Reviews
2004 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet
"An excellent bargain. Its dense purple color is accompanied by scents of blackberries, truffles, old leather, licorice, and pepper. Heady ripeness, a fleshy mouthfeel, decent acidity, and a long finish suggest it should drink well for 10-12 years."
- Robert Parker
Wine Advocate, October 2006
2003 Penfolds RWT Shiraz
"Powerful, complex, dark purple-hued...boasts blackberry, kirsch liqueur, mulberry, soy, and road tar aromas. Full-bodied, dense, and rich with beautifully integrated oak, it is more evolved and forward than the Magill or the Grange. It can be drunk now or cellared for 10-15+ years."
- Robert Parker
Wine Advocate, October 2006
2001 Penfolds Grange
"It is always a treat to taste Australia's most famous wine. The 2001 is undeniably one of the top examples of this wine. At this stage, it appears to eclipse the 1998 and 1996. Inky/blue/purple to the rim, with a stunning perfume of blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, graphite, and earth, it boasts good acidity, huge tannins, magnificent concentration, and a multilayered, textured mouthfeel. It is a big, but impeccably well-balanced Shiraz that should shed some of its structure and tannin over the next 4-5 years and be at its best between 2010-2030+."
- Robert Parker
Wine Advocate, October 2006
Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling
"A new line from Penfolds under the high-quality bin-numbered label... The palate follows suit with a zippy, dry flavour reminiscent of citrus fruits and minerals..."
- Ralph Kyte-Powell
The Age Epicure, October 2006
2002 Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay
"Pristine chardonnay! The colour is remarkably light for it's age, and it's a superfine wine of great finesses and restraint built to age. Grapefruit, minerals, hints of passionfruit, oak barely noticeable it's so well integrated, and the palate is very long and finely structured. A stunner."
- Huon Hooke & Ralph Kyte-Powell
The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2005/2006
2002 Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
"A welcome return to form for the important wine. It slowly unfolds a very closed and deeply layered bouquet of intense small black and red berries, plums and slightly meaty, deep mocha/dark chocolate and cedary oak... Without a hint of over-ripeness, it's deep and brooding, with an exceptional cellaring potential."
- Jeremy Oliver
The Australian Wine Annual 2006
2003 Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz
"A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by a glorious perfume of graphite, acacia flowers, and toasty oak. The wine hits the palate with a plethora of flavors including chocolate, spice box, fruit cake, black raspberries, blueberries, and cassis. Powerful yet elegant and streamlined, this beauty is one of my favorite examples of this wine to date. It should drink well for 15 or more years."
- Robert Parker
Wine Advocate, October 2006
2004 Penfolds Cellar Reserve Sangiovese
"A shockingly good wine...offers intriguing aromas and flavors of spicy new saddle leather, licorice, tobacco leaves, black cherries, and raspberries. Good underlying acidity, light tannin, and a spicy, earthy, attractive mouthfeel suggest it will drink beautifully for 4-6 years."
- Robert Parker
Wine Advocate, October 2006
2004 Penfolds Reserve Bin 04A Chardonnay
"A cuvee that sees a lot more new oak and is more reminiscent of a white Burgundy. It is the estate's version of a premier cru Meursault...it exhibits a big, smoky bouquet of hazelnuts, honeyed oranges, peaches, and apple blossoms. With good crispness, medium to full body, and a flamboyant, extroverted personality, it should drink well for 2-3 years."
- Robert Parker
Wine Advocate, October 2006
Club Reserve Aged Tawny
"Not just one of the Reliables: over the seven years that Quaff has rated Australia's best value wines, this has been a superstar. Again, it has come up as clearly the best under $15 fortified made in the country: deep, powerful and concentrated with complex, opulent flavours - treacle, butterscotch and honey - velvety viscous texture and a gentle lingering finish."
- Peter Forrestal
Fortified Wine of the Year Award, The Quaff 2007
2002 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
"The '02 is a very good Bin 28: it shows the usual blackberry fruit with hints of fruitcake and jam, despite the very cool summer. It has a plump full bodied rich palate with plenty of fruit sweetness followed by soft tannins and a drying savoury finish."
- Huon Hooke & Ralph Kyte-Powell
The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2005/2006
2004 Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Merlot
"These are ripe, lifted aromas of caramelised plums supported by fresh, vibrant pastille-like fruit flavours on the palate."
- Jeff Collerson
Daily Telegraph, 17 August 2005