A special bin cabernet shiraz blend that will go down among the great Australian reds of history! Almost equal parts cabernet and shiraz, with cabernet in the lead at the moment, providing incredible violet lift, black- and redcurrant and cassis purity. Consummately integrated oak. Mind-blowingly fresh yet formidably powerful; controlled yet generous; super-fine yet firm […]
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A sweet-fruited, supple RWT, built around powerfully concentrated, glossy stewed plum, rhubarb and blackberry fruit. Milk chocolate French oak (more than eighty percent new) provides a firm, fine tannin spine. There’s an immediacy and appeal to its sweet fruit focus, making this the wine to drink while you await those 2008 cabernets to come back […]
readA sweet-fruited, supple RWT, built around powerfully concentrated, glossy stewed plum, rhubarb and blackberry fruit. Milk chocolate French oak (more than eighty percent new) provides a firm, fine tannin spine. There’s an immediacy and appeal to its sweet fruit focus, making this the wine to drink while you await those 2008 cabernets to come back […]
readA lesser St Henri, from a challenging, fast-ripening year. 100% shiraz, with Robe leading the blend, then McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Padthaway, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra and Adelaide Hills. A fragrance of violets carries through the bouquet and palate, with nuances of pepper and blueberries. Stewy fruit notes, candied strawberries and a dryness to the finish […]
read06 takes the energy and vitality of 02 and the opulence and stamina of 04 and finds a middle ground, in a ravishing state of contentedness. This is Barossa shiraz, sufficient to be labelled as such, with tiny quantities of Coonawarra and Magill and just 2% cabernet. Intricately tweaked pressings make the style more approachable, […]
readIgnore the name, Bin 707 is the right hand man to Grange, hovering well above any other Bin wine on the Penfolds ladder – and a line of monumental releases confirms it. Penfolds has worked magic with 2008 cabernet on all fronts (read on) and in the grand scheme of international cabernet, 707 is the […]
readThe trajectory of Yattarna’s ascension to the mesosphere of Australia’s chardonnay firmament is as dramatic as it is obvious. The philosophical backflip from “powerful and oaky” to “elegant and age worthy” triggered a dramatic leap in the proportion of cool Derwent Valley (TAS) fruit (now almost 90 percent) and a lower dose of new oak […]
readI’ve never really got excited about Magill – until 08! With its insanely early harvest (Feb 5 – record!) and a higher proportion of French oak than ever (more than three-quarters), suddenly this legendary old vineyard leapt to a new vibrancy of blueberry fruits, anise and pepper. A frame of intricately textured tannins cascades into […]
readSuch was the desperate purity of 08A that I never imagined it could be pulled off again in a back-to-back release. 09A is a tightrope act, balancing ultra finesse, honed structure, coiled-up tension and intricately focused minerality on one side with a maelstrom of wild, leesy, textural, solidsy action on the other. It gulps up […]
readThe bargain of Scarce Earth is a firmly honed style, built around finely ground tannins. Nuances of savoury spice, game and black olives add complexity to a nucleus of mulberry and dark plum fruit.
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