TN's Penfolds Premium Wines New and Old

[John #11]

The setting: The Max Schubert Room at Penfolds Magill Winery, surrounded by racks containing thousands of bottles of vintage icon wines.
A small group of us (about 40) invited to taste a selection of premium new release (and selected back vintages).

All wines had been decanted for 4 hours, and served mostly in XL5 glasses, although the Grange wines were served in Riedel Ouverture Magnum glasses.

The white wines were served with oysters, and spicey scallops.
The red wines were served with quail, roasted lamb cutlets, and pan fried steak.

2006 Bin 51 Riesling
100% Eden Valley Fruit.
Straw Coloured, with green edges
Floral aromas of rose petals, geraniums, with perfumed spice, limes, apples and a hint of grapefruit.
On the palate - citrus, limes, grapefruit, and fresh apples. A fine acid spine, lasting dry and fruit finish, with supple minerality.
Very varietal. 92/100. Cellar for up to 10 years.

2006 Bin 311 Chardonnay
Fruit from Tumbarumba.
A pale straw colour.
Aromas of citrus fruits, grapefruit, and a good whiff of french oak.
Very fruit driven, with citrus fruits, grapefruit, subdued cashews, and yeast. Noticeable oak.
Chablis-like, with purity. 92/100. Cellar up to 5 years.

2005 Bin A Chardonnay (Bin 05A Chardonnay)
Pale straw.
Complex aromas of stone fruit, figs, and almonds.
Lemons, grapefruit, figs, tightly wound acid, creamy oak and lanolin eventually emerges, and is sustained through the long lasting finish. Stunning.
Again Chablis-like, with lovely fruit purity. Excellent. 95/100. Cellar for 5 or more years. WWOTN

2000 St Henri Shiraz
Dark red-purple
Aromas of violets, cherries, stewed plums and liquorice.
Rich luscious and fruity, with dark cherries, plums, chocolate, liquorice, smokey black pepper, firm and chunky tannins, sweet and acidic finish.
Still very young and fresh. Excellent. 94/100. Cellar for another 10years.

2003 St Henri Shiraz
Dark red-purple.
Heady aromas of raisins, dark fruit, Christmas pudding, mocha chocolate, and perfumed spice.
SIlky mouthfeel, red fruits, dark fruits, blueberries, soft tannins. I thought there was a noticeable mid-palate gap, and a somewhat attenuated finish. But still very ripe, and an early drinker. 90/100. Drink in the next 5 years.

1996 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
Very dark and purple.
Aromas of creme de cassis, small red and black berries, chocolate syrup, plums and spicey oak.
Complex layered fruits, spicey oak, large and drying/dusty tannins, some meaty and gamey elements, and fine herbs.
Very very young, but beginning to drink nicely, one of the all-time great 707's. Superb. 96/100. Cellar 10-15 years more.

2004 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
I thought that this wine would suffer because it followed the 1996, but was wrong, this is a very smart wine, and holds its own in the competition very well
Dark red and purple.
Aromas of cassis, red fruit, olives, and just a hint of coconutty oak.
Full of fruit, dark berries, plums, blackcurrant, chocolate, olives, soy, fine and chalky tannins, barely detectable oak giving a slightly sweet and long lasting finish.
Will be very very good in years to come. Excellent. 95/100. Cellar 10-20 years.

2002 RWT Shiraz
Dark purple, red edges.
Aromas of violets, iodine, chocolate and sweet cedary oak.
Very much fruit driven, layered black fruit, blackberries, satsuma plums, black pepper, fine grained, dusty tannins, and a good whack of French oak. Unmistakably a big Barossan shiraz, but at the same time elegant and not overpowering. A nice lasting finish. Excellent. 96/100. Cellar up to 10 years.

2004 RWT Shiraz
Dark red-purple.
Aromas of Barossa fruit, choc-cherries, sweet cedary oak.
Impressive depth of fruit, dark chocolate, cherries, again a good whack of French oak, finer grain tannins, and satisfying finish. Not as well balanced as the '02 above.
Very good. 94/100. Cellar for up to 10 years.

1990 Bin 95 Grange
95% Shiraz, 5% Cabernet.
Dark purple, not inky.
Lovely nose of lifted violets, dark fruit, blueberries, blackberries, dark olives, black jam, truffles.
Impeccable mouthfeel, layer upon layer of fresh dark fruit, plums, black olives, tar, truffles, exquisitely fine-grained soft and slippery tannins, and enormous length of finish. It just keeps building and building up to a crescendo.
One of the greatest vintages, impeccably presented. c'est magnifique! 98/100. Will cellar for many years to come! RWOTN, and WOTN by a very large margin.

2002 Bin 95 Grange
98.5% Shiraz. 1.5% Cabernet. Fruit: 77.5% Barossa Valley, 22.5% Mclaren Vale.
Dark purple, again not inky.
Aromas of violets, spice, pepper, chocolate, olives, and jam.
Impressive mouthfeel, incredible depth of layered fruit, plums, black olives, peppery and spicey meat,tar and liquorice, dark chocolate, subtle but toasty vanilla oak, firm and grippy ripe tannins.
Tightly coiled, beautifully balanced and ready to pounce. Powerful, but also very nicely refined. An excellent Grange. 95/100. Huge potential.


And then the night was over.
Many thanks to the organisers.

#11

[Grand Cru]

Noticed some 96 Bin 707 at the Wickmans auction, looks a good buy on your notes.

I still think 1996 is the best 90s vintage in SA

[Mike Hawkins]

Nice line up. I was thinking about a 90 Grange when I'm next in Oz, but after your note, I think I'll leave it alone.

GC, agree 96 was a great year, but for my tastes, 91 was even better.

[n4sir]

Thanks for the notes John - it sounds like the extra couple of hours breathing time has done wonders for some of the wines. You seemed a bit more impressed with the 2003 St. Henri (although you also think it's a significantly shorter term prospect) and the 2002 Grange (maybe the Riedel's helped too).

Campbell's recently reviewed these and also found the American oak a lot more obvious than I did in the 2004 Bin 707 (which is a bit of a worry) - I assume it's likewise related to breathing time right now, so it will be interesting to see if it's a lot more obvious in another 12 months (like the 2002 right now).

Cheers,
Ian

Ps. No Yattarna? I thought the 2005 Bin 05A Chardonnay was too fat, oaky and overblown in the old Yattarna style, but it does have it's fans - it will struggle to cellar compared to the new 2004 Yattarna though, which is custom built for it.

[John #11]

You seemed a bit more impressed with the 2003 St. Henri (although you also think it's a significantly shorter term prospect) and the 2002 Grange (maybe the Riedel's helped too).

Campbell's recently reviewed these and also found the American oak a lot more obvious than I did in the 2004 Bin 707 (which is a bit of a worry) - I assume it's likewise related to breathing time right now, so it will be interesting to see if it's a lot more obvious in another 12 months (like the 2002 right now).

Cheers,
Ian

Ps. No Yattarna? I thought the 2005 Bin 05A Chardonnay was too fat, oaky and overblown in the old Yattarna style, but it does have it's fans - it will struggle to cellar compared to the new 2004 Yattarna though, which is custom built for it.

I wasn't all that impressed by the 03 St Henri, It had a mid-palate gap, and attenuated finish.


I really do feel that the 02 Grange will, in time be one of the all time greats. Right now, everyone seems to be picking on it. They did this with the 01 as well, and look at it now! Jeremy Oliver has just given it 97/100!


The 05A Chardonnay is just my preferred style in chardonnay, and as you say, it won't suit everyone either. It's good to have some in the cellar for when the LEAS runs out.

[John #11]

Nice line up. I was thinking about a 90 Grange when I'm next in Oz, but after your note, I think I'll leave it alone.

GC, agree 96 was a great year, but for my tastes, 91 was even better.

The 90 Grange was superb. Right in its peak drinking window now, so no need to wait longer. I just meant it would live on for many years to come.

[John #11]

Re: 2002 Grange

I see James Halliday agrees with me, he states in his newly released book: "... destined to become recognised as one of the great Granges" and 97/100 points.

Other ratings by him

2004 Yattarna 97/100
2004 707 Cabernet 96/100
2004 RWT Shiraz 95/100
2003 St Henri 95/100
2006 Bin 311 Chard 92/100
2005 Bin 05A Chard 93/100
2006 Bin 51 Riesling 90/100

[n4sir]

Re: 2002 Grange

I see James Halliday agrees with me, he states in his newly released book: "... destined to become recognised as one of the great Granges" and 97/100 points.

Other ratings by him

2004 Yattarna 97/100
2004 707 Cabernet 96/100
2004 RWT Shiraz 95/100
2003 St Henri 95/100
2006 Bin 311 Chard 92/100
2005 Bin 05A Chard 93/100
2006 Bin 51 Riesling 90/100

I heard last night at a Penfolds/Seppelt/Baileys fortified tasting for the first time he rated a wine 100/100 points - the 1907 100 YO Para Liqueur. Once upon a time he refused to rate any wine higher than 97/100, as anything above that was equivalent to perfection which at the time he considered wasn't a reality.

I guess this shows just how much his goal posts have changed in the last five or so years, and on that basis I just don't think you can compare his scores from then to now - pity his notes now are so damn brief compared to back then too.

Cheers,
Ian

[platinum]

I cannot beleive the changes he's now made to his drinking windows. Heaps longer than Olivers now. Tons of drink till 2030's and Grange 02 drink till 2050. Even alot of good (but only good) wines have 20 year windows.

[Attila]

I do respect John#11's opinion and I also agree that the 2003 St. Henri has some issues being a great wine. Upfront convincing and fruity but not enough backbone and character to be great.
I too pick on the 2002 Grange as I rather believe that the 2004 RWT surpassing it as an absolutely awesome red.

http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.p ... attila+rwt

Cheers,
Attila

[John #11]

THE 2004 RWT is a nice wine, but the 2002 RWT was much better made, and nicer.

The 2002 Grange is a level above the RWT, Campbell Mattinson has said so, Jeremy Oliver has emphatically said so, and James Halliday has also said so.

It has received generous support, from all except Attila....

I liked it a lot. I guess our palates are just different.

#11