Winemaker Notes
Nose: Dark spices and saturated fresh regional Shiraz fruits - tell-tale wafts of blueberry, blackberry, liquorice and black olive. Secondary notes of rosemary, peppercorn, thyme, juices of beef - verging on that of a terrine / corned beef. Subtle cedary French oak in the background is in equilibrium with other incense-like and beguiling artifacts.
Palate: Lush & expansive, yet with a defined, sleek demeanor. Plush velvety tannins - rounded / polished / dense. Tarry / liquorice blackness - espresso, coffee ground, dark chocolate with high notes of sarsaparilla, aniseed & green olive.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 RWT Shiraz was aged for 14 months in 70% new French oak hogsheads. The winery describes its style as opulent and fleshy compared to Grange-s muscular and assertive personality. Opaque purple in color, it offers aromas of Asian spices, beef juice, toast, blueberry, and licorice. Rich, fleshy, and round, it has plenty of underlying tannin, impeccable balance, and a long, pure finish. It will deliver prime drinking from 2014 to 2030.
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Wine Spectator
Smooth and refined, with a wet earth note adding interest to the ripe blueberry, plum and licorice flavors, which linger against a burr of tannins on the long finish. Best from 2011 through 2016. 450 cases imported.
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.