Penfolds releases glamorous holiday line up of red and white wines – Sky News Australia

Penfolds has released a stellar line-up of reds and whites for holiday quaffing, says Des Houghton.

A tasting of two supremely glamourous superblends of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz was one of the highlights of my wine year.

Penfolds was in a creative mood designing both these experimental blockbusters to stand alongside its iconic Grange.

Penfolds 2018 802A Cabernet Shiraz (68% cabernet, 32% shiraz) was unashamedly bold said the firms chief winemaker Peter Gago. 802A components were aged separately in new American oak for 22 months prior to blending.

There are scents of cola and exotic spice leading to a palate of blood plum, fig and goji berries that add notes of cranberry and cherries.

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Penfolds 2018 802B Cabernet Shiraz (55% cabernet, 45% shiraz) was treated entirely differently with the components co-fermented in French oak for 19 months.

Scents of blackberry, spice and milk chocolate billow from the glass. Gagos tasting notes speak of a fruit-driven wine with a savoury demeanour; a textural dryness and a sprinkle of chocolate dust and sweet paprika.

The superblends were released in Adelaide alongside the 70th anniversary vintage of Grange.

The Grange ($950) may be this nations ultimate expression of hedonism, but there are more affordable options.

A personal favourite is Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2019 ($99.99), an unashamedly old-fashioned Barossa shiraz with sweet, inky, juicy fruit with spicy oak and fine tannins.

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2018 ($135) is a multi-regional blend and this is a superb vintage, effortless, and mouth-watering.

Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz 2019 ($45) is another gutsy, old fashioned offering to be devoured by red meat lovers.

Some said Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2019 ($175) was the white wine of the year. Agreed. Its elegant and refined.

On the nose Yattarna delivers a wet stone minerality. On the palate there are citrus, white peach, pear and nectarine flavours. While Yattarna is a multi-regional blend the Penfolds Reserve Bin A Chardonnay 2020 ($125) is solely from Adelaide Hills fruit.

Bin A is more ostentatious. It and the Yattarna will improve with age. There was more peach and nectarine on the palate and a talc and chalk minerality in Penfolds Bin 311 Chardonnay 2020 ($50).

Schroeter and his team were also responsible for the Penfolds Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling ($40). Cool fermentation and early bottling preserve the fruit quality. Bin 51 smells vaguely of lemon curd, honey and poached pears, and delivers attractive lime and barley water flavours..

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Penfolds releases glamorous holiday line up of red and white wines - Sky News Australia