Penfolds: Icons of the Present and Future Masterclass at DFWE London

<p><strong>DAVID SLY: </strong>In making its own classic Bordeaux blend (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot and 13% Petit Verdot) from Haut-Médoc grapes, Penfolds pays due homage and respect to the home of claret in this French Winemaking Trial (FWT). It’s a pretty wine – the Petit Verdot and Merlot fragrance dances lightly on the nose and slides through the mid-palate with graceful ease. Wild brambly fruit and bright redcurrant tones are lean, cased in a savoury frame and dusted with spice, leading to a keen, persistent finish, like an athletic middle-distance runner.<br><strong>GEORGINA HINDLE: 92 points</strong> (Tasted in London on 28 June 2022) The first Penfolds wine made from Treasury Wine Estates' recently acquired Bordeaux properties in Haut-Médoc: the 60ha Cambon la Pelouse in 2019; then in 2021 the 15ha Château Belle-Vue and the 5ha Château de Gironville. Soft red berries and a touch of floral and herbal nuances to the nose. Supple and fresh on the palate with a lovely clarity to the expression. Supremely lifted with excellent acidity, giving the sharp balsamic strawberry, red cherry and spiced plum flavours vibrancy, yet it is also well structured with balance and length. Velvety, mineral-edged tannins give support, but this retains a sense of easy drinkability. Polished and well presented, ageing 14 months in French (44% new) and American oak (14% new) barriques. Released at A$120/bottle.</p>

<p>A collaboration with Bordeaux house Dourthe, this Wine of the World is a multi-vintage follow up to the inaugural 2019 release. This vintage it drops the Shiraz (a positive move) and combines 2020 Merlot – sourced and vinified at Dourthe's Château Belgrave and La Garde properties – along with 2021 South Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, vinified at Penfolds' Nuriootpa winery in the Barossa, with the two components blended and bottled in South Australia. A successfully elegant integration, classy new French oak playing its part in uniting flavours of sour cherry, juicy black and red currants, minerally blue ink and savoury earthy tones. Lovely fresh acidity and velvety tannins lend drive and focus. Released at £270.</p>

<p><strong>DAVID SLY:</strong> A Wine of the World is a big statement, and this blend of 87% Napa Valley Cabernet with South Australian Shiraz creates a purposeful bridge between two national styles. The Cabernet is typically Napa (from the Oakville and Diamond Mountain District AVAs): stern and solid, flexing powerful muscle as earth and iodine notes speak much louder than fruit sweetness. The addition of Shiraz (an elite component, considered for Grange inclusion) isn’t obvious, yet its influence is profound, with a hint of ripe plum adding a vivid burst of colour to the dark flavour spectrum. The two varieties strike a happy equilibrium on the mid-palate, wrapping generous layers of rich fruit and supple texture into a seamless weave. <strong>MATTHEW LUCZY: 96 points</strong> <i>(Tasted in Los Angeles on 28 Jan 2021) </i>Decadent aromas of blackcurrant, black plum, hot gravel, and cocoa nib. A seamless, polished texture leads to a palate of boysenberry, raspberry, toffee and charcoal. The finish is charred, chewy and tenacious, with lingering notes of coffee and graphite – the blend is aged for 16 months only in new oak, 80% of which is American, 20% French. There is an overall grace to its currently primary nature, showing great poise and restraint. <strong>RELEASE PRICE:</strong> £545/$700</p>

A blend of Coonawarra, Padthaway, McLaren Vale and Barrossan Cabernet fruit, this impressive Bin 407 spent 12 months in French and American oak hogsheads. It has an inviting nose of blueberry, cassis and cedar with a touch of tea leaf. The palate is smooth and sleek with round, grainy tannins that don’t lack grip or substance, and a constant pulsing presence of linear acidity. Cola, cream, blackcurrant and blueberry notes are the main characters here, with a mineral, wet stone backdrop to a persistent and tapering finish.

This Cabernet-Shiraz blend is often called ‘baby Grange,’ because parts of the wine are matured in barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. Fruit is sourced from various regions including Coonawarra, Barossa and Wrattonbully, spending 12 months in new and used US oak. Aromas of crushed raspberry, purple berries, plum and sappy iris lead to a super-smooth palate that balances rich Shiraz with structured Cabernet, with minty black fruit. Sweet tannins and lovely freshness lend elegance, while the oak remains subtle. A long, focused finish cements its stature as a classic Penfolds blend.