Halliday 98 – best ever:
Spawned from a trial of French oak first made in 1997. Deep, vibrant colour; the bouquet is very expressive, speaking of a legion of black fruits, licorice, plum and spice, none of which prepare you for the sheer power of this amazing wine and its untold depths. Drink by 2042.
He also rates it equal to the $800 Grange and calls it a “Special Value Wine.”
Best ever and equal to Grange for Decanter, too:
A deep, dark, brooding ruby in colour, this RWT 2017 (from 'Red Winemaking Trial' originally developed in 1995) displays an intense yet subtly peppery and tarry fragrance with an added veneer of vanilla from its 15 months in new French oak. That intensity splashes onto the tongue in a profusion of flavours mingling opulently ripe black cherry with pepper, vanilla, tarry spice and herbs in a polished Barossa red that, thanks to the cooler growing season, shows an elegance of texture and balance through all the richness. At the same time, it has a seriously tongue-coating, chocolatey firmness in Barossa-meets-Côte Rôtie style. Chicken and game are great food options here
And for Master of Wine Andrew Caillard, who literally wrote the book on Penfolds:
Well concentrated but elemental wine with deep set blackberry elderberry fruits, fine chocolaty tannins, new roasted chestnut vanilla oak notes and plentiful firm tannins. Finishes long and minerally. A lovely wine with Grange-like density, power and tension and the balance for a great cellaring career. Needs at least five years to fold into each other.
