Penfolds Bin 21 Grenache 2024
G 94
Medium-deep crimson. Musky plum, slight iodine, cola aromas. Generously flavoured and slurpy with ample musky plum, redcurrant fruits, lovely mid-palate viscosity and well-integrated acidity. Firms up at the finish with quartz-like acidity. An early drinking style but I love the fruit definition, weight, and vinosity. Drink soon–keep for a while. Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling 2025 G 94 A classic Bin 51. It might be early days but this wine suggests that the Eden Valley has enjoyed another impressive vintage with 2025. The colour is near water transparent, just the palest hint of lemon, with the most alluring aromas of limes and lemon blossom notes, hints of green tea, river stones and florals with a touch of spice. A hint of talc lurks in the background, along with a steely backing. This is energetic, crisp, clean, fresh and slightly nervy. Obviously young, there is medium to good length. The best is yet to come. Pure pristine Riesling, there is fine, bright acidity and immaculate balance. The wine has 15 years ahead of it and the score can be expected to rise during that period. Drink now–2040 Penfolds Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz 2023 G 94 A very successful, sub-regional release from the heart of the Barossa, maturation is for 17 months, in a mix of French and American hogsheads, 29% one-year-old and 25% older French, and 20% one-year-old and 26% two-year-old American. Very successful for the vintage. A dark blood-red hue, this is a wine of power and concentration. There is oak evident but deftly handled. Expect integration to proceed until it is barely more than a whisper. The nose is redolent of coffee beans, plums, blackberries, mocha, soy, chocolate, spices, beef stock, cloves, dried herbs, liquorice and a touch of mushrooms. The texture has that gorgeous Barossa creaminess to it. There is balance, focus and excellent length here, with fine satiny tannins. This will easily provide pleasure for the next 15 years. Really good. Drink now–2040 Peter Lehmann Margaret Semillon 2017 G 94 There was a time when Barossa Semillon was massively popular in this country, and probably none reached the heights of the standard Semillon from this winery. Their prestige Semillon, named after Margaret Lehmann, Peter’s wife, still has a wonderful reputation among wine lovers, and this particular release has been extremely successful. The wine is always given five years in the cellar before release and it inevitably can take many more after release. Lemon yellow in hue, there are occasional flecks of green as well. Impressive for an eight-year-old wine. There is already some maturity and complexity evident here. Hints of lemon and lime cheesecake notes with florals and beeswax, along with touches of peaches and mandarin are all present. A wine of very good length, fine acidity and a firm finish, this will continue to age and improve over the next 10–15 years. It is also a fun wine to sneak into a blind tasting. Drink now–2040
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The Vintage Journal
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