Penfolds RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz 2023

Penfolds’ non-Grange Barossa Shiraz. 100% French oak, all hogsheads, with 69% new, the remaining 31% one-year-old, this cracking red certainly exceeds what the vintage might be expected to offer. A very dark purple magenta, plenty of oak here, but early days and all is proceeding according to plan. Along with those vanillin notes on the nose, we have a touch of toast, dark chocolate, espresso, mocha, aniseed, bay leaves, a burst of ripe raspberries, blackberries and root vegetables. There are spices – notably a whiff of black pepper and nutmeg. So young, time will very much be to its benefit. Anyone leaving this wine in the cellar for the next five to six years before opening will reap the rewards. A move to the palate sees the wine give the impression of being more approachable than at first it seems – time is the key here. The wine is seamless, of medium weight and good length, with fine tannins and a finish which lingers beautifully, with roasted coffee notes. This is a very fine RWT. A twenty to twenty-five year proposition.