent the last 10 years earning pounds (a.k.a. real money) but still, ouch.
Well they did have some nice food you know as well ...
Might see you on Friday -- need to check first (swmbo) -- will pm you.
Cheers -- Jay.
I did pay that exhorbitant amount (alas!). Expected more and not close to worth it and I wouldn't do it again. I had hoped Penfolds might unlock a bit of Grange or RWT or something - they should have at the price. We live and learn. Thankfully I spent the last 10 years earning pounds (a.k.a. real money) but still, ouch.
Well they did have some nice food you know as well ...
Might see you on Friday -- need to check first (swmbo) -- will pm you.
Cheers -- Jay.
“There are no standards of taste in wine. Each mans own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard". Mark Twain.
Jay
Yip you got suckered big time - big dosh for a sip of some old tired wines. You shoulda bought a bottle of RWT and cruised over here - we coulda compared it to something else from my cellar !!
When the 1996 Grange was released I went to a tasting at Glengarry Vic Park
We tried:
Grange
707
RWT
Yattarna
St Henri
389
407
128
28
138
Koongunga Hill Chard
Koongunga Hill Cab
Rawsons Chard
I also won a copy of ROP
How much did we pay for this?? A full $15
FWDC charges too much for tastings. I see the Te Mata releases at La Barrique is $20 compared to $30. Seems stupid as it is a release people sink $$ into.
The official Auckland release for Te Mata last year at the Stamford was only $5. Dont know if they are doing that this year.
Yip you got suckered big time - big dosh for a sip of some old tired wines. You shoulda bought a bottle of RWT and cruised over here - we coulda compared it to something else from my cellar !!
When the 1996 Grange was released I went to a tasting at Glengarry Vic Park
We tried:
Grange
707
RWT
Yattarna
St Henri
389
407
128
28
138
Koongunga Hill Chard
Koongunga Hill Cab
Rawsons Chard
I also won a copy of ROP
How much did we pay for this?? A full $15
FWDC charges too much for tastings. I see the Te Mata releases at La Barrique is $20 compared to $30. Seems stupid as it is a release people sink $$ into.
The official Auckland release for Te Mata last year at the Stamford was only $5. Dont know if they are doing that this year.