Penfolds RWT Bin 798

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€118.65

VAT included

Penfolds RWT 2018

Penfolds RWT expresses a single-region Barossa Valley shiraz matured only in French oak. The initials RWT stand for 'Red Winemaking Trial', the name given to the project internally when development work began in 1995. Its style is opulent and fleshy, contrasting with the Grange, which is more muscular and assertive.

Vinification: RWT is made from fruit selected mainly for its aromatic qualities and soft texture. It is aged for 18 months in French oak casks (57% new and 43% first year).

Producer's tasting notes: On the nose a floral fragrance (marigold?), fresh berries saturated à la glacé. French oak innocently proclaimed through latent markers of citrus/brine, caper/cedar and sandalwood. Cured meats embalmed in balsamic, anchovy paste and thyme blossom.

On the palate, dark cherry and blackcurrant/blackcurrant fruit stand out, providing viscosity and concentration. There's a hint of quince... and a little more. Vietnamese mint and aniseed provide an admirable "cooling effect"/palate lift.

Variety: Shiraz

Wine Type: Red Wine
Format: 0,75L
Vintage: 2018
Producer: Penfolds
Castes: Syrah
Country: Australia
Region: Barossa Valley
The highest scoring: Robert Parker 97 to 99 Points
Robert Parker: RP98
Wine Spectator: 95
Wine Enthusiast: 96
James Suckling: 96
Jancis Robinson: 18

This has a very attractively fresh, showy feel to the nose with aromas of ripe red cherries, blackberries, goji berries and redcurrants, as well as red plums and some wild-herb and licorice notes on offer, too. Very expressive and fragrant. The palate has a super intense and powerful delivery of ripe red-cherry and plum flavors and immaculately fresh French oak (64% new) that really clasps and holds the finish long. The tannins are so ripe and well positioned. Drink over two decades.

Sourced only from the Barossa Valley, RWT is aged exclusively in French oak, giving it two major points of difference from the rest of the Penfolds range. Always a sexy, voluptuous wine (and admittedly a personal favorite), the 2018 RWT Shiraz ratchets that up to new heights in a great Barossa vintage, boasting layers of berry-like fruit, refined vanilla shadings and baking-spice notes, plus more exotic elements like star anise and cocoa powder. It's full-bodied and plush without being unstructured in any way, with a lingering, complex finish and the concentration to age two decades or more.

Lustrous dark purplish crimson. Smell of rather damp oak(!) to me. Very distinctive! And certainly no longer a trial. Camphor and very obvious ripeness on the nose. Round and very gently handled. I could almost drink this tonight! Transparent and lively. Tastes as though it has been moved along the spectrum a bit further from the Grange concentration model. Appetising and dry on the end. Almost as light as claret-like in build. A charmer. Great balance.

Complex and intense, starting with a core of juicy crushed raspberry, cherry puree and huckleberry flavors, oozing with details of Earl Grey tea, vanilla bean, sandalwood and anise that swirl around on the long, expressive finish, backed by dense, muscular tannins. Powerful, but showing plenty of restraint and promise for the cellar. Drink now through 2045. 1,156 cases imported.

This wine offers layers of appealing aromas straight off the bat, from black cherry and currant to cedar, mocha, graphite, herbs and black olive. Concentrated yet impeccably balanced, the palate is smudged by savory tannins while spice and dark berry flavors weave seamlessly together. This delivers power and polish. Drink now–2040. Christina Pickard