The 2019 Penfolds Collection has been released. As always, it is a dazzling range with huge demand the world over. The collection sells out every year and allocations are hard fought. We are delighted to present our selection, most of which are available only in very limited quantities.
For the majority of the wines it is the turn of the 2017 vintage, with the exception of St Henri 2016, which is always released a year later, and the great Penfolds Grange 2015. The 2017s are generally large-scaled and richly-styled, polished in true Penfolds style. Spots of rain during the harvest complicated the Cabernet Sauvignon selection therefore this year there will be no new release of Bin 707. Shiraz though, being picked earlier than Cabernet, was broadly very successful in 2017 and followers of these wines will not be disappointed. St Henri is routinely one of our favourites, and the one wine that never sees any new oak. It is raised in fifty year-old wooden fuders and exhibits super classic blue and purple fruit, violet, lavender and star anise. In Peter Gago’s words, “the 2016 is up there with our all time best St Henri’s, at a similar level to 2010, 1990 and 1971.”
Read MoreMeanwhile, Grange 2015 is commanding and serious, more akin to the blockbuster and 100-point 2013 than the softer 2012 or 2014. It is dramatic and formidable, but it will age for decades. Perhaps even more exciting than that though is a special 2016 release called Bin 111a, a one-off, and a blend of two single vineyards in the Barossa and Clare Valley. 100% Shiraz and 100% Penfolds! Glossy, velvety and silky, with subtly smoky, minty notes, a finer touch of oak, blackberries and blueberries and incredibly long. Matured for 18 months in purely French oak. It is a wine for the ages and will surely go down as a Penfolds icon.