Penfolds RWT Bin 798 Shiraz 2021

A rich and complex wine with a mouthful of flavours, RWT Bin 798 2021 is an exceptional example of Barossa Shiraz, with a stunning finish that lingers for minutes.

Deep crimson. Lovely blackberry, dark chocolate, praline aromas with mocha, marzipan, and vanilla notes. Beautifully balanced and layered with superb apricot, yellow peach, grapefruit flavours, underlying tonic water, grilled nut and vanilla notes, superb mid‑palate viscosity and fresh lacy textures. Finishes minerally and long. One of the very best releases of this series. Exceptional. Drink now–2036. 12.5% alc.

Sourced from the Barossa, this wine matures in French hogsheads for 14 months, 80% of them new and 20% one‑year‑old. A cracking red. Dark, almost opaque maroon in colour, there is finesse here. Red fruits, notably raspberries, with florals, cold tea, milk chocolate, hints of cloves and red cherry notes all combine to provide wonderful aromatics. Saturated flavours here, and the wine has elegance. The texture is seductive and layered, ensuring a more refined, more graceful, wine. Bright acidity runs the length, which is seriously impressive. Everything in total harmony. A superb RWT. 14.5% alc.

In 2021 RWT has some spice to break up the familiar avalanche of black fruit, giving it some levity and even a little bounce on the palate. Delicious, lip‑smacking, and surprisingly convivial, this Titan has been tamed, and the result is a genuinely enjoyable and somewhat forward wine (within an RWT frame of reference) with uncommon freshness and lift. These traits will serve it well.