Last Thursday night I got a sneak peek at the latest Penfolds Icon & Luxury wines at a function arranged for the Penfolds Magill Estate Club and presented by Peter Gago. A few months ago Campbell Mattinson aptly mentioned after I posted my impressions about the Bin Series releases that they were more in the style of what Penfolds used to be like - if I missed it then, I certainly didn't this time around.
2006 Penfolds Reserve Bin 06A Chardonnay (Adelaide Hills, screwcap, 13.0% alc): Bright straw/green colour. Nutty oak, grassy/peaches and some yeast at first on the nose, becoming quite spicy/mineraly and rather milky with a little lemon sherbet by the finish. The palate is likewise more reserved/elegant than the Bin 05A but still incredibly complex, a soft entry followed by milky malolactic plus elegant/spicy French oak and tight grapefruit/sweet lime, finishing long and slightly nutty/vanillin, then smoky with some oyster.
2005 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay (Adelaide Hills, screwcap, 13.3%): Bright straw/green, a fraction darker than the Bin 06A. Rather closed nose in comparison, tight and pithy lime/lemon and fine spicy oak, gradually showing some grapefruit, salty bacon, and then sweet fennel/white sambuca and mineral. The palate’s spicier on entry with some grapefruit and bacon, leading to a mealy but fine structure, finishing mineraly and a little steely. By the end of the tasting it’s fatter, with more exotic peachy/mandarin characters and a creamier texture - while poles apart at first, with breathing this got closer in style to the Bin 06A.
2004 Penfolds St Henri (96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon - Barossa Valley, Langhorne Creek, Adelaide Hills, 14.5% alc): Medium to very dark blood red, with a hint of purple. Just a hint of varnish and tomato on the nose at first, but with a quick swirl it kicks into life with cocoa and earthy plums and a little sweet blackberry, then dark chocolate/honeycomb, and blueberries/cherry pie. While the nose screams Barossa decadence the palate is surprisingly refined and elegant; sweet/dark cherries and even some strawberry/black jubes and icing sugar, slightly stalky/creamy, extremely long, juicy, elegant/intense, fine-grained and tannic, plus absolutely no sign of the alcohol. I’m looking forward to the tasting notes from Campbell Mattinson & The Rewards of Patience this year because the very best St. Henris are just so different. This doesn’t have the ripeness and rather slutty/exotic spices of the 1996/2002, or the classic, fine-grained meaty/minty/smoky/leathery characters of the 1990/1998/1999, yet it’s still challenging the very best: sweet Barossa characters on the nose, and an elegant, understated palate that salutes the virtues of Hermitage. If this vintage doesn’t break St. Henri overseas it will remain our precious little secret in Australia to hoard, but I frankly don’t like our chances – new world/old world Shiraz, imagine the best bits of them and they’re here.
2005 Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz (Magill Estate Vineyard, 14.4% alc): Medium to very dark blood red, with a hint of purple. Coconut at first on the nose, then inky violets and sage/dried herbs and ripe plummy fruit, a little espresso/fish sauce, stalks and tobacco. Tart cassis/plum/blackberry and creamy oak with a slightly green/herbal edge, medium-to-full bodied finishing with sweet berries and castor sugar, rather like a mixed-berry tart. Coming after the St. Henri was a hard ask but this didn’t look lost at all; the top blocks of Magill again made it into Grange, but this vintage remains a genuinely powerful expression of the label.
2005 Penfolds RWT Shiraz (Barossa Valley, 14.5% alc): Medium to very dark blood red/purple. Lovely dark chocolate, blackberries, and floral/meaty scents like Barossa should be, followed by some vanilla/coconut oak and fresh sage/dried herbs, always retaining a smoky/meaty edge. Obvious meaty/smoky dark chocolate/red berries and plummy fruit with pepper and mint mid-palate, full-bodied, finishing mealy with chewy tannins, black olive, herbs, and sweet rhubarb. There’s a slight sense of the alcohol mid-palate, but overall it’s well contained and doesn’t show on the finish; an excellent follow-up to the 2004 vintage.
2005 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Valley Shiraz (screwcap, 14.0% alc): Matured in 100% American oak. Very dark to inky red. Lifted/varnishy nose with a little nail polish at first, then fresh herbs/meaty scents begin to appear, leading to rich, Barossan meaty/dark chocolate and dried herbs, cocoa powder, cassis, and even more herbs. The palate’s immediately riper with rum and raisin/dark chocolate and sweet plum/cherries, finishing very long but with pixel-fine tannins and some more cherry. It’s still lighter-weight than the RWT or Cellar Reserve Barossa Cabernet, yet that long but fine structure hints that it could be the ultimate cellar sleeper that Gago, Parker and Halliday all say it will become.
2005 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (screwcap, 13.9% alc): Matured in 100% French oak. Very dark to almost inky red. Dark chocolate, cassis, honeycomb and dried herbs leap from the glass, followed by sweet mocha chocolate/coffee, black cherries, more chocolate/rum & raisin, and dried oregano. The palate’s immediately darker, earthier and more seductive than the Coonawarra/Barossa Cabernet Shiraz, with plum/cassis and black olives and no mid-palate hole, finishing soft and extremely long with more meaty/black olive on the finish. The gap’s narrowed a little since last December, but this is still my favourite of the two new 2005 Cellar Reserve wines.
2005 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon (Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Padthaway, 14.5% alc): Very inky red/purple. Closed at first on the nose and relatively backward compared to the other wines, slowly revealing earthy blackcurrants/cocoa and a hint of honeycomb. The palate is tighter, chalky/tannic and more herbal than the Cellar Reserve Cabernet on entry, followed by earthy/peaty but ripe fruit (easy to pick the Limestone Coast influence here), finishing supremely long, chalky and very grippy. All the elements are here of a riper Barossa/Coonawarra blend, a hefty, chalky structure but devoid of minty/herbal notes; a fascinating contrast to both the 2004 Bin 707 and the 2005 Cellar Reserve Cabernet, and equally desirable.
2003 Penfolds Grange (97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon – Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Magill, 14.5% alc): Very dark to inky red with a hint of purple. Last year all the wines were presented in XL5 glasses – this year the Grange was poured into a Reidel to really show it off. An immediately exciting, complex, smoky/exotic and spicy nose, with vanilla, blackberries, aged soy, herbs/tomato and cumin, mixed spices/cinnamon and tar/coal. Surprisingly minty entry with black cherries/black pepper, a slow-crawling structure building to a grippy/tannic mid-palate with some VA, finishing grippy/powdery with malty/vanillin oak, a hint of warmth and bourbon, with some sweet coffee/chocolate on the rebound. I didn’t approach this with high expectations and was pleasantly surprised at its complexity and weight without being overripe – I feel it’s a medium-term Grange, but it definitely fits the blueprint for the label and is an excellent outcome for the vintage.
Cheers
Ian
TN: Penfolds Icon Wines Preview at Magill Estate 17/4/08
TN: Penfolds Icon Wines Preview at Magill Estate 17/4/08
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
-
Ratcatcher
- Posts: 374
- Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:01 pm
- Location: Hobart
St Henri is the last Penfolds wine I buy. (although I did break my own rule and buy some 2005 Bin 389)
If St Henri goes over a street price of $70 then that will be the end of buying Penfolds for me except in absolutely exceptional circumstances. I'll probably buy one 2004 if I get it at around $70 or less but that will be it.
From 93 to 99 vintages I reckon I bought 100 Penfolds wines. From 2000 to 2005 I reckon I have bought 12 and my total spend from 2000 to 2005 on all wine would have been about double the previous period. I'd like to still buy them as I think they are good wines, they just don't represent good QPR. Every time I think of buying one I think what else is available for $5 a bottle less and I realise the Pennies aren't worth the cash.
But obviously they don't need my custom, someone must be buying all those Penfolds wines. I guess I can support some of the smaller makers with my money.
If St Henri goes over a street price of $70 then that will be the end of buying Penfolds for me except in absolutely exceptional circumstances. I'll probably buy one 2004 if I get it at around $70 or less but that will be it.
From 93 to 99 vintages I reckon I bought 100 Penfolds wines. From 2000 to 2005 I reckon I have bought 12 and my total spend from 2000 to 2005 on all wine would have been about double the previous period. I'd like to still buy them as I think they are good wines, they just don't represent good QPR. Every time I think of buying one I think what else is available for $5 a bottle less and I realise the Pennies aren't worth the cash.
But obviously they don't need my custom, someone must be buying all those Penfolds wines. I guess I can support some of the smaller makers with my money.
I'm with Ratcatcher on this one!
Having been an inaugural Magill Estate club member (1999 I think) I made the decision not to rejoin in 2008 based on two reasons:
1. last couple of years under Fosters, last year especially the club lost its way;
2. the wines QPR was not there - I haven't bought many pennies wines at all for at least 3 years, whereas I can remember needing help taking cases and super premiums out to the car from cellar door in the early days. Even the club discounted prices were soon matched by Dan Murphy's etc.
My recent buying has been Rockfords, Ulithorne, Olivers and smaller producers recommended by Melbourne St Fine Wine Cellars. I'm fortunate to travel to New Zealand a few times a year so have been around fine Pinot's and the odd white.
To be balanced it would be fair to say my palate has evolved since the early pennies days, and I am pleased the club put on a very decent tasting having Peter back and using the Reidels.
Out of interest Ian how many attended the tasting and was it one night or two?
Regards, Damian.
Having been an inaugural Magill Estate club member (1999 I think) I made the decision not to rejoin in 2008 based on two reasons:
1. last couple of years under Fosters, last year especially the club lost its way;
2. the wines QPR was not there - I haven't bought many pennies wines at all for at least 3 years, whereas I can remember needing help taking cases and super premiums out to the car from cellar door in the early days. Even the club discounted prices were soon matched by Dan Murphy's etc.
My recent buying has been Rockfords, Ulithorne, Olivers and smaller producers recommended by Melbourne St Fine Wine Cellars. I'm fortunate to travel to New Zealand a few times a year so have been around fine Pinot's and the odd white.
To be balanced it would be fair to say my palate has evolved since the early pennies days, and I am pleased the club put on a very decent tasting having Peter back and using the Reidels.
Out of interest Ian how many attended the tasting and was it one night or two?
Regards, Damian.
Thanks guys for the replies: the following has some long-winded reasoning, so I appreciate your understanding...
RRP was listed on the night, but for now I've deliberately chosen not to publish this until either the 1st May release date or until it's released to the public through Penfolds, a retailer or some reviewer/scribe. The Magill Estate Club membership became available to me when I attended the Penfolds clinic because they knew I had a history of being a serious buyer/appreciator, in contrast to some previous members who were retailers and showed up once a year to find out in advance the member's price of Grange & undercut it.
It was just the one night, but a full house Damian (Ps. it's not a good idea to name one of Gavin's major local competitors here on the forum
). It's notable that at last year's Icon tasting with all wines in the XL5s the 2002 Grange really suffered, and there were a few rather pointy questions at the first Bin tasting this year in regard to club discounts vs the discounted prices available at the major grocers. For this tasting absolutely nothing was left to chance - they bought in Peter Gago, who with the rest of the CD staff answered most questions before they were even asked, and the 2003 Grange was poured (after appropriate breathing) into a Reidel for assessment. This had to be the smoothest operation I've seen at the Magill Estate Club in the 18 months I've been a member, and the results showed.
Cheers,
Ian
RRP was listed on the night, but for now I've deliberately chosen not to publish this until either the 1st May release date or until it's released to the public through Penfolds, a retailer or some reviewer/scribe. The Magill Estate Club membership became available to me when I attended the Penfolds clinic because they knew I had a history of being a serious buyer/appreciator, in contrast to some previous members who were retailers and showed up once a year to find out in advance the member's price of Grange & undercut it.
It was just the one night, but a full house Damian (Ps. it's not a good idea to name one of Gavin's major local competitors here on the forum
). It's notable that at last year's Icon tasting with all wines in the XL5s the 2002 Grange really suffered, and there were a few rather pointy questions at the first Bin tasting this year in regard to club discounts vs the discounted prices available at the major grocers. For this tasting absolutely nothing was left to chance - they bought in Peter Gago, who with the rest of the CD staff answered most questions before they were even asked, and the 2003 Grange was poured (after appropriate breathing) into a Reidel for assessment. This had to be the smoothest operation I've seen at the Magill Estate Club in the 18 months I've been a member, and the results showed.
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
It's 1st May so I'll now list the RRP for those who asked:
2006 Bin 06A - $89.90
2005 Yattarna - $129.90
2004 St Henri - $89.90
2005 Magill - $99.90
2005 RWT - $159.90
2005 Bin 707 - $174.90
2003 Grange - $550.00
The price and release date of the new Cellar Release wines are still yet to be determined.
Cheers,
Ian
Ps. Campbell Mattinson has some free video clips on youtube about his take on the wines: http://www.winefront.com.au/
2006 Bin 06A - $89.90
2005 Yattarna - $129.90
2004 St Henri - $89.90
2005 Magill - $99.90
2005 RWT - $159.90
2005 Bin 707 - $174.90
2003 Grange - $550.00
The price and release date of the new Cellar Release wines are still yet to be determined.
Cheers,
Ian
Ps. Campbell Mattinson has some free video clips on youtube about his take on the wines: http://www.winefront.com.au/
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
wiggum wrote:St Henri 04 at a major Liquor outlet in Melbourne is at $416 by the 6 pack ($69.33). Didn't get the prices of the others as not nearly in my price range. For info.
Looks like despite assurances to club members the discounting below members prices by the major grocers is still happening... I'm guessing there'll be more angry questions asked next time.
wiggum wrote:Are any of these 'Super premiums' under screwcap?
The ones bottled solely under screwcap are listed in the original post - about half of the 2005 RWT (for local market) is too. Grange, Bin 707, Magill Estate & St. Henri are still all under natural cork.
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
I got a call on the 1st of May from my
friendly local bottle shop, and today I went to pick up my order of 7 bottles of 04 St Henri, 6 bottles of 05 707
plus 6 bottles of 06 Glaetzer Anaperenna.
He gave me a very good deal despite
the tight stock situation of the 04 St Henri however the rest of the premium launch is not that popular;
plenty of RWT,Magill,Grange available
perhaps the steep price keep a lot of people away.
friendly local bottle shop, and today I went to pick up my order of 7 bottles of 04 St Henri, 6 bottles of 05 707
plus 6 bottles of 06 Glaetzer Anaperenna.
He gave me a very good deal despite
the tight stock situation of the 04 St Henri however the rest of the premium launch is not that popular;
plenty of RWT,Magill,Grange available
perhaps the steep price keep a lot of people away.
i tried the 04 st henri, 05 707,05 rwt and 05 cellar res cab on saturday.
the st henri to be honest i was disappointed in. I couldnt see the dollars asked reflected in the glass. i would like another crack at tasting it but it just seemed a bit shallow to me. it just didnt excite me.
the other 3 were a big step up (but i think the 04 version of rwt and 707 are better wines than the new release 05's). The 05 cellar res cab was a super wine - most people i drink wine with would really love it. it is all class, finesse and potential with fantastic dusty/ satiny tannins but $150 is a problem for me as i already have more overpriced wine than occassions to drink the stuff.
i ended up buying none of them and walking out with a case of 06 peg bay riesling at $18.45 a bottle instead. most people i drink wine with would really love it too! If I need a wine with wank wank factor to impress wino's, i already have plenty of them. its time to be a bit sensible.
wet blanket signing off
the st henri to be honest i was disappointed in. I couldnt see the dollars asked reflected in the glass. i would like another crack at tasting it but it just seemed a bit shallow to me. it just didnt excite me.
the other 3 were a big step up (but i think the 04 version of rwt and 707 are better wines than the new release 05's). The 05 cellar res cab was a super wine - most people i drink wine with would really love it. it is all class, finesse and potential with fantastic dusty/ satiny tannins but $150 is a problem for me as i already have more overpriced wine than occassions to drink the stuff.
i ended up buying none of them and walking out with a case of 06 peg bay riesling at $18.45 a bottle instead. most people i drink wine with would really love it too! If I need a wine with wank wank factor to impress wino's, i already have plenty of them. its time to be a bit sensible.
wet blanket signing off
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
Craig(NZ) wrote:i tried the 04 st henri, 05 707,05 rwt and 05 cellar res cab on saturday.
the st henri to be honest i was disappointed in. I couldnt see the dollars asked reflected in the glass. i would like another crack at tasting it but it just seemed a bit shallow to me. it just didnt excite me.
the other 3 were a big step up (but i think the 04 version of rwt and 707 are better wines than the new release 05's). The 05 cellar res cab was a super wine - most people i drink wine with would really love it. it is all class, finesse and potential with fantastic dusty/ satiny tannins but $150 is a problem for me as i already have more overpriced wine than occassions to drink the stuff.
i ended up buying none of them and walking out with a case of 06 peg bay riesling at $18.45 a bottle instead. most people i drink wine with would really love it too! If I need a wine with wank wank factor to impress wino's, i already have plenty of them. its time to be a bit sensible.
wet blanket signing off
I actually preferred this release of RWT and 707, especially the 707. Have to admit the St henri is a test of faith that it will improve. But on a bright note the use of screwcaps on some of them!
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
It's not a test of faith at all. Faith is belief in something with no evidence(often in spite of evidence) . Buy 04 St Henri, drink it slowly over a couple of days, rather than at a crowded shop in a rushed manner, and you have your proof. Been having a crack at 03 Grange. Last tasting of it tonight. Very chunky chalky tannins but excellent flavour.
GW
GW
It's not a test of faith at all. Faith is belief in something with no evidence(often in spite of evidence) . Buy 04 St Henri, drink it slowly over a couple of days, rather than at a crowded shop in a rushed manner, and you have your proof. Been having a crack at 03 Grange. Last tasting of it tonight. Very chunky chalky tannins but excellent flavour.
yeah look i agree and im the same with coleraine which often underwelmes me on release but blooms in the cellar so if in doubt i buy. however st henri is another $70 shiraz and because it didnt wow me when i tasted it i found it easy to resist the tempation to add another expensive wine to an already top heavy cellar. i wouldnt look sideways at anyone choosing to buy it
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
I also got an early taste of the 04 st henri (due to a somewhat tragic smash of bottles in the back of the car when some #*$ pulled out of his driveway in front of me :S ) and thought that although it was pretty damn closed, there were some really interesting and potentially exciting stuff both in the nose and the mouth.
So have faith - it's not meant to be drunk in the next 5-10 years anyway!
So have faith - it's not meant to be drunk in the next 5-10 years anyway!
Gary W wrote:It's not a test of faith at all. Faith is belief in something with no evidence(often in spite of evidence) . Buy 04 St Henri, drink it slowly over a couple of days, rather than at a crowded shop in a rushed manner, and you have your proof. Been having a crack at 03 Grange. Last tasting of it tonight. Very chunky chalky tannins but excellent flavour.
GW
I'm actually planning on doing the very thing. The St Henri, not the Grange
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
Alex F wrote:Excellent notes, thanks... any idea on how much the St Henri and the cellar reserves will cost?
I just got an email this morning from Penfolds - the 2005 Cellar Reserves will finally be released 1st June, RRP $250/bottle.
I know there's only 300 & 600 cases of the wines, but that's a pretty huge jump in price from the $100/bottle originally floated when Halliday & Parker tried them last year - looks like the Accountants got their way on this one.
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
I just got an email this morning from Penfolds - the 2005 Cellar Reserves will finally be released 1st June, RRP $250/bottle.
you guys in aussie get rogered big time!!
1. already released in NZ
2. they are NZ$150 here which is what $125 Aussie??
Tried the cabernet. A very good wine but i got too many stupidly expensive wines so didnt buy any.
Follow me on Vivino for tasting notes Craig Thomson
Craig(NZ) wrote:I just got an email this morning from Penfolds - the 2005 Cellar Reserves will finally be released 1st June, RRP $250/bottle.
you guys in aussie get rogered big time!!
1. already released in NZ
2. they are NZ$150 here which is what $125 Aussie??
Tried the cabernet. A very good wine but i got too many stupidly expensive wines so didnt buy any.
Back in December we were told they would be something around the price of the Bin 707 ($175) which was already a pretty steep increase to start with, but roughly what I'd guess to be around the mark of your NZ price adjusted for WET, etc.
The $250 RRP is a shock, but to see it's already been available overseas for a month at what appears to be a substantial discount only strengthens the impression the Australian market's being hard done by. I can't see too many local Penfolds customers being impressed by this at all, but then some will argue it's nothing new either.
Cheers,
Ian
Forget about goodness and mercy, they're gone.
n4sir wrote:Back in December we were told they would be something around the price of the Bin 707 ($175) which was already a pretty steep increase to start with, but roughly what I'd guess to be around the mark of your NZ price adjusted for WET, etc.
The $250 RRP is a shock, but to see it's already been available overseas for a month at what appears to be a substantial discount only strengthens the impression the Australian market's being hard done by. I can't see too many local Penfolds customers being impressed by this at all, but then some will argue it's nothing new either.
Cheers,
Ian
FWIW the 05 707 is being sold at $140 per bottle (case price 10% lower) here.
FWE are doing odd things in the British market; I've always been a big fan of the Wynns Black Label, but I have now been told that this is no longer available retail. If I want any then I have to go down the on-trade route and approach the distributor (which is owned by Constellation
)I saw Penfolds Henri by the case here at about 195GBP in bond which will translate to about 20GBP per bottle duty paid ... about 50 NZ pesos (which these days is a better bet than the pound).
Nayan I'm gobbsmacked Wynn's BL is no longer available retail. Used to always be available via Oddbins.
Nayan I'm gobbsmacked Wynn's BL is no longer available retail. Used to always be available via Oddbins.
“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.