2015 Australia

This has a classic 389 nose – black fig, blackcurrant, mint, anise, buttered toast and black pepper. There’s excellent balance between the Cabernet and Shiraz – neither overwhelms the other. The silky structure comes courtesy of the Cabernet, while there is plenty of flesh on the bones from the Shiraz. There is a long black-fruited finish. This year definitely lives up to the “baby Grange” moniker and it is no surprise that this is collected for future enjoyment year in, year out. Drink 2022-2030+.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

Marananga is a refined yet powerful wine: it jumps out of the glass with powerful red and dark fruit, chocolate, coffee, bacon and vanilla. The palate of blackberry, red cherry and raspberry is layered with chocolate, vanilla and oak through a long, focused finish. Sixteen months in French and American oak shows itself a little forward now but will integrate fully with one to three years of ageing. Drink 2019-2030.
Mike Jordan, Private Account Manager

This possesses a staggering purity of fruit. The phrase “leaps out the glass” doesn’t do justice to the way in which this dominates the senses, with a lightness of touch and elegance that I just cannot recall in previous vintages of St Henri. The palate is textured and complex, never awkward or cloying in any way. This is a very complete wine. Overall, there is a sense that this is hewn from the same material as Grange, albeit in a quieter, perhaps even more polite manner.
Gary Owen, Private Account Manager

RWT stands for “Red Winemaking Trial”; trialled, tested and approved, but the name has stuck. Purple with an inky core, it displays aromas of spiced plums, cardamom and peppered steak, alongside a gentle cedar note. Broad-shouldered initially, the ripe tannins disperse across the palate as flavours of blueberry, blackberry and cinnamon dance on the tongue. Complexity here is derived from French oak, while a savoury character comes across the back of the palate with a bloodied meatiness. Suave and sophisticated, the 2015 RWT is coming together nicely and I expect it to reward in its early stages of development. Drink 2019-2030+.
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager

A wine that is contemporary in feel and yet has deep historic roots within the story of Penfolds, the single-vineyard Magill Estate is singing this year. The nose is complex and inviting, with a melange of blackberry, damson and hints of mocha, thyme and beef fat. The palate is precise, svelte and medium-bodied. The French and American oak is absorbed beautifully into the rich fruit. Great acidity gives a moreish, tannic (filigree) bite at the end – full of spice and coffee notes. This is a rich succulent style of Shiraz, and yet with great coolness, purity and length. A wonderful expression of terroir. Drink 2021-2030+.
Stuart Rae, Commercial Manager
Dark purple. Very dense. Rich and very high toned. Sweet and with extremely high tannins. Lots of dried spices on the nose – handmade and with lots of dry integrity on the end. Very different from the Penfolds norm. Much drier and more traditional.
18/20, Jancis Robinson MW

The name “Yattarna” comes from the Aboriginal word for “gradually” and represents Penfolds’s desire to conquer the realm of Australian Chardonnay. This is made from 100 percent Chardonnay from cool-climate regions in Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills. The wine spent eight months in French barriques (65 percent new). The nose shows hints of pear, apple and a touch of oak. Fine acidity races through the mouth with generous apple and pear flavours. The hint of new oak, as on the nose, shows itself here. It finishes long and balanced. Drink now to 2023+.
Mike Jordan, Private Account Manager

This is immediately Cabernet on the nose, with herbal notes of capsicum and fennel offset by rich blackcurrant and juniper berry. There’s a floral character as well, with crushed violets and hawthorn. Silky and finely textured, the palate moves gently around a core of cool blackcurrants, fleshed out with a sweet earthiness. Very tasty on the palate, this is well-managed and the components really work together. Assertive with a fine acidity, this has a lovely texture and finishes with moreish black fruit. One of the finest releases of Bin 407 I can recall with lots to offer. Drink 2018-2028.
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager

The Loechel Eden Valley Shiraz is sourced from a single vineyard at the Southern tip of the Eden Valley township. It was planted half a century ago by the Loechel family to sandy loam and areas of quartz and gravel, over weathered mica-schist and at 400 metres altitude.

Coming from the western section of a single vineyard in Eden Valley, the 2015 Loechel Shiraz from Eden Valley has a deep garnet-purple color and a gorgeous floral nose of roses and violets, with a whole array of baking spice-laced red and black fruit preserves emerging, plus some hints of cedar and chocolate box. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is youthfully taut, firm and muscular, possessing a solid structure of grainy tannins and lively acidity, finishing with those glorious baking spice layers coming through. 300 cases were made. Drink 2018 – 2038. 
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate 229, 27th February 2017

The wine produced from these centurion vines have always produced the backbone of David Powell’s most premium wines, and it now makes a single vineyard wine of its own named after the original settlers of the area.

From a tiny, one hectare, 110-year-old vineyard in Barossa Valley’s Marananga subregion, the 2015 Kraehe Shiraz (pronounced kray) has a deep garnet-purple color and profoundly scented nose of blackberry and blueberry preserves, dried plums and mulberries with salami and fertile earth undertones, plus hints of marmite toast, asphalt and licorice. The full-bodied palate packs in the flavor layers with the voluptuous fruit superbly framed by firm, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length. Give this sexy Shiraz another 2-3 years in bottle and drink it over the next 25+ years. 155 cases were made. Drink 2019–2044. 
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate 229, 27th February 2017

The Steinert vineyard is situated in the high hills of the Eden’s Flaxman’s Valley and contains some of the most prized and ancient vines of the Barossa.

Coming from a small (two-hectare) single vineyard with more than 120-year-old vines in the Flaxman Valley area of Barossa’s cooler Eden Valley, the 2015 Steinert Shiraz offers a deep garnet-purple color and very pretty red currants, black cherries and black raspberries notes, with touches of pepper and spice box plus fleeting wafts of roses. The medium to full-bodied palate is seriously intense, delivering ripe red berry and spice layers with a very long, perfumed finish. 200 cases were made. Drink 2018–2038. 
Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate

The 2013 Steading is composed from the traditional Barossa cultivars of Grenache, Shiraz & Mataro.  It has long been David Powell’s favourite wine within the Torbreck stable because of the old, gnarled ‘bush vines’ that are at the heart of this wine.
 
First produced in 1995, The Steading has remained an integral cuvee of Torbreck’s range. Old vine Grenache makes up 60% of the blend, combining with Mataro and Shiraz; delivering a complex, suave character to the wine. Flavours of dried raspberry and kirsch meet the palate instantly with a flourishing herbal backdrop of dried fennel and Asian spices. Softly textured, seamlessly balanced with fine silky tannins, there’s a lovely tension underneath which retains a coil for the wine to gather further complexity with a little ageing. Approachable now, although I would look to enjoy from 2019 – 2024 to enjoy at its best.
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager 

The Barossa & Eden Valleys Shiraz epitomises the philosophy of Powell & Son: to marry the greatness of the Barossa and Eden Valleys.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Barossa & Eden Valleys Shiraz delivers expressive red currant, black cherry and crushed blackberry notes over hints of baking spices, garrigue, black pepper and lavender. Medium to full-bodied and very finely textured with silken, fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, it has wonderful length and depth. Drink 2017 – 2035. 
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate 229, 28th February 2017