In a flight of the forty finest vintages of Bin 28 since 1963 in the Rewards of Patience tasting last year, the trilogy of 2008, 2009 and 2010 was the highlight. If 2008 was defined by richness and 2009 by restraint, 2010 unites the best of both worlds in magnificent concentration, within a framework of […]

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Penfolds has been home to some of the world’s most revered cabernet shiraz blends for more than half a century, yet never in any of my tastings with the house have they opened a bottle of Bin 8. They generously obliged my request for a sample, and it’s unfortunate that the lesser 2011 vintage was […]

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Like Bin 8, I’ve never seen Penfolds open a bottle of Bin 2 to show it off, yet this blend of shiraz (81%) and mourvèdre (19%) from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale is well-crafted, appealing and fruit-focused. Blackberries and black cherries are along for the ride, amid lifted notes of violets and the layered […]

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Penfolds pinots always seem to have an air of having been assembled by an expert in shiraz and cabernet. In 2012, this translates into a tightly wound palate scaffolded with firm, fine tannins. The aim here is a pinot for the long-term, which Gago admits is more robust than some. It’s a savoury style of […]

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Depth and definition of fruit elevate 2010 among the great 389s of all time, displaying immaculate tension between concentration, vibrant lift and structural assuredness that make it both enticing right away and charge it with the stamina to live very long. Built around a core of Coonawarra cabernet and Barossa shiraz, with support from Wrattonbully, […]

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In classic 2010 style, Bin 407 is approachable from the outset, yet with a tremendous future before it. With magnificent colour, intensity and purity, this is a wine of inky power of deep-set blackcurrant, black plum and cassis fruit of seamless line and incredible persistence. Yet for all of its concentration, it retains a lightness […]

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2010 was a sensational season for Marananga, capturing the sweet, lush, ripe core of blueberry and blackberry fruits, liquorice straps and dark chocolate that characterise the village. It holds everything securely in place with lively acidity and firm tannins of finely-structured tension. Definitive Barossa shiraz in a magnificent vintage.

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2009 is an impressive St Henri, more a sleeper than a blockbuster, with a very long future before it. Impressively focused crunchy red berries, plums, blueberries and liquorice define a palate with an undercurrent of gentle dark chocolate. The finish rises to a black fruit and liquorice crescendo, with the savoury tannin definition that defines […]

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With an average age between 20 and 25 years, Grandfather has evolved wonderful complexity of aromas of bitter walnuts, dried fruits, burnt toffee, Christmas cake, raisins and hints of black olives and woodspice. A luscious and complex palate captures deeply-layered complexity with a freshness and a clean finish that maintains its savoury, lively poise, thanks […]

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In structure and refinement, 2010 is an eminently enduring and exactingly honed Yattarna at the pinnacle of the style. A whopping 96 percent Tasmanian fruit defines a breathtakingly refined structure, with high-tensile acidity that impales its core and penetrates long into the finish. There’s a wonderful interplay here between the cut of fresh lemon and […]

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