PENFOLDS
Icons, Benchmarks & Milestones
Unless you have extra-ordinary wine friends I believe that this will be your only chance ever to try a number of these wines. - JJ
Taste 13 Critically acclaimed Penfolds Wines including…
7 x Museum Releases
3 x Perfect 100 Point Wines
THE PENFOLDS GRANGE 2021
“This is as close to a perfect Grange as I can imagine”
100 Points - Ken Gargett
20+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
99 Points - Tyson Stelzer
99 Points - Lisa Cardelli
98 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
2 x ‘St. Henri’ Shiraz
Vintage 2010
5/5 rating - Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021
Nick Stock Top 50 Wines of Australia 2014
100 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
20++/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
Vintage 2006
95+ Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
95 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
3 Chardonnays
2019 Bin 19A
- Gold Medal IWC London 2021
- Trophy IWC London, Best Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, 2021
- Trophy IWC London, Best Australian Chardonnay, 2021
- Trophy IWC London, Best Australian White Wine, 2021
98 Points - James Halliday
97 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
97 Points - Tyson Stelzer
97 Points - Ray Jordan
2020 Yattarna
99 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
98 Points - James Halliday, Wine Companion
98 Points - Tony Love
97 Points - Tyson Stelzer
97 Points - Ken Gargett, The World of Fine Wine
2006 Yattarna (Museum)
19+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
Sunday, February 22nd
Hosted by JJ
Lunch: 12-3pm | 13 Wines and 4 Courses | $375
Masterclass: 4-6pm | 13 Wines and 4 Courses $250
Dinner: 6.30pm | 13 Wines and 4 Courses | $375
30 Pax.
Purchase your tickets via the buttons below.
The Penfolds Context
Penfolds has been recognised in the Top Three Most Admired Wine Brands by Drinks International for 2024. Now a veteran of the list, Penfolds featured third in this year’s list and retains the title of the Most Admired Wine Brand in Australasia.
The prestigious list, now in its 14th edition, has seen great wineries from every corner of the world recognised by a carefully selected panel of experts from around the world including sommeliers, buyers, wholesalers, Masters of Wine and writers.
Penfolds is the only Australian Winery to receive 100 points from both Wine Spectator (US) and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (US) for the same Vintage (2008 Grange). In 2017, Grange was classified as a First Growth in Liv-ex's published recreation of the Bordeaux 1855 classification. Grange has been awarded over 30 perfect scores.
Five perfect scores for 2018 Grange from leading wine critics; Andrew Caillard MW, Ken Gargett (World of Fine Wine), Nick Stock (JamesSuckling.com), Tony Love and Lisa Perrotti-Brown
31 Winery of the Year awards from Wine & Spirits Magazine as of August 2023. More than any other winery in the world.
Best Tourism Winery and Best Tourism Restaurant at the 2022 Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards.
Top 50 World's Best Vineyards 2022. An annual listing that highlights the ultimate wine tourism destinations in the world.
The FINE Wine Magazine's 2021 Best Winery of the World
(The world’s most respected wine magazine)2021 Golden Vines Best Fine Wine Producer in the Rest of
the World Award.2016 and 2019 Most Admired Wine Brand from Drinks International
2015 Winery of the Year from Wine Enthusiast Magazine
(US) - Joshua Greene2014 Winery of the Year from James Halliday Australian
Wine Companion (Australia) - James Halliday2013 Winery of the Year from Wine Enthusiast Magazine
(US) - Joshua Greene2013 Winery of the Year from Wine Taste Weekly (Australia)
- Tyson Stelzer2013 New World Winery of the Year from Wine Enthusiast Magazine (US) Wine & Spirits Mag (US)
2013 Best Launch for the Ampoule Campaign from The Drinks Business Awards (UK)
2012 Winery of the Year from The Good Wine Guide 2013 (Australia)
Peter Gago - Chief Winemaker at Penfolds hosting a private tasting at Lamont’s in 2024. Joined by JJ, Erin Larkin and friends.
World’s greatest number of 100 point scores?
Our 4 person full time research team the looked at Penfolds 100 point scores. We found well over 50 … of which 26 or 27 were from international reviewers - and 24 or 25 from Australian critics. We haven’t checked, but don’t believe there is another Australian winery in the past 15-20 years with more than 2 such scores.
The term ‘Bin’ originated from the storage location (BIN) in the Penfolds Magill Estate cellars in South Australia, where the wines were historically stored for maturation.
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Launched in 1998 with the 1995 vintage, Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay is the result of one of the most comprehensive, focussed and highly publicised wine development projects ever conducted in Australia. The aspiration and independence of mind across generations of Penfolds winemaking inspired the winery to embark on a program to create a white wine that would one day rival the standards of Penfolds Grange. Selectively sourcing only the very best Chardonnay fruit from cool-climate regions, coupled with sensitive and enlightened winemaking, the style continues to evolve. Yattarna reflects Penfolds' patience and continued commitment to its original goal, its very name being drawn from the Aboriginal language, meaning 'little by little, gradually'. Each vintage provides the opportunity to further raise the quality bar.
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Launched with the 1990 vintage in 1993, Penfolds Bin 407 was developed in response to the increasing availability of highquality Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. Inspired by Penfolds Bin 707, Bin 407 offers varietal definition and approachability, yet with structure and depth of flavour. A textbook Cabernet Sauvignon, the varietally expressive Bin 407 highlights the rewards of Penfolds multi-region, multi-vineyard blending, with a core of ripe fruit supported by a sensitive use of French and American oak.
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The tradition of innovation and experimentation is central to the Penfolds winemaking philosophy and is perpetuated in the form of Penfolds Cellar Reserve wines. These sometimes one-off releases emerge periodically when experimental wines, which have been nurtured carefully in the winery cellars, are deemed appropriate for public release. The wines do not necessarily fit into any particular genre and provide Penfolds winemakers with the freedom to strive for new styles and definitions of excellence in their expression. There has been a long time between drinks; the last Penfolds Cellar Reserve Cabernet Shiraz was the tiny, yet unforgettable, 1993! This is the quintessential Australian red wine blend - Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra aligned with Shiraz from the Barossa Valley.
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Penfolds Bin 128 is sourced from the unique terra rossa soils of Coonawarra, a region that exemplifies the perfume, transparency and seductive nature of cool climate red table wines. Coonawarra has remained the sole source of shiraz fruit for Bin 128 since the inaugural release of the 1962 vintage. In order to further enhance the regional qualities of Bin 128, the wine is matured in a mixture of new and seasoned French oak hogsheads, a method that was refined during the 1980's when the transition was made from American to French oak. The cool climate Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz provides an interesting counterpoint to the more opulent and richly concentrated warm climate Bin 28 Shiraz.
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St Henri is a time-honoured and alternative expression of Shiraz, and an intriguing counterpoint to Grange. It is unusual among high quality Australian red wines as it does not rely on any new oak. Released for the first time by Penfolds in the early 1950s (first commercial vintage 1957), it gained a new lease of life in the 1990s as its quality and distinctive style became better understood. Proudly, a wine style that hasn't succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1,460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz.
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Born from Max Schubert's famed Grange trials in the mid-20th century, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz is one of Penfolds most sought-after red blend wines. Its distinct personality showcases the benefits of cross-varietal and multi-regional blending, with complex aromatics, palate richness and decades of cellaring capability.
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, often known as 'Baby Grange', is named after its original binning compartment at Magill cellars. First produced in 1960, its history is connected with the development of Grange and Max Schubert's ambition to create what he called 'a dynasty of wines' for Penfolds.
Early Bin 389 vintages were made with fruit from around the Adelaide foothills, including Auldana and Magill. According to retired Penfolds Senior Winemaker John Bird, a small portion of Morphett Vale fruit, parcels not used for Grange and sometimes McLaren Vale fruit were also included in the blend during the 1960s. After Penfolds vineyards around Adelaide were extensively pulled out to make way for urban development during the mid-1970s, Barossa Valley, particularly the Kalimna Vineyard,
became a dominant source of fruit.Since the mid-1990s Bin 389 has drawn fruit from around South Australia, including Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Padthaway, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Wrattonbully, Clare Valley and Robe. Exacting specifications of ripeness, classic Penfolds winemaking and strict classification of wines after maturation have ensured the style has remained consistent since the beginning.
Bin 389 epitomises Penfolds winemaking philosophy and the benefits of cross-varietal and multi-regional blending. Max Schubert always favoured warmer-climate fruit as a source for the wine. By marrying the perfume and chocolaty tannins of ripe cabernet sauvignon with opulent and fleshy shiraz he could achieve extra aromatic complexity, volume and palate richness. The style has been refined over the last 60 years through meticulous fruit selection, the introduction of new technology and winemaking refinements. During the 1960s, use of refrigeration and stainless steel enabled winemakers to preserve freshness; new membrane presses during the 1970s allowed gentler extraction of flavours and tannins.
Vineyard management practices and a rigorous fruit-grading system have also contributed to higher quality fruit. Nonetheless, the overall winemaking practices have not changed: the classical heading down in open fermenters, partial barrel fermentation and maturation in new and seasoned American oak (much used previously for Penfolds Grange and Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon) remain key Penfolds techniques.
Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz remains one of Australia's most popular collectible red wines because of its consistency and long-term cellaring potential.
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Grange stands as the most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-regional blending philosophy and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Crafted from fully ripe, intensely flavoured Shiraz, it delivers a unique Australian style acclaimed among the world’s greatest wines. With an unbroken line of vintages since the experimental 1951, each release demonstrates the enduring synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia, extending the vision and unwavering conviction of its creator, Max Schubert.
The Wine List and Menu
Penfolds Cuvee Brut NV
“A perfect aperitif Champagne for Spring (and the rest of the year!) – purity/freshness/relaxed.” “Friendly – a style that doesn’t confront, it embraces. Emotive, not cerebral.” “An inaugural Non-Vintage Cuvée release that beckons interest, and adds to the allure of the earlier-released Non-Vintage Rosé Champagne.”
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker
Another sparkling made in partnership with Thiénot but with full-frontal ‘Penfolds’ on the label. This is a regional blend of Pinot Noir (45%), Pinot Meunier (35%), and Chardonnay (20%). Well, well, well, this is very nice. Opulent, rich, giving, generous and showy style. As such, it fits very comfortably in Penfolds’ bill. It does, by extension, make it quite delicious, too. Tailor-made, clean-cut and buttoned-up but with fancy ruffles. Hazelnut and orange tart with candied citrus peel, aromatic papaya and a suggestion of fresh coffee bean. Filled with almond cream, spiked with ripe acidity and pearly mousse, round in mouth yet driving energetically to a pleasing finale. You will enjoy this Australian suit of flavour sewn up by the French, of that I’m sure.
94 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front
2019 Penfolds Bin 19A Chardonnay
- Gold Medal IWC London 2021
- Trophy IWC London, Best Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, 2021
- Trophy IWC London, Best Australian Chardonnay, 2021
- Trophy IWC London, Best Australian White Wine, 2021
98 Points - James Halliday
97 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
97 Points - Tyson Stelzer
97 Points - Ray Jordan
96+ Points - PointsCampbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
95 Points - Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate
Hand picked, whole-bunch pressed, part direct to barriques for wild ferment and 100% mlf, the balance via tank for brief settling before 8 months in French oak (80% new). A beautifully detailed chardonnay, white peach and pink grapefruit plus supple creamy cashew run through the very long palate. Rubs shoulders with the best in the land.
98 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
"Pale gold. Classic flinty, grapefruit, nectarine aromas with underlying vanilla roasted almond notes. Generous in flavour yet tight in structure with pure grapefruit white peach nectarine flavours, creamy textures, savoury complexity and fresh persistent mineral acidity. Finishes long, sweet and crisp with light marzipan notes. Beautiful wine. Wonderful cutting-edge Australian Chardonnay showing superb volume, richness of fruit and tension. An Australian First Growth Chardonnay reflecting superb fruit sourcing and winemaking philosophy. Move over Puligny!
2020 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay
99 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
98 Points - James Halliday, Wine Companion
98 Points - Tony Love
97 Points - Tyson Stelzer
97 Points - Ken Gargett, The World of Fine Wine
"Pale colour. Sublime grapefruit, white peach, pear, grilled nut aromas with fresh quartz/flinty notes. Beautifully balanced wine with pure grapefruit, white peach flavours, fine al dente textures, hint yeasty/ waxy notes, superb mid-palate volume and underlying grilled nut, marzipan notes. Finishes chalky and minerally with ample grapefruit notes. All the elements are in perfect balance. A wonderful Yattarna with superb fruit definition, complexity, richness and mineral length. Should last at least 20 years. 100% of the blend is aged for eight months in new (86%) and seasoned one-year-old (14%) oak. Drink now to 2042. 12.5% alc.
99 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
2006 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay
The 2006 Yattarna holds true to its Aboriginal name - gradually & impressively opening up in the glass, maturing with time in the cellar - with patience.
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker
Soothing almond tones signal a wine with a very considered oak programme and one that seems to want to be a more subtle and refined style in 2006. This wine is also quieter on the palate, with none of the explosive energy of the 2004 and a much more nuanced and Zen-like presence throughout. The finish is refined, long, somewhat steely and impressive. This is a more Chablis-shaped wine than many.
19+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes, matthewjukes.com [Tasted Penfolds Rewards of Patience Tasting – London 6th October 2024]
2007 Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium-deep crimson. Blackcurrant, mocha, herb garden aromas with roses, ironstone notes. Classic wine with black olive, cassis/blackcurrant fruit flavours and fine, muscular, leafy tannins. Finishes chalky firm and tight. An early-drinking style but should hold for a while.
REWARDS OF PATIENCE SEVENTH EDITION – TASTING NOTES
Seamless Cabernet with red and dark berry flavours interwoven with chocolate and spicy oak. A bold and satisfying red with good cellaring potential.
92 Points - Bob Campbell, The Real Review [07 Jun 2010]
2005 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Impenetrable purple. This is an archetypal Penfolds nose of yore - stylish ripe fruit aromas with ethereal barrel ferment characters hovering above...aka Kenyan dark roasted coffee/mocha. Ripe fig, fresh liquorice and an oscillating Cabernet and Shiraz interplay make for, as they say, a classic Australian Red aromatic offer. The palate is tight, solid and firm. Flavours are textured and layered - talc-like, grainy, fine tannins interweave with raspberry and other red fruit notes. With air, cinnamon and demi-glace pan juices slowly arise, although it is clear that not all is yet revealed. The 100% new oak is seen, but not heard. This wine demands a big glass, and when young more than a double decant!
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker
Outstanding red-purple; powerful, blackcurrant and cassis fruit in abundance; the tannins are a fraction chunky, but there is no doubt which way the cat will jump as those tannins settle down.
94 Points - James Halliday, Wine Companion
2009 Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz
Good crimson-purple; a high quality Bin 128, the base of supple, medium-bodied blackberry and plum fruit pure Coonawarra, the tannin management and oak handling pure Penfolds. A great future. Drink by: 2034."
94 Points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion
2010 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz
Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021 - 5/5 rating
Nick Stock Top 50 Wines of Australia 2014
"Medium-deep crimson. Fresh blackberry, cassis, black cherry, dark chocolate, ginger and five-spice aromas. Beautifully concentrated black cherry, cassis and liquorice flavours, ripe and dense chocolaty textures, rose garden and aniseed notes and pronounced indelible acidity. Finishes chalky firm and minerally. A great St Henri vintage. Peak drinking 2023 to 2045."
Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021 - 5/5 rating
"I felt palpably nervous before tasting this wine. To my mind, it was the most important wine of the whole event. I have been waiting for this taste for four years. Harvest conditions meant that this had to be a great vintage for St. Henri. But how great? That was the only question. I never will wines to win 20s in my notes. They just happen without me questioning it. Perfect wines don't have to try too hard. For me, this is the finest young St. Henri I have ever tasted. It is phenomenal in every way. I cannot imagine how it could be bettered. I like it more than the fêted 1990 and 1971. It is 100% Shiraz and it draws on fruit from all corners of the State. The clarity of message from start to finish is arresting. Gago picked out a few vineyards in the Adelaide Hills to try to explain just how this wine has benefited from the aromatic purity of the fruit from these parts – Waterfall Gully, Rostrevor and Paracombe. They add wistful spice and heavenly floral notes to the already majestic drive and intensity of fruit. The tannins are awesome and you already know that the oak is old! It provides the wooden stage for this heavenly beauty to entrance your whole being. Dense damson and blueberry notes cavort – the whole experience is almost transcendental. Epic and thrilling I couldn't spit it out. I couldn't whiplash it out of my mouth even if I was crashed into at speed while waiting for a red light to change. Weirdly it wasn't swallowed either – it was subsumed into my soul."
20++/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
"The finest vintage under this label since it was first released during the 1950s. With a history interlinked with the story of Grange, 2010 St Henri stands as the triumph of this year's Penfolds luxury release. The wine is amazingly expressive with deep colour, superb fruit complexity, voluminous richness and supple textures. Dark chocolate, dark cherry, blackberry, mocha, roasted chestnut aromas are followed by a richly concentrated palate full of dark chocolate, paneforte flavours, generous sweet fruit notes and ripe loose-knit chocolaty tannins. It finishes graphite firm, long, and minerally. A gorgeous wine with all the hallmarks of long term ageing potential.”
100 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
"A very handy vintage of this classically styled Penfolds red. Bright hearty fruit dominates amid earth, tar and dark nutty elements; boot polish too, really deep. The palate has seamless flow and build with immense concentration at play. Dark liquorice, blackberry and plum are swathed in deeply ripe, smooth but strong tannins. The finish holds and holds, with dark plum here too. Having terrific length and depth, this will go down as one of the greatest ever St. Henri releases."
98 Points and Top 50 Wines of Australia 2014 - Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com
2006 Penfolds St Henri Shiraz
Pure fruit. I often see oak in modern releases of St Henri Shiraz (shock horror) but I don’t see it in this release. Pristine, blueberry-like flavour, and a deal of it. Delicious stuff. Elements of spice and dried herbs too. Balance and class. Building blocks of complexity. Longevity won’t be a problem. Unlike most wines this will be better with age – though, it must be said, it tastes lovely now too.
95 Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
2009 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
"The wine announces itself with charry, gravelly barrel derived characters then earth, leather and lifted dark, wild berry fruit. You get some five spice, herbal notes and game in there too. A big shopping list of stuff in the bouquet. In the mouth, choc-mint freshness at first, then an impressive build of ultra-polished, shiny texture that is lusciously fruited and concentrated and formidable. The wine does lift with mixed peel freshness of acidity but is deeply serious, lashed together with fine, yet steely tannins and flashes of fancy oak. You can't help but see All-Australian Team superiority here, everything trimmed and buffed in this impressive and sizeable frame. Not necessarily on my drinking radar, but wow, you can stand back and admire. Or dive in. Exceptional, modern 389."
96+ Points - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
There is a curious beetroot / vegetal tone on the nose, which is not unpleasant, but it certainly marks this as a uniquely perfumed wine in this line-up. The fruit is sleek, violet-tinged and spicy, with frictive tannins and a spicy, dusty finish and while this tasting note might make you feel I don’t quite like this wine, I am drawn into the palate as it makes for a fascinating journey of discovery. This is one to watch: Earth-bound and vampiric, and the Bandol-like dimensions give it an appeal like no other vintage in this collection.
18.5+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes, matthewjukes.com [Tasted Penfolds Rewards of Patience Tasting – London 6th October 2024]
2018 Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021 - 5/5 rating
James Suckling Top 100 Wines of Australia 2020
"Deep crimson. A tribute to the Penfolds tradition with its intense lifted brambly black cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant and dark chocolate aromas and mocha oak complexity. Generous and inky with persistent pure cassis, dark chocolate and chinotto flavours, fine bittersweet textures and integrated mocha/cedar oak notes. Finishes grainy al dente firm. A classic year. Peak drinking 2026 to 2048."
5/5 rating - Penfolds Rewards of Patience tasting panel 2021
"Deep crimson. Intense pure blackcurrant, blackberry aromas with dark chocolate notes. Generously proportioned wine with dense inky cassis, blackberry mulberry fruits, plentiful chocolaty tannins, mocha espresso oak complexity, attractive mid-palate viscosity and superb mineral length. Finishes grainy firm. A classic powerful Bin 389 year with superb fruit complexity, density and attack. Should last the distance."
98 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
"Sooty, rich, brooding and powerful, this is an epic Bin 389 and the partnership between the two varieties is sensational. Both grapes are on top form in this vintage and yet this blend somehow seems to make them soar. Peter Gago explained that it has the most marvellous combination of warmer and cooler sites in this wine and it is this variety, coupled with the sheer quality of the fruit, which makes this vintage such a success. Also, in this vintage Bin 389, acts as an ambassador from wines like Bin 28 and Bin 128 to the big boys, never missing a beat and ensuring a silky-smooth introduction from glossy and rewarding wines to impactful and profound creations. This is a massive score for Bin 389, but it is worth every point thanks to its seamless palate and heroically long finish."
19.5+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
2021 Penfolds Bin 180 '180th anniversary' Cabernet Shiraz
99 points & Wine of the Year 2024 - Tyson Stelzer
Red Wine of the Year 2024 - Tyson Stelzer
Cabernet Shiraz of the Year 2024 - Tyson Stelzer
Nick Ryan Top 100 Wines of 2024
20/20 Points- Matthew Jukes
99 Points - Ken Gargett,
99 Points - Huon Hooke
"This wine has a stunning nose, thrilling blackcurrant coulis concentration, and a sensational pliable texture. I adore the freshness and crispness of the tannins, and they are perfectly judged on the finish, allowing the fruit to waltz around the palate at will. There is filigree detail everywhere you look in this wine and there is not a molecule out of place. I cannot fault this wine’s accuracy or its delivery, and it already shows sensational balance."
20/20 Points- Matthew Jukes, matthewjukes.com
"There must have been a strong compulsion for Penfolds to create a bold and bombastic blend to commemorate its 180th anniversary, and I love that it chose a very different and compelling path, highlighting not the grandeur of the warmer regions of South Australia in new American oak but the definition and tension of Coonawarra in the epic and cool 2021 season, sensitively framed in seasoned French oak. The definitive Australian blend has been recreated here with classic, fine-boned precision, singing with all the lifted brightness of this cool, traditional season. The crunchy redcurrant and blackcurrant fruit of cabernet sauvignon is perfectly integrated with the blackberries of shiraz. Fine-grained, limestone-mineral tannins like only Coonawarra can conjure are perfectly harmonised with the structural support of French oak. The result is one of the finest wines of the modern era of Penfolds and the epitome and exemplar that less is indeed oh so very much more. It is a worthy winner of my Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz of the Year, Red Wine of the Year and Wine of the Year!"
99 points and Wine of the Year 2024 and Red Wine of the Year 2024 and Cabernet Shiraz of the Year 2024 - Tyson Stelzer
"An entirely fitting wine with which to celebrate Penfolds’ 180th anniversary. As well as standard bottles, 180 magnums and 8 Jeroboams are being released. Penfolds has made a wine reflecting the great Aussie red blend, sourced from Coonawarra from a truly great year in 2021. The split is 57% Cabernet and 43% Shiraz. The Cabernet is from its Block 10 and the Shiraz from Block 5. The vineyards providing the Cabernet consistently supply fruit to Bins 707 and 169. The wine spent 16 months in one-year-old French oak hogsheads. Anyone who finds themselves not completely convinced by the latest Grange should turn their attention to this wine. It will surely take its place among the great special releases from Penfolds. A near-opaque purple-maroon. The nose is already providing noticeable complexity, with notes of black fruits, bergamot, licorice, cold tea, smoked meats, blueberries, and chocolate. Hints of tobacco leaves and mocha emerge with time in the glass. A sumptuous wine, deeply extracted but with such immaculate balance. Bright acidity, silky tannins, an alluring and persistent finish. This is a complete wine. A one-off release, which will provide immense pleasure for the next three decades."
99 Points - Ken Gargett, The World of Fine Wine
"Very deep, dense purple-red colour; the bouquet wonderfully clear, deep cassis cabernet, bell-clear and unencumbered by new oak. Traces of nutmeg and violet, lavender and rose. Extreme intensity of flavour, the concentration is other-worldly. A great wine! (57% cabernet, 43% shiraz, from Penfolds vineyard blocks 10 & 5. 16 months in French oak hogsheads, all one year old and none new). Drink 2028-2051."
99 Points - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
2021 Penfolds Grange Bin 95
100 Points & the Dawn of a New Era
“This is as close to a perfect Grange as I can imagine” - Ken Gargett
100 Points - Ken Gargett
20+/20 Points - Matthew Jukes
99 Points - Tyson Stelzer
99 Points - Lisa Cardelli
98 Points - Andrew Caillard MW
Quite simply, a wow wine. Maroon/black in hue, one simply gets lost in the nose, just endlessly sniffing the most glorious cassis notes, along with black fruits, blueberries, coffee beans, aniseed, mulberries, delicatessen meats, tobacco leaves, plums and graphite. The wine is seamless, intense and immaculate with knife-edge balance. It simply dances with joy. There oak is there, undeniably, but it is so well handled that you almost have to think twice. So complex already, and yet so harmonious and decadent. Silky tannins, bright acidity, the intensity never wavers for an instant and there is incredible length — Rutherglen muscat length. This is as close to a perfect Grange as I can imagine. Fifty years, if you think you can last that long. A Lord-take-me-now wine, if ever there was one. 100 Points.
100 Points - Ken Gargett
This is a spectacular Grange. This will go down as another landmark Grange… I have never tasted a Grange with this individuality and presence. 20+/20 Points.
20+/20 Points - MATTHEW JUKES
The dream combination of a cool spring, average summer and mild autumn furnished slow and even ripening. The wizardry of Peter Gago and his team have juggled this juxtaposition with masterful skill. A core of black fruits of all kinds reverberates with dramatic power, accented with liquorice straps, sarsaparilla and high cocoa dark chocolate. The signature volatile acidity of Grange has been impeccably judged. The tannin profile is a wonder to behold, a captivating splay of fine-grained fruit and oak structure that envelops the mouth, wonderfully elevated and interlocked with cool season acidity. This is a vintage that demands at least 30 years before approaching and will confidently continue to marvel for half a century and perhaps beyond.
99 Points - TYSON STELZER