2009 Australia

A pioneer of the Hunter Valley, Australia’s oldest viticultural area, Tyrrell’s wines is a by-word for the highest quality and age-worthy Sémillon. Today Tyrrell’s still sets the benchmark for the region, producing not just Sémillon, but Chardonnay and Shiraz that are amongst the best if not the finest in the Hunter when their vineyards and the vintage align.

Green-tinged, this has explosive intensity with the matchstick and lime aromas common in Australian white wines. It’s a wine with a presence and personality that is not easily forgotten. A weighty wax and lanolin texture is developing superbly. When tasted alongside the Belford, this is the wine that calls for earlier drinking.

In contrast to Bin 707, Bin 169 is the expression of the fruit and terroir from one single region, Coonawarra, perhaps the region more closely associated with Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia than any other. Matured for 14 months in new French oak, contemporary style showing both regionality and maturation of Cabernet Sauvignon in fine grained French oak. Until 31st August 2017 this product is discounted by 20%. Prices shown include discount; no further discount will be applied at checkout.

The nose is full of ripe Cassis and Blueberry, a hint of pencil shavings and szechuan pepper lies underneath.  The palate is medium plus bodied , a finer and more classically structured Grange with great composition and poise.  The mid palate is full of bramble fruit which leads gently into a finish of finely grained, integrated and savoury tannins and a cooling menthol acidity.
Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager

As usual, Pat Carmody at Craiglee has fashioned a supremely elegant Chardonnay with more than a hint of Burgundian elegnce and restraint. The grapes are barrel-fermented and enjoy significant lees contact, which imparts aromas of cashew nut, with hints of melon and pineapple.

However, the blocking of ther malolactic fermentation means that the wine retains a firm, refreshing acidity and helps it to age gracefully over a number of years. Excellent with rich fish dishes but could also work well with light poultry dishes. 2009 proved a challenging year for winemakers as drought created severe problems. The cool climate sites fared best, particularly Victoria, such as Sunbury, home to Craiglee. The Chardonnay was barrel-fermented but was not allowed to undergo malocatic fermentation.

This helps to preserve the inherent acidity in the wine and maintains freshness and vitality. The bouquet displays notes of exotic fruit such as pineapple and melon, with hints of nuts, too. On the palate extended lees contact imbues the wine with great intensity, richness and a pleasing minerality, and despite its Australian origins there is a real sense of restraint and subtlety, reminiscent of White Burgundy in a ripe vintage. Ready now but will improve for a couple of years of further ageing.
(Katie Cooper, Wince Club Manager)

The initials RWT stand for 'Red Winemaking Trial', the name given to the project internally when developmental work for a new wine began in 1995. Unlike other Penfolds wines, RWT is sourced from a single region – the Barossa Valley - and has an opulent and fleshy style, perfumed with blueberry and blackberry fruit. It offers an admirable alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and American oak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange, expressing instead single region Barossa valley Shiraz matured only in French Oak.

Aged in French oak (50-70% new) for up to 15 months, this has a classic Barossa nose of rich, spicy black fruit with a hint of eucalyptus. On the palate, black cherry, blackberry and five spice all merge seamlessly with the oak and supple tannins. Long on the finish, this is another excellent RWT.
(Fergus Stewart, BBR Fine Wine)

2009 proved to be a stunning vintage for Torbreck and this RunRig promises to be one of the best we have ever made. The growing season was ideal during flowering and fruit set and some shatter in the shiraz restricted yields in some of our key blocks. A heat wave in late January and early February was followed by perfectly mild and dry conditions, allowing the vines to recover and the fruit to ripen slowly. Through this period we were patient allowing us to pick our old vine RunRig parcels when they were flawlessly ripe.

These factors culminated in the development of some incredible aromatics in the wine, so much so that we decided the Shiraz in 2009 did not require its usual addition of Viognier. The tannin structure is beautiful and the wine flows effortlessly from wonderful perfume to a lithe, dense and complex palate. This wine will prove to be one of the truly great RunRigs.
(Torbreck Vintners)