2008 Australia

Deceptively light in colour, with a broad (brick) rim. The extended aging reflecting in the colour as well as the nose, which is full of plum, loganberry, hint of leather, mocha, expresso bean. A smooth beautifully integrated rich bodied palate. Firm acidity, dusty tannins. The balance is impeccable, traditional Barossa indeed but not in the overly extracted style, a laid back style but far from facile – this is superb and a joy to drink now but will age effortlessly over the next few decades. 2018 – 2025+

Launched with the 1990 vintage in 1993, Penfolds Bin 407 was developed in response to the increasing availability of high quality Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. Inspired by Penfolds Bin 707, Bin 407 offers varietal definition and approachability, yet with structure and depth of flavour.

A textbook Cabernet Sauvignon, the varietally expressive Bin 407 highlights the rewards of Penfolds multi-region, multi-vineyard blending, with a core of ripe fruit supported by a sensitive use of French and American oak.

Providing a lovely contrast to the more powerfully structured Bin 707, Bin 407 is a restrained and elegant cabernet sauvignon style with clear, varietal black-currant/cassis aromas, fine-grained firm tannins and underlying cedar/savoury oak

The 2008 vintage of Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is the inaugural re-release of this label - modelled on the earlier ‘one-off’ 1973 Bin 169. The creation of Bin 169 reflects a contemporary Penfolds winemaking approach, emphasising both regionality and maturation of Cabernet Sauvignon in fine-grained French oak.

An honest reflection of the region and a testament to Penfolds longstanding commitment to the vineyards of Coonawarra. Dark magenta, with a deeper/darker core. The nose is regal, yet modern. Lifted high notes—an intriguing mix of root vegetables... rhubarb, turnip, radish, parsnip, white chocolate and clove. Scents of blackberry conserve, fig paste, black olive, oregano, bay leaf, paprika do appear on the aromatic radar. A hint of oak, replete with mustard powder/Indian spice artefact. Fresh wafts of new, sweet polished leather.

The palate is lively, stylish, confidently and assertively medium-bodied, Coonawarra. Rhubarb compote carries over onto the palate, energised by blackcurrant and quince allies and red fruits (cranberry and persimmon). Tomato chutney/relish/pulp... giving way to savoury tapenade, Dutch red licorice. The feature here is texture... structurally woven, a mesh rather than a coating—tightened by oak, bound by powdery Coonawarra Cabernet tannins. Good grip, natural acidity. Deep and long.

"This inaugural release is a contemporary Penfolds reflection and showcase of Cabernet and of Coonawarra.”
(Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago)

A highly successful and alternative expression of Shiraz, St Henri does not rely on any oak, making it a bold alternative to Grange. This wine is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like character as it ages.

From all the wines of the Penfolds stable, it is the St. Henri which I think offers the most poise and finesse; combining power and opulence with purity and a velvety, silky texture. No new oak is used during maturation, allowing a focus on the intense, dark fruit which is cool and fresh with a eucalypt hint on the nose. There’s loads of fleshy fruit across the palate but the sense of precision remains throughout. The tannins and acidity are beautifully managed, a wine made to reward patience, drink 2018-2035+.
(Martyn Rolph, BBR Fine wine)

Red Winemaking Trials. This Barossa Shiraz was first made in 1997 after several
years of the aforementioned trials. Opulence is the keynote here and, whilst this
opulence is highly seductive in the wine’s youth, this can and will age impeccably
well.

The 2008 RWT Shiraz is 100% Barossa fruit aged in French oak, with around 60%
being new. Deep and dense, it has a classic Barossa nose of eucalyptus and spicy,
dark berries. The ripe black fruit carries onto the palate, seamlessly merging with very
fine tannins. Could this be the best RWT ever?
(Fergus Stewart, Berrys' Fine Wine Advisor)

A blend of 98% Shiraz with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon from across vineyards in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, and Magill Estate. Matured for 19 months in new American oak hogsheads.

First vintage since 1976 to be awarded 100 points by the Wine Advocate 2008 was an early harvest.  A seamless growing season with steady, early season growth, followed by cool, dry conditions at the start of summer, and the anticipated rise in temperatures from the New Year. A vintage where the oldest vines with balanced canopies capitalised on the perfect growing conditions before the highest temperatures arrived.

The Gask is sourced from a single plot of painstakingly nurtured Shiraz nestled into the eastern slope of Mount McKenzie. Planted in 1960, this elevated site yields small, intense berries that possess great intensity of flavour without sacrificing balance & poise. After hand harvesting in early April this small batch was destemmed into two cement vats where it spent seven days before being ‘gravity-drained’ and basket pressed. The juice was later racked into old French barriques where it completed a slow malo-lactic fermentation and was aged for a total of 18 months. As with all Torbreck wines wines, it was bottled without the use of fining or filtration.

Harvested in late March this is, to a fashion, the flagship of the estate in that it exemplifies all that the estate is about. The bush vines of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, planted at the turn of the century, give an almost Burgundian elegance to a wine whose components would suggest southern Rhone. The palate is elegant and pure with subtle notes of crushed cherries, earth and cedar all neatly wound by a taut spine of acidity and ripe supple tannins. This will reward a few years in the cellar with interest and, notably, it is invariably David’s favourite wine of the range.

The vineyard was planted in 1912 and, unusually for the time, it was planted exclusively with Shiraz. The soil is composed of clay and loam which causes these 100 year old vines to be low yielding. The wine itself is something of an extrovert, a nose of fresh mint, chocolate and a combination of both red and black fruit. The palate is full, rich and rounded with a pleasing gift of caramel imparted by the oak. These vines certainly aren’t showing their age if this wine is anything to go by.
Nick Stewart, BBR Buying Department