Penfolds Bin 21 Grenache 2025

Marananga is never short on colour or boldness of personality. Picked ripe, it has the capacity to see extended time in French and American oak – 16 months in new and seasoned this year – bringing a full and generous mouthful of flavour, penetrating in intensity, even in its youth. Plum, blackberry aromas with chocolate, liquorice, cola, red earth. undergrowth, leaf. Oak-framed dark fruits guide the palate embedded in spice and herbs, chocolate, a touch of fennel seed and undergrowth. Smooth, textural, richly defined and, as always, distinctly Marananga. Still early days, best to send it to the cellar.

by Jeni Port

Smart, suave, deeply fruited and smooth going all the way, a blended grenache from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale just makes sense. It’s a perfect fit. Brings damson plums, purple berries, blueberries with earthy regional notes, light florals and fragrant spice to the aroma. Moves easily across the palate, clean, contained, with an attractive core of earth, briar, leaf among the black fruits, blueberries, gentle aromatic spice and warm oak toastiness. Tannins contribute to a linear line throughout. Quite the charmer. 2026 – 2036. 94 Points

by Lisa Cardelli

Super restrained, which is a good thing. Summer red flowers, tart plums and cherries, with a crunchy red Kanzi apple note, plus nuances of vanilla pod and orange zest. The palate is surprisingly shy, with most of its weight concentrated on the mid-palate, supported by a fresh enough line of acidity to keep the wine from feeling alcoholic or flabby. A very young Grenache, yet fairly balanced in all its elements. Fine-grained tannins, measured alcohol, medium but pleasantly frisky acidity, crunchy red fruit, floral accents, and a touch of white pepper spice. Curious to see how this develops over time. 2027 – 2035. 94 Points

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic