Classically Australian Semillon straight off the bat – lime zest, beeswax and even a touch of hay. Very taut on the palate with the citric element continuing to dominate at this stage but I expect the lanolin note and density will come through with some additional age. Very zippy at the moment, but this will mellow and flesh out over time. Another fine example from Moss Wood and further proof you can look beyond the Hunter Valley for Semillon. Drink 2018 to 2022+.
Fergus Stewart, Private Account Manager

Produced in the Upper Yarra Valley, this Sauvignon exhibits ripe greengauge and gooseberry fruit paired with herbaceous and stony notes. The elegance that marks out the wines from Gembrook is evidient through the wine.
Katherine Dart MW, Wine Buyer

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

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, higher than in the past, blended in typical Bordelais style with 11% Merlot and a single percent each of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. There is a firm Cabernet driven cassis note that is immediately obvious on this great Margaret River homage to Bordeaux. Fine grained tannins frame the structure with plenty of plummy red and black fruit. There is an impressive persistence to the blackcurrant and mint edged finish. Lots to like!
Fergus Stewart, 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

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

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

Sourced solely from Coonawarra, this is opulent and heady on the nose, but the French oak is much more reserved than on other cuvées. It immediately reminds me of the great Syrahs of the Northern Rhône – dark, dense fruit, along with a seriously compact mid-palate, all of which point to this being very impressive in the years to come. Beneath the surface, the acidity hums away keeping everything in check. The finish is fine, persistent and mouthcoating. For me, this is the dark horse and the value pick of the 2017 releases. Drink 2019-2030.
Gary Owen, Private Account Manager

The Barossa Valley Shiraz is sourced from mature Barossa Valley vineyards (20+ years old) with the majority located along the region’s North-Western ridge in Marananga and Seppeltsfield as well as Lyndoch Valley in the Southern Barossa.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Barossa Valley Shiraz reveals pronounced blackberry, dark chocolate and black currant notes over hints of black earth, charcoal, licorice and a hint of violets. Profoundly rich and concentrated on the full-bodied palate, it has some delicious savory/olive tapenade notes emerging, supported by firm, ripe tannins and finishing with great length. Retailing at around $25 and with 1,500 cases available, snap this beauty up while it lasts! Drink 2017–2027. 
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate 229, 28th February 2017

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

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 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