Winemaker Notes
Nose: Giveaway, pristine Barossa Valley Shiraz fruit aromas; fresh blueberry pie and blood plum. A barrel-fermented vapor net entraps scents of cinnamon and nutmeg, violet and bergamot. Flirting strawberry yogurt and freshly cut rhubarb aromatics unwittingly entice. A nose of elevated and finessed perfumed high notes a la RWT!
Palate: The palate is balanced and full-bodied with a silken, lush, "tofu-like" texture, replete with generous, ripe, even yet firm tannins. Flavors of wild-berry fruits - blueberry, boysenberry and loganberry, again verging towards raspberry yoghurt, redefine the "sweet-conserve" descriptor - neither porty nor residual sugarsweet, but lush and (dry red) unctuous.
This is another great Barossa vintage, highlighting the strength of any of the Barossa sourced 2005 reds.
Food pairings: Ideal with beef, duck and game.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Rich, ripe and focused, with a lovely purity to the blackberry, dark plum and sweet spice flavors, playing against bittersweet chocolate notes on the long, expressive finish. Best from 2010 through 2020. 1,500 cases imported.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2005 RWT Shiraz was aged in 70% new French oak hogsheads. The bouquet shows off aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, damp earth, pepper, game, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Velvety textured, supple, ripe and succulent, this elegant effort is impeccably balanced and built for pleasure. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.
Since 1844, Penfolds has been grounded in experimentation, curiosity and uncompromising quality. Their success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers. It began with Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold, the pioneers who dreamed big, inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines made from grapes and Australian sunshine. It continued with celebrated winemaking legends including Max Schubert, who pushed the development to extraordinary, bold new heights. It is this pioneering spirit and curiosity that still rings true after nearly two centuries, it is what has helped Penfolds become one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world today.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.