It is this time of year again, when Penfolds releases its new set of wines. And I am very annoyed. The stable of Penfolds related wine critics have given these wines massive scores. 97 points for the 2022 FWT 543 Cabernet Syrah? Really? Only three points less than for a Mouton or Petrus in their best years? This is ridiculous and makes a mockery of a points based review system in Australia. Below, I will be more realistic.
Above is a list of the wines I tasted. Unfortunately, there were many entry level wines among them. The two white wines were both disappointing. They were quite broad and lacked precision.
I quite enjoyed the 2024 Bin 23 Pinot Noir. It was quite perfumed with smooth tannins (90 points). The 2024 Bin 23 Grenache was less enjoyable. While is was clean and fresh, its bubblegum flavours spoilt the experience (88 points). Then came the above quoted 2022 FWT 543 Cabernet Syrah, a blend from Bordeaux and Langedoc. This wine is quite austere, with a blend of blackcurrant and savoury flavours. It is not very intense, but will improve with time (92 points).
Then came three higher level wines from the 2023 vintage. They were the main disappointment. Clearly, Penfolds was struggling with this vintage, in particular the Cabernet fruit. The Bin 28 Shiraz was quite balanced, but did not have a lot of character (92 points). The Bin 389 had more depth, but was lighter than usual, and the Cabernet component unusually dormant (93 points). The Bin 407 was also quite light, but showed some elegance in return (92 points).
Then came the highlight, the 2021 Penfolds Grange. And yes, it was a highlight. This wine pointed to the future of Grange. It was profound in the Grange style, but also approachable. Blackberry fruit dominated the palate at this point, but a lot of other flavour components will reveal themselves. It is still big and concentrated, built like a skyscraper as Robert Parker once famously said, but it has a freshness and drinkability, which is remarkable.
Score: 98/+++ (can go higher with time as more layers of fruit reveal themselves.)
1 comment:
Yeah I must admit the whites disappoint me given the breadth of source material they must have. Really only the Yattarna/Adelaide Hills stand out for me and they tend to need a lot of time. Given how cheap Riesling grapes still are it shouldn't be that hard to make a good to great wine (or stable of styles thereof frankly).
Of the reds I hear you. The Grange was a highlight as was the St Henri I found (though crazy amount of sediment for its age). The straight Bordeaux blend was a bit better than the Aussie cabs/cab blends I thought though admittedly didn't try the 707.
Post a Comment