This year Jeni Port and Ken Gargett have chosen their favourite wines to showcase a very strong set of releases in 2024
Jeni Port
Yattarna Chardonnay 2022 (JP)
97pts | Bottle Price: $220 |Drink: 2024-2037
“People think this is a Tasmanian-only wine,” says Peter Gago, Penfolds chief winemaker. “It is not.” Indeed, there is more Tumbarumba fruit in ‘22 than blending partners Tasmania and Adelaide Hills combined. With Tumbarumba enjoying a top ’22 vintage, the choice was obvious. Looks good in bright lemon hues, smells great, too, as it brings forward lifted honeysuckle, white flowers, hay and a wealth of citrus with an intriguing whisper of Asian-inspired lemongrass and kaffir lime. For all of its firmness on the palate, its youth and earnest structure on display, it does express itself rather well, building on a groundwork of citrus, white peach and yellow apple before exploring almond meal, custard peach underscored with notes of creamy, toasty oak with bright, brisk lemony acidity throughout. Complexity is building, texture as well. Quality Australian Chardonnay can now safely be considered a cellaring option with Yattarna leading the way. Something to consider with the ’22 and its serious base of cool climate acidity.
Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2024 (JP)
96pts | Bottle price: $45 | Drink: 2024-2038
Amid the attention given to Penfolds’ annual Chardonnay releases, Bin 51 often gets the crumbs of wine writers words. So, let’s hear it for a wine first created in the 1990s as part of a white wine development programme, and which celebrates a grape variety deserving of a little more attention in the Penfolds wine universe. Brings the essence of Eden Valley Riesling to life from the first scent of citrus blossom, honeysuckle and floral talc with the zest of lime, lemon curd and apple. That’s a big wow! The palate expands briskly led by those arresting floral aromatics and rests fully in the embrace of exuberant citrus: grapefruit pith, lemon sorbet, lime cordial. Great tension follows, hand in hand with superb acid drive. A light chalky texture is apparent, but these are early days. Bin 51 is generally released young; I would love to see this wine given the Yattarna treatment and released with some age.
St. Henri Shiraz 2021 (JP)
95pts | Bottle Price: $135 | Drink: 2024-2041
Deep crimson. A wealth of aromatic aromas unfold, Aussie bush scents, bramble, aniseed amid a flurry of earthy black berries and mulberry with an almost cherry liqueur touch of savouriness. No Clare Valley input this year, it remains a showcase of Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale Shiraz fruit opulence and quiet power. Plush and richly flavoured à la the St. Henri way, seamless, too, reflecting a great year as it opens in concentrated dark plum and blackberry sweet fruits, well spiced in dark chocolate, spearmint and aniseed notes. The usual regime applies, 12 months in large seasoned oak, which connects everything with an easy grace. Chalky firm tannins are noted, something for future ageing. Remains essentially the St. Henri of old which allows classy fruit to shine without too many other distractions. Friendly, yes, but also sophisticated.
Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2022 (JP)
95pts | Bottle Price: $120 | Drink: 2024-2047
We have seen Bin 389 shine brightly in fab years, but it is in years like 2022 when the weather Gods run amok and are unpredictable, that Bin 389 is tested. It comes through, as ever, comfortably, assuredly, warmly, like settling back into an old comfy leather chair. Evocative aromas of earth, old leather, woodsy spices galore, black fruits and signature American oak pencil shavings, cigar box, the oak being a little more evident than usual. Mellow, full flavoured, Bin 389 ’22 returns to that kind of down-home or unpretentious character that we love; it has nothing to prove, everything to gain as it impresses with the essence of South Australian Cabernet (51%) and Shiraz (49%) from five regions lead by McLaren Vale, Coonawarra and the Barossa Valley. Defined by a density of black fruits, liquorice, spice, underlined by fine, confident oak tannins and supported by bright acidity. A kiss of coffee grounds, cocoa brings a lifted spark with an added hint of crushed herbs. Another strong Bin 389, classic in definition and execution.
Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2022 (JP)
95pts | Bottle price: $75 | Drink: 2024-2038
In a vintage noted for cool weather and challenging conditions across many South Australian wine regions which produced some linear red wine expressions, a wine like Bin 128 stands out and shows us once again why shiraz deserves its place in a cabernet heartland like Coonawarra. It combines a sense of place, of the Australian bush, acacia, briar, red earth with an engaging black fruit and spice intensity. In between these two regional and varietal signposts is pure Penfolds, namely some expensive French oak (12 months in French hogsheads, 30% new) put to good use. It brings plush, firm tannins and gentle vanilla pod, woodsy spice and a sense of occasion to a wine full of elegance. And yet so tight and still a little closed when tasted. Imagine the beauty to be explored as it ages.
Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2022 (JP)
96pts | Bottle Price: $100 | Drink: 2024-2042
A palate staining deep purple, midnight blue colour that stays with you long after the first glass. The immediate impression of Marananga shiraz is always that impressive, penetrating colour. Voluptuous and generous remain the sub-region’s shiraz hallmarks once again promoted by the maker with an extra something, a savoury influence that brings added complexity. Black fruited and fragrant with blueberry and bramble fruits, liquorice and spice aplenty. Dense and powerfully built, the ’22 is well structured throughout in a lacework of bold tannins. Concentrated black and blue fruits layered with spice, aniseed, earth with meaty, charcuterie overtones balanced with a fine oak nuance. American oak joins French for this wine and it soaks it all up. Length is good.
Magill Estate Shiraz 2022 (JP)
95pts | Bottle Price: $165 | Drink: 2024-2042
Magill Estate has slowly been putting on weight over recent times, filling out what had been sharp angles and building more fat and sinew. This is a good thing. The role of new oak, both French and American, seems to be slowly decreasing, too, as witnessed in the ’22 which allows for greater fruit expression and an overall more welcoming wine experience. Yes, bottle age is on the wine’s mind and that of the winemaker in the delivery of the ’22, but just look at what can be enjoyed earlier: florals to the fore in aromas of violet and acacia fashioned around ripe black berries and plums. The intensity level is dialled up on a palate rich in spiced-fuelled flavours of black fruits, cinnamon, allspice, clove, dark chocolate, vanilla pod, bay leaf and smoky char. Strikes a well-structured pose throughout, finishing with a lingering trail of memorable spice.
RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022 (JP)
95pts | Bottle price: $200 | Drink: 2025-2048
While no longer a trial, RWT (Red Winemaking Trial) remains a work in progress. It was developed as a modern interpretation to the Barossa Valley tradition of matching shiraz with American oak. The role of oak – all French – is something integral to the style, but each release has slowly revealed a more sensitive oak application and presence. This is the case in 2022, and it is to be congratulated. The scent sends that message with subtle allspice, clove, a dusting of espresso grounds alongside plum, black fruits, red earth and almond. The wine changes in the glass, first firm and resistant, then friendly, yielding a warm generosity enhanced by some smart, well placed background oak and a firm tannin presence. The latter is for the journey ahead, but it is not off-putting to those who might wish to succumb to temptation.
Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (JP)
97pts | Bottle Price: $800 | Drink: 2026-2048
As ever, a powerful, solid statement of cabernet intent. Bin 707 rarely takes prisoners in its youth, the beauty comes with age, something to remember, although it looks like the usual 20 months in new American oak hogsheads is now (and has been in recent releases) a more reasonable 18 months. Subtle winemaking changes are afoot at Penfolds across a number of its wines. Lift off in blackberry compote, cherry chocolate, nutmeg, bay leaf, sage herbals, iodine and Mediterranean black olive savoury notes. The vinous pulse quickens, flavours become more elevated to taste, especially so across the middle palate with earthy, bracken notes on the rise in tandem with rosemary, thyme and leaf against a solid background of black fruit intensity. Dense tannins rule. A blend of four regions – Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and McLaren Vale – from a cool vintage. A memorable finish with lingering woodsy spice.
Grange 2020 (JP)
98pts | Bottle price: $1000 | Drink: 2028-2050
An interesting wine given the fact that there was no Bin 707 or Bin 169 – both cabernets – made in 2020. Clearly, shiraz figured better across South Australia in that heat wave year in which the Barossa recorded its driest year on record. The Barossa Valley joins McLaren Vale and the Clare Valley in the 2020 Grange, which is 97% shiraz with a 3% smidge of cabernet. It saw 20 months in new American hogsheads. A warm-hearted Grange to be sure, rich and full of drive as might be expected, but with the warmth of 2020 comes some lovely, gentle aromatics which brings that touch of finesse. You could say 2020 is more opulent and slightly less muscular for Grange. Deep aromas of ripe dark, blue berries with plum cake, spice, dark chocolate, sweet oak spice, dried orange peel and mahogany with attractive, lifted star anise, sage, bay leaf. Combines the basic mechanics of plush, velvety tannins and vanillin, warm oak support, but the palate explores further the depth of some gorgeous fruits and spice, textures, layers and budding complexity. It’s all ready to go and will keep building over the years ahead. Maybe not a classic Grange, but one not to be under-estimated.
Top 10 Penfolds Wines
Ken Gargett
Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2024 (KG)
$45 | 94pts
A superb Bin 51 which will surely be spoken of in the same glorious terms as the 2021. A fine indication of just how exciting this latest vintage might be. Wonderfully aromatic, with a pale lemon hue, the nose is giving us notes of grapefruit, lemons, florals, bath salts and a chalky backing. There are lime notes on the palate and bright, oystershell acidity is evident. A persistent finish, excellent balance and superb length. This wine will sail through the next ten to fifteen years, possibly longer.
Yattarna 2022 (KG)
$220 | 98pts
This latest release is one of the finest Yattarna’s I have seen. A world class, stunning Chardonnay, which hails from a range of regions – Tumbarumba, Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills. The wine sees eight months maturation in French oak barriques, 44% new. A lemon straw colour here, there is exemplary balance, with impeccable refinement. The nose gives us touches of cinnamon and nutmeg – the merest whiff, as the oak integration is so superb – with florals, citrus, spices, ginger, lemon butter and glacéd limes. There is a fine line of bracing acidity, but it is elegance personified. The structure is textbook and the wine finishes with notes of honeycomb and almonds. We have power, intensity and a wonderfully persistent finish. There is surely twelve to twenty years in front of this cracking wine.
Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2022 (KG)
$100 | 96pts
Another brilliant release from this sub-regional Barossa Shiraz, giving us compelling evidence of how Marananga is at the heart of the Barossa. The wine spent 16 months in a combination of French oak (18% new), and American hogsheads and puncheons (14% of the hogsheads new). Purple maroon hue, this is a quintessential Barossa Shiraz. Good concentration, fine balance and wonderful energy here, with notes of chocolate, blueberries, mocha, coffee beans, spices and black olives. The wine is seamless in structure with a supple texture, great intensity, serious length and silky tannins. This will stun winelovers over the next twenty years.
Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2022 (KG)
$120 | 95pts
Always one of the stars of the release, and a wine which is serious value in comparison to some of its compatriots, this is yet another stunning 389. From its very first vintage, the 1960, 389 has long been a fan favourite. This vintage is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz, from vineyards located in McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, Padthaway and Wrattonbully. The oak used here was American hogsheads, 36% new. The colour is a maroon/magenta hue, while the nose exhibits characters of black olives, soy, blackberries, cassis, chocolate, tobacco leaves, cloves and coffee beans. Showing good complexity, fine silky tannins and a lingering finish, the wine also has a fine line of acidity. This 389 will drink beautifully for at least the next eight to fifteen years, very probably considerably longer.
St Henri Shiraz 2021 (KG)
$135 | 97pts
This joins vintages like 2010, 2016 and 2018 as one of the truly great St Henri’s. 100% Shiraz from McLaren Vale and the Barossa, the wine spent twelve months maturing in large seasoned oak vats, but as invariably happens with St Henri, the influence of oak is insignificant. The colour here is an intense dark purple, and the wine is wonderfully aromatic. We have notes of florals, cassis, violets, plums, bergamot and chocolate. A wine of focus and energy, and there are already hints of complexity – expect that to increase with time. There is impressive structure here too, excellent length and a finish of the silkiest of tannins. With time in the glass, the palate sees the emergence of espresso notes. A wine that lingers with intensity, this is a brilliant St Henri, which will surely age and improve over the next fifteen to twenty five years. A very special wine.
Magill Estate Shiraz 2021 (KG)
$165 | 98pts
For me, there has only ever been one vintage of Magill Estate which tops the scintillating 2021, and this is it. A single vineyard wine, this was first made in the rather challenging vintage of 1983. The city of Adelaide has grown up around the vineyard and winery. The team at Penfolds continue to use both French and American oak for maturation for Magill Estate, all hogsheads, with 43% new French, 36% one-year-old French and the remainder new American, for a period of 18 months. The colour here is an opaque maroon colour, while the nose gives us impressive oak integration, as well as notes of chocolate, plums, tobacco leaves, mocha and soy. A superb Magill, with at least 20 to 25 years of providing pleasure ahead. Exemplary structure with a seductive texture, there is excellent focus and power, yet the wine reveals such finesse, elegance and a knife-edge balance. With time in the glass, it gives us more spicy notes, including a flick of pepper. There is good extraction here, with a long, lingering finish, offering satiny tannins. So much to love about this wine.
Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (KG)
$300 | 97pts
Further confirmation of the superb quality of the 2022 vintage in Coonawarra. A wine which is already exhibiting the early signs of the complexity to come, it is matured in French oak hogsheads, 83% of them new, for sixteen months. This is a considerably higher percentage of new oak than with the 2021 and it imbues the wine with some nutmeggy oak characters and a flick of vanilla. Early days, but integration continues apace. This is a beautiful Coonawarra Cabernet, offering notes of blackberries, chocolate, aniseed, graphite, soy, cloves and bay leaves. Still very young, this is finely structured, impeccably balanced and offering a persistent and lingering finish. A fine line of acidity runs the length, while the tannins are so silky that they are almost transparent. A wine of great line and length. Expect this wine to continue to improve over the next twenty to thirty years, though it is already utterly entrancing.
RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022 (KG)
$200 | 98pts
One suspects that future generations of winelovers will endlessly debate the glories, and their preferences, of the 2021 and 2022 vintages. Two truly superb years. Too early to make a definitive call as to whether the 2021 or the 2022 vintage of RWT is the superior wine, but what we can say with some degree of conviction is that these two vintages are surely the best pair of wines ever released under this label. Fourteen months maturation in French oak hogsheads, 67% new, Penfolds describe the colour of this wine as Barossa Noir. There is elegance here, impressively so, especially for Barossa Shiraz. A wine of grace. The vestiges of quality oak are concluding integration and the wine has aromas of coffee beans, vanilla, plums, licorice, blackcurrants and cassis. The structure is impressive and even hints at a touch of formality and austerity. This vintage relies a little more on black fruits than we usually see with RWT. Time in the glass sees the wine offer bay leaves, axle grease and spices. There is also juicy acidity, sleek tannins and superb length, contributing to a brilliant RWT, which has at least twenty years ahead of it.
Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (KG)
$800 | 98pts
The 2022 707 is a worthy successor to the stunning 2021, at least its equal. As usual, 707 sees Cabernet from a range of regions – Coonawarra, Barossa, Padthaway and McLaren Vale – matured in American oak, a year and a half, all new. A dark maroon hue, the aromas here include blackberries, licorice, axle grease, spices, coffee grinds, dark chocolate, soy and mocha, all contributing to an utterly sumptuous wine. A little time in the glass revealed further glories – a vibrant black cherry/cassis character, along with hints of delicatessen meats. The wine is poised, taut and offers exemplary focus, balance and intensity, along with great length, power and finesse. This is a truly superb 707, finishing as intensely as it started. It will provide pleasure for the long haul, at least 20 to 30 years.
Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz 2021 (KG)
$1,180; $3,500 for magnums; $18,000 for jeroboams | 99pts
To celebrate their 180th anniversary, Penfolds have released something rather special. As well as standard bottles, there are 180 magnums and 8 three-litre jeroboams. The wine is that great Australian red blend – Cabernet and Shiraz – and has been sourced from Coonawarra, from a superb vintage. 57% Cabernet and 43% Shiraz, the Cabernet hails from their Block 10 while the Shiraz is from Block 5. Block 10 consistently supplies fruit for both 707 and 169. The wine spent 16 months maturing in one-year-old French oak hogsheads. The colour here is a near opaque purple maroon. The nose is already providing noticeable complexity, with aromas of black fruits, bergamot, licorice, cold tea, smoked meats, blueberries and chocolate. Hints of tobacco leaves and mocha then emerge with time in the glass. This is a sumptuous wine, with immaculate balance, bright acidity, silky tannins, and an alluring finish. A complete wine, one which will provide immense pleasure for the next thirty years.
