SPECTACULAR - RP97-99 - The Fonseca 2011 is typically more forthcoming on the nose compared to the bashful Croft: a strident bouquet with lifted scents of freshly picked blackberries, kirsch, crushed stone and a dash of Hoi Sin and oyster sauce. It is very well-defined, very focused and direct. The palate is silky smooth with not a rough edge in sight, though not a typically voluptuous Fonseca because of the keen thread of acidity and the structure that lends this mighty Port wonderful backbone. A slight viscosity on the finish lacquers the tongue and indicates a core of sweet fruit is ticking away underneath that will surely explode several years after bottling. A tincture of salted licorice on the aftertaste is very attractive. This will turn out to become an outstanding Fonseca, the growing season taming its exuberance with spectacular results. So much potential, but just 6,000 cases were produced. 

BEAUTIFUL - RP97 - The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend sourced from the typical three quintas (Panascal in the Tavora Valley and Quinta do Cruzeiro and Quinta de St Antonio in the Pinhão Valley). When last seen, this was in fine form. It was aged for 20 months in wood and comes in with 99 grams of residual sugar. Right now, surprisingly, this seems more tightly wound than the Taylor's, which usually seems to me the burlier as between the two. It has beautiful fruit as well, if not quite the wave of big fruit that Taylor's shows off. In 2017, I would say Taylor's wins. In this vintage, it may be Fonseca. However, there are great performances all around.

GREAT - RP98 - The 2017 Vintage Port, not quite bottled when originally seen, has now been in bottle for a couple of years. It is a field blend (with typical grapes like Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca) aged for approximately 20 months in used French oak. It comes in with 98 grams of residual sugar. This is a great Fonseca, distinctive, with a touch of eucalyptus and plums, but also loaded with delicious fruit. Like its Taylor's siblings, there is also a fine backbone. I'd say it is a step behind the Taylor's duo this year, but not by much. It will age well, to say the least.

WS 96/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - 97 Tasting.com - 95 Whisky Advocate - 96 Falstaff - 98 Wine Enthusiast 

CHAIRMAN MORRISON - CARN MOR - Distilled on 27 April, 1965 and bottled on 2 June, 2008 this 43 year old Macallan is one of the two Macallan expressions which launched the now distinguished Carn Mor label as the independent bottling department of the Scottish Liqueur Centre in Bankfoot just north of Perth. This one was from a first fill Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe fino sherry cask and the other from a Harvey’s Bristol Cream Sherry cask. The two casks were filled on the same day and bottled on the same day. A fascinating – if rather costly - experiment to see how different types of cask affect identical spirit.  Both of the casks belonged to the chairman, Brian Morrison, and they certainly launched the Carn Mor name in style! Thus the “Celebration of the Cask” series was born with 484 bottles emanating from cask no 2114.

MACALLAN HARMONY -  The full 10 bottle Collection – to be Sold as ONE Single Lot

Rich Cacao, Fine Cacao - Intense Arabica, Smooth Arabica - Amber Meadow, Green Meadow  - Vibrant Oak, Guardian Oak - Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea, Cherrywood Lapsang Tea

The Macallan Harmony Collection is a limited annual release series that explores our future packaging journey. It fuses innovative techniques with materials from the natural world at the end of their life to see them reborn with a renewed purpose. 

Celebrating The World of CHOCOLATE - Rich Cacao - Fine Cacao  - A collaboration with Jordi Roca to bring the worlds of chocolate and whisky to life in Casa Cacao, a hotel and chocolate factory in central Girona, Spain. The Macallan Whisky Maker Polly Logan took inspiration from her time at Casa Cacao to create single malts with indulgent chocolate notes.

Celebrating The World of COFFEE - Intense Arabica - Smooth Arabica - A sensorial journey through the wonderful world of coffee. The Macallan Whisky Maker Steven Bremner created two whiskies with a distinct coffee note, creating a delightful coffee and whisky pairing experience.

Inspired By NATURE - Amber Meadow - Green Meadow  -In collaboration with Stella and Mary McCartney to celebrate the lush, fertile lands of Scotland that connect all those who have stood upon them for generations.

In Collaboration with CIRQUE du SOLEIL - Vibrant Oak - Guardian Oak  - A unique collaboration with Cirque du Soleil celebrating 200 years of The Macallan. Reflective of the sherry seasoned American and European oak casks used at The Macallan, we celebrate the influence of each in these two unique expressions.

Inspired By TEA - Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea - Cherrywood Lapsang Tea -The Macallan Whisky Mastery Team draws inspiration from the world of single garden tea. This release introduces two limited-edition expressions crafted in collaboration with JING Tea, curators of some of the world's most distinctive and fine single garden teas.

Harmony Collection - https://www.themacallan.com/en/single-malt-scotch-whisky/the-harmony-collection

SUPURB - RP97+ -  The 2019 was a hard act to follow, but the 2020 Adrianna Vineyard River kept its poise, though it showed a little riper and with grainier tannins that gave it some faint rusticity and earthiness. This is one of three Malbecs from the Adrianna Vineyard in Gualtallary, from a stony part of the vineyard, hence its name. The wine matured in large oak foudres, and the oak is still perceptible and might need a little more time to get integrated. This tends to be the most austere of the three bottlings, even in the warmer years like 2020, and it shows a little more fruit. It's juicy but beautifully textured with a spicy twist of curry that reminded me of some bottlings from El Enemigo in El Cepillo. It seems to open up slowly in the glass—the violet and berry aromas get complicated by some spice (curry?)—and the palate feels more layered. This is a superb expression of the austere wildness of Gualtallary. 5,700 bottles were filled in December 2021.

CHEVAL BLANC - RP98 - The 2020 Cheval des Andes was harvested from the last of February for the first time ever. It was Gabillet's second vintage at Cheval des Andes, and that year, he had to start without waiting for Pierre Olivier Clouet and Pierre Lurton from Cheval Blanc; when they arrived, they had finished picking the Malbec, which surprisingly was fresher in Las Compuertas (because of the higher percentage of clay?) than in Altamira (where the vines suffered more stress), saving the freshness. They now harvest using cold trucks (for the first time), and they also started earlier in the morning (six in the morning, impossible earlier in Mendoza...), which he reckons was very good for the precision of the wine. They used 40% 225-liter barrels, 40% 400-liter oak barrels and 20% 2,500-liter foudres, half of them new and with an élevage of 15 months on average, depending on the lots and varieties from 12 to 18 months. The final blend was 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, which makes a comeback, as it had not been used since 2016. The key was to finish the fermentation of the Petit Verdot without skins, and that way, they have been able to use it in the blends of 2021, 2022 and 2023 in small but increasing percentages.

PRECISE - RP98 - This time there were two vintages of the top-of-the-range red to taste, as the 2014 is almost finished and the 2015 Clos Mogador will be released soon. In this warmer vintage, there is a little more Cariñena in the blend, with the final breakdown something like 45% Garnacha, 29% Cariñena, 16% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This had the same vinification and aging as the 2014: fermentation with indigenous yeasts and a 35- to 45-day maceration, followed by an élevage in 300-liter barrels and 2,000-liter foudres that lasted 18 months. 2015 is a rounder and easier year than 2014, and it feels a little riper, supple but with good freshness. It's clean and precise with nicely integrated oak. This was an easy vintage for the winery, and the wines are easy to understand and more approachable early on. 31,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2017.

MORE THAN 100 - RP100 - A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in 40% new oak, the 2016 Proprietary Red Wine is deep purple-black in color and quite reticent at this youthful stage to begin, offering up subtle notions of potpourri, Indian spices, cigar box and iron ore over a core of crushed blackberries and black cherries with intermittent wafts of black and red currants, new leather and smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a densely packed mid-palate and oodles of freshness framed by very ripe, finely grained tannins and laced with compelling earthy accents. It offers incredible vibrancy with tons of black and red fruit sparkle in the mid-palate leading to a provocative mineral element on the very long finish. If I could give more than 100 for this one, I would. To be released in May 2019.

MIND BLOWING - RP99+ - Very deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Dominus slowly emerges from the glass with profound notes of blackcurrant cordial, ripe black plums, boysenberries and Black Forest cake with hints of violets, star anise, cracked black pepper, raspberry leaves and pencil lead, plus a touch of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers impactful black fruit layers, creating a beguiling sense of richness that is beautifully countered by invigorating freshness and great poise, framed by super ripe, plush tannins and beautiful tension, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note and, finally, lots of mineral sparks. For all that it is at the moment, one cannot help but feel that this 2018 is holding something back. Give it a good five years in bottle, at least, and then get set for what I suspect will be a mind-blowing transformation over the next 30 years+.

WONDERFFUL - RP98+ -  The 2021 Dominus is a 3,700-case blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, with 40% of the wine matured in new French oak. Black cherries and cassis lead the way, accented by scents of crushed stone and pencil shavings. It's full-bodied, rich and concentrated, dark and intense, with ample tannins, but those tannins are ripe and well-rounded without being overly soft or creamy, gliding easily into a long, mocha-tinged finish. As a whole, the wine exhibits wonderful balance, even if it will benefit from 5 or 10 years in the cellar.

WS 98/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - ? /100 James Suckling 

WS 99/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - ?/100 James Suckling -100/100 Wine Palate - 100/100 The Wine Independent - 97-100 Robert Parker - 96/100 Cellar Tracker MUSEUM RELEASE

WS 97/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - 92/100 Vinum Magazine - ?/100 James Suckling -100/100 Wine Palate - 95/100 Wine Spectator - 96-100 Robert Parker - 100/100 The Wine Independent - 96/100 Cellar Tracker MUSEUM RELEASE

WS 97/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - 97/100 Gismondi on Wine - ?/100 James Suckling - - 96/100 Wine Spectator - 98/100 Falstaff - 98/100 Cellar Tracker - MUSEUM RELEASE

WS 96/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - ?/100 Jancis Robinson - 97/100 Christer Byklum - ?/100 James Suckling - - 98/100 Wine Spirits Magazine - 98/100 Falstaff - ?/100 Decanter Magazine - MUSEUM RELEASE

A GEM - RP98 - The real surprise among Krug’s 1996s is the 1996 Vintage, which is drinking beautifully, even among this rarified air of single-vineyard Champagnes. The 1996 Vintage is explosive and creamy, with just the right balance of power, richness and freshness. The mousse is perhaps just a touch less refined than in the 1996 Clos du Mesnil and Clos d’Ambonnay, but it is also perfectly measured with the wine’s exuberant personality. This multi-dimensional, textured Champagne is at the early part of its drinking window and promises to deliver an incredible drinking experience over the coming decades. The take-away from this flight of 1996s from Krug is simple. Although the 1996 Vintage can’t possibly be described as inexpensive, it shows exceptionally well next to its much more expensive brethren and clearly delivers a similar level of quality. Readers who have the opportunity to pick up this wine should not hesitate. It is a gem. No disgorgement date provided. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2036.

EXCEPTIONAL - Lanson's golden years are only chosen to be declared in years that can truly be considered as exceptional. 1904, 1928, 1955, 1971, 1976, 1983 and 1990 were great vintages that have built the reputation of Champagne Lanson. Aged for at least five years in the cellars and with no malolactic fermentation gives the blends a fruitiness and freshness

MARATHON RUNNER - Restrained lemon gold colour and a lovely helix of tiny bubbles. Fresh citrus and red stone fruit scents. There is a beautiful acidity that has integrated into a medley of mature secondary smoky flavours alongside a benign note of noble austerity. This is a marathon runner - a great '96 with bags of life. Excellent value.

WS 96/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - 99/100 Falstaff - ?/100 Jancis Robinson - 97/100 Owen Bargreen - 98/100 Wine Enthusiast - ?/100 James Suckling -  96 /100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate - 96 /100 Wine Spectator - 90/100 The Wine Independent - 94/100 Cellar Tracker

EXTRA - RP97 - Roederer's 2014 Cristal Rosé has turned out beautifully, unwinding in the glass with aromas of sweet cherries, almonds, citrus fruit and red berries mingled with notions of white flowers and wet chalk. Full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with a layered core of fruit and a pillowy mousse, it's deep, racy and electric, concluding with a long, mineral finish. Comparatively open out of the gates, it's no slight to the 2014's seriousness to say that it will drink well while its 2013 counterpart sleeps in the cellar. Deriving from just a handful of the over 39 blocks that inform the regular Cristal 2014, I suspect that its origins have even more to do with the extra dimension it possesses above and beyond its white counterpart than the subtle infusion of Pinot Noir phenolics that give it its delicate pink hue MUSEUM RELEASE

FINDING A BOTTLE - RP99 - This bottle of the 1996 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut was drinking superbly and represents the apotheosis of Blanc de Blancs, unfurling over the course of three hours with a stunningly complex bouquet of citrus oil, confit lemon, dried white flowers and oyster shell, with hints of praline and pastry cream becoming more pronounced as the wine opens up in the glass. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, defined by the incisive spine so typical of the vintage that, here, is cloaked in layers of crisp fleshy and chalky extract. The finish is long, penetrating and saline. Unfortunately, since the 1996 Salon has been traded so zealously over the last decade, finding a bottle that hasn't travelled too far can be a challenge. But from a perfectly stored bottle, this is just the beginning. - PRIVATE MUSEUM RELEASE 

STRENGTH - RP95 - A wine that just seems to go from strength to strength is Salon's 1997 Blanc de Blancs Le Mesnil Brut. The Maison kept back large stocks that they have gradually been disgorging over the last half-dozen years—it's still a commercial release and well worth seeking out. From a bottle disgorged in 2020, the wine wafts from the glass with scents of honeycomb, white flowers and orange rind, complemented by hints of burnt marmalade and exotic fruit. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's notably taut and chiseled for the vintage, with racy acids and a beautifully expressive mid-palate. This is really beginning to drink with real grace, and if it doesn't hit quite the same heights as the best bottles of 1996 Salon, I have found the 1997 notably more consistent. I suppose it was picked a touch early, given the botrytis pressure in 1997, but time is being very kind to this wine. - PRIVATE MUSEUM RELEASE 

LOSE YOURSELF - RP95 - The Salon 1999 Brut Le Mesnil – disgorged already in 2011 and dosed with a pretty typical six grams of residual sugar – displays faintly fusil and quarry dust notes as well as hickory nut, almond, walnut and toasted wheat piquancy on the nose. Polished and subtly creamy in texture yet brightly juicy with apple and lemon, this displays an uncanny sense of lift and refinement, perfectly complementing the honeysuckle and heliotrope perfume that waft inner-mouth. You could lose yourself in the ineffability of this wine’s floral diversity and in its resonantly nut and grain low tones. Hints of apple pip lend subtle additional piquancy on a long and at once soothing as well as stimulating finish, with suggestions of oyster liquor becoming prominent as the bottle stands open for a few minutes, and serving to milk the salivary glands for all that they are worth. Follow this for at least a decade.  PRIVATE MUSEUM RELEASE 

RAVISHING - JH99 - Bottle no. 39 of 2200 tells part of the story, but the front label also has in demure typeface 'original 1867 plantings'. This is a ravishing wine with a velvet and satin mouthfeel, and a rainbow of black, purple and blue fruits. Supple tannins are somewhere in the mix, likewise French oak, but don't bother dissecting what is an exquisite wine. As a point of principle, I'm not going to give 100 points for a table wine, but if I were, this would get the nod.

MOCKERY - JH98 - A total fusion of complex fruits, of licorice, spice and pepper sidelights, of fine, yet ripe, tannins that come from very old vines, and French oak, the texture running lengthways and sideways, but never breaking line. Old vine wines like this make a mockery of vintage charts.

CLASS - JH98 - Handpicked fruit was berry sorted before fermentation of 30 days on skins; 18 months in French oak (50% new). This is a glorious cabernet, its blackcurrant, cedar and spice bouquet leading into a seamless, perfectly balanced palate with cassis and redcurrant fruit framed by cedary oak. The amazing tannins, softly woven into the fabric of the fruit, gives this wine its ultimate class. Very different to the 2011.

GRACEFUL - RP97 - An elegant shiraz, with grapes sourced from a single vineyard up Mt Pleasant way in the Adelaide Hills. I've always wanted to pinch that plastic pig from outside the butcher's there but have refrained (excellent mettwurst though if you're passing through). There's a raspberry top note to the wine, red plum and black cherry beneath with hints of spice, pan juices, bay leaf, cedar, dried orange rind, almond blossom and crushed stone. There's such a graceful slide of fruit across that palate, silky tannins and some lovely plum skin acidity. It's such a balanced and delicious wine now but I can see some upside that's for sure.

WS 96/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - ?/100 James Suckling - 96/100 The Wine Front - 98/100 Robert Parker The Wine Advocate - MUSEUM RELEASE

WS 96/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - 96/100 The Wine Front - MUSEUM RELEASE

PERFECTION - JH97 - This is as close to perfection as one can imagine in terms of structure, texture and its complex fruit flavours. Great now, greater still in another 10 years, and who knows how long thereafter. Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot.

BE PREPARED - JH97 - An 80/12/4/3/1% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, cabernet franc and petit verdot; 18 months in French barriques (48% new). The bouquet is perfumed and very attractive, but doesn't prepare you for the sheer intensity of the quite beautiful palate, with gloriously juicy redcurrant and cassis cradled by fine tannins and integrated oak.

GREAT - JH98 - 89% cabernet sauvignon, 4% petit verdot, 3% merlot and 2% each of malbec and cabernet franc blended after fermentation, hand-picked and sorted, destemmed (66% whole berries), wild-fermented in stainless steel, average 23 days on skins, matured in French oak (69% new) for 18 months. Right in the slot of the style established (with some polishing and refining) over the years. The complexity of the texture and structure is second to none, led by the born to rule cabernet. The might of the tannins is the key to this great wine.

SHOW STOPPING - JH98 - 79/10/6/5% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/malbec. Wild ferment in barrel and amphora, matured for 15 months in mainly biodynamic oak (50% new). An icon wine from a watershed vintage. This is Margaret River pedigree of the highest order; powdery fine tannins that shape and caress the perfectly ripe red fruits. The acidity is the driver over the tongue, the layers of flavour and texture seem never-ending. Show stopping. Pure fruit concentration. Blimey.

PLEASURE - JH98 - 87% Cabernet sauvignon, with 7/3/2/1% merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. Matured for 15 months in barrique, 45% new. Cassis and red licorice on the nose, bay and saltbush, too. The palate is salty and fine with layers upon layers of spice and texture. The tannins are like finely textured gills, stacked as delicately as the folds in a mushroom. The length of flavour unfurls and extends across the palate, taking so long to fade that this entire tasting note is possible off one sip. The rest are just for pleasure. Drink it now, or in 40+ years from now… both will be possible

DELIGHTS - JH98 - This Diana Madeline delights as soon as it's poured. A deep, dark purple-red and so vibrant. Ah the aromas next – all cedar wood, oak spices and warm earth with fresh mulberries and blackberry essence. It has concentrated, fabulous fruit on the fuller-bodied palate yet there’s a fineness, too, with supple tannins enmeshed in lively acidity. It’s a gorgeous drink. Too young now as it’s still showing off its youthful exuberance. Give this a few more years in the cellar to build more complexity and detail; it's guaranteed to age beautifully for another two or so decades.

SPECIAL - JH98 - Don’t be confused. There are two Diana Madeline releases off the ’23 vintage, this the new addition and part of the Legacy Series. And the longer name is Full Moon Opposite Saturn Harvest because the 70% cabernet, with 30% malbec, is off the first pick when the constellations are in that order; co-fermented then aged 15 months in French barriques, 33% new. All that to say, this is both powerful and yet full of elegance. Beautiful fruit marries well with the oak, all superbly integrated. The palate is more mid-weighted, with plentiful yet fine tannins, and finishes persuasively and lingeringly. This is something else; a special wine.

YOUNG - JH97 - Picked on fruit and flower days, wild-fermented in French barriques for 5 months (75% new) and allowed to go through mlf. Wastes no time in asserting its blue blood ancestry with vital freshness and citrussy acidity retained despite the mlf. The layers of white flowers, white flesh stone fruit and grapefruit will become progressively richer and more complex with age, but it's so well balanced and full of life there is every reason to enjoy this chardonnay young.

ELEGANCE - JH97 - Vanya Cullen's recognition of her father, founder of the winery. A small quantity of the very best estate chardonnay grapes wild-fermented in barrel, matured in French oak (50% new) for 6 months. Wait for 15 seconds after you have swallowed the wine to find just how intense and long the wine is, and also its elegance.

MESMERISING - JH99 - An extraordinary wine from the oldest ('71) estate plantings, wild fermented and matured for 19 months in French oak (47% new). Deeply coloured and highly fragrant, the palate takes you on a mesmerising ride with a mid-palate peak of pure, unalloyed cassis fruit, then a swish of integrated savoury tannins before rising again on the dark fruit line of the finish thanks in part to 3% petit verdot. 388 dozen made.

STUNNING - RP97 - The stunning 2015 Red Queen of the Eden Valley Shiraz combines awesome complexity with ample weight, power and concentration. From Shiraz vines planted in 1912, this wine includes a hefty 40% whole bunches, was naturally fermented and aged two and a half years in 50% new French oak. The resulting wine is medium to full-bodied, with ripe but firm tannins that frame intense blueberry and boysenberry fruit. Hints of oaky spice and cracked pepper plus floral and herbal notes all come together on the finish, making for a dizzying array of flavors that seem to almost grow in intensity over time.

IMPRESSIVE - JH97 - Has an altogether impressive display of purity and power in its varietal expression, managing to retain a medium-bodied elegant, yet brooking no question about its flavour of structure. Blackcurrant fruit is etched in fine detail from the start to the finish of the palate, tannins and oak finely balanced and perfectly integrated.

EFFORTLESS - JH97 - Elegance and purity personified. The varietal expression is pitch perfect, cassis standing proud, its handmaidens fine-grained tannins and cedary French oak. It is an effortless wine, no more than medium-bodied, and needs no further elaboration. Shades of Xanadu.

BEAUTIFUL - JH99 - Matured for 18 months in new and used French oak. Excellent colour; the wine has a fragrant dark berry bouquet, the palate sheer perfection. So well balanced it seems suspended in the air, cassis fruit supported by feather-light tannins, oak an absorbed spectator. This is a beautiful wine.

MOUTH WATERING - JH97 - Matured for 14 months in French oak (57% new). This swings into action from the first whiff, with a cavalcade of dark berry fruits of all persuasions, the precisely delineated palate that follows with cassis, redcurrant, a sombre edge of earth and dried olive, joining mouth-watering tannins.

PERFECTION - JH99 - Be prepared to kneel before the perfection of a supreme riesling, the bouquet's blossom floating in the air of a spring day, the palate a celebration of the purity, elegance, drive and length of a white wine that you absolutely know will outlive your patience. First HALLIDAY 99pt white wine 

BEAUTIFUL - JH97 - The nose is absolutely beautiful, showcasing high-toned citrus and delicate peach blossoms. On the palate, generous ripe lemon and quince flavours subtly reflect the warmth of the vintage, while the structure remains remarkably tight, perfectly poised and destined for cellaring success. Long and lemony, it displays youthful, laser-like intensity and exceptional purity

STYLISH - JH97 - Still bright crimson-purple; a totally delicious and stylish Bordeaux blend; the bouquet is fragrant, the medium to full-bodied palate swoops high and low with cassis, spice, bay leaf, cedary oak and beautifully detailed tannins - and only 13.5% alcohol.

POWER - JH98 - Hand-picked, whole bunch-crushed and basket-pressed, fermented in French oak (30% new), 100% mlf, matured for 22 months, not filtered. Pale, bright straw-green; the bouquet is very complex, yet subtle due to emphemeral husky/creamy nuances. The sheer power of the palate is of a category unique to Giaconda (and perhaps Leeuwin Estate), for it is on you before you realise it, the acidity bright and fresh notwithstanding the mlf

FOREVER - JH98 - The sheer power and depth of this wine is unique, no other Australian chardonnay can rival it. Its balance of stone fruit, grilled nuts and citrussy acidity is impeccable, transforming into the extreme length of the palate. Will live forever.

MONTRACHET - JH99 - It's so difficult to avoid comparisons with Montrachet, except to say both have profoundly deep and long palates. Of course, there's high-quality French oak and the requisite acidity to freshen the finish, but the ultimate quality lies in the freakish length of the wine.

LUCIOUS - JH97 - Hand-picked fruit, whole-bunch crushed, basket pressed, fermented in French oak (30% new), mlf, matured 20 months in an underground cave. The secret – if there is one – to Giaconda chardonnay is the depth of complexity achieved. It is a thing of wonder to get lost in, as you wander through layer upon layer of stone fruits, citrus and grilled nuts, almond cream, spice and then gently embedded oak. Luscious. Intriguing. Stylish.

INIMITABLE - RP100 - Having tasted five bottles of this remarkable wine over the past year (most of them mine), I can confirm that it is evolving and changing with time in the bottle, but each time I taste it, I am amazed by its ability to highlight parts of the wine I may not have focused on the last time I tasted it. Twice this week, the 2021 Estate Vineyard Chardonnay has spoken first of its reduction and flint: it is bony and austere and taut, and I mean this in the best of ways. It speaks of its architecture currently, over its fruit. Yet it is propelled by the fruit. Giaconda manages focus and precision alongside its famous reduction, and this is what separates it from other producers in the country. It may be easy to can the reduction if it's not your preferred quality in Chardonnay, but the fruit and phenolic focus of the wine is untouchable. This is inimitable. I'm running out of bottles to taste, but I've loved every single one so far.

MASTERS - JH99 - An utterly beguiling wine of deep complexity and stunning freshness. Vintage '22 brought on one of the latest harvests ever for the maker, and the cool season and long hang time has worked a special kind of magic. The scent demands your attention, with jasmine, citrus blossom, grapefruit flesh, nectarine, peach custard, cashew and buttered toast. Seamless entry, the wine glides across a richly detailed palate, textural and luxurious in flavour, with a pinch of bright quince-led spice to close. Filigree fine acidity brings a crystal clarity and freshness. A chardonnay masterclass from the masters.

EXQUISITE - JH98 - In challenging Victorian vintages like '23 – cool and wet – the cream rises, quality producers standing up. At Giaconda, we see another stunner of a chardonnay released, a classic work of art that delivers a bouquet of citrus blossom scents with intense Meyer lemon, grapefruit pith, preserved lemon, white peach, nectarine and crushed stone. Has real presence and an immediate sense of concentration. The longer it remains open, the more it reveals, an ongoing treat of complexity in nectarine, peach, toasted almond and gentle spice with a stunning lemon butter-like richness and more, edged in finely laced acidity. Exquisite.

CELEBRATED - JH98 - From the Applejack vineyard, planted on grey clay soils at 300m in Gladysdale in '97 by Ray Guerin. 40% whole bunches and 40% less wine in '24. Darkly fruited and more intense than the '23 with aromas of wild blackberry, raspberry, briar, and just a hint of sous bois. On the palate, this is as concentrated and mouth-filling as the bouquet suggests it will be, culminating with succulent, grippy tannins on the long, tapering finish. It's a touch more 'sauvage' and a little less floral than normal but, even in this warmer vintage, one of Australia's most celebrated pinot noirs is in impressive form.

ZENITH - JH97 - A blend of Gingin and Bernard clones planted in '97 between 100 and 200m in Gruyere. 20% new oak and 10% mlf. Another salivating and seductive Sexton Chardonnay with its bouquet of stone fruits, preserved lemons, freshly ground coffee beans and roasted hazelnut. The beautifully balanced and tightly coiled palate is underpinned by its concentration and intensity. Finishes saline and extremely long. It's all here and needs another five to seven years, at least, to reach its zenith.

CLASSY - RP94-97 - The 2006 Shiraz (75%) – Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) “Anaperenna” is the wine formerly known as Godolphin, the change resulting from a trademark dispute. It was aged for 15 months in new French and American oak. Opaque purple, it offers a sensational bouquet of pain grille, scorched earth, meat, game, blueberry, and black currants. This is followed by a surprisingly elegant yet powerful, structured wine with gobs of spicy fruit, ripe tannins, and a plush texture. The long, 60-second finish is succulent and sweet. Give this classy wine 4-6 years in the cellar and enjoy it through 2030. Hats off to Ben Glaetzer for producing an extraordinary portfolio!

PARADE - JH97 - Some of the vines were planted by Cyril Henschke in the '60s. Matured in French hogsheads (35% new) for 18 months. Deep but brightly coloured, this is a no holds barred, full-bodied Eden Valley cabernet sauvignon that will live for decades, blessed by a screwcap. Blackcurrant fruit, touches of cedary oak, black olive, bay leaf and earthy tannins are all on parade.

ORIGINAL RELEASE CONDITION - Near Perfect Presentation

LOVE - RP99 - The 2022 Hill of Grace Shiraz leads with dark fruit and an abundance of exotic spice to match. The tannins are profuse here, quite distinct from the Hill of Roses tasted alongside. Star anise, cloves, cinnamon (cassia), fennel seeds and Sichuan pepper weave in and out of the blackberry, blueberry, crushed quartz/ferrous undertones. There's a sweet rolling-tobacco character that is highly attractive and lingers through the finish. I love the 2022 vintage. It is fresh and detailed. It may forever live in the shadow of the great 2021 vintage, but not for me—I believe firmly this is a sleeper vintage and will reveal its longevity given time. The allure of it now is not in question, either.

BEAUTIFUL - RP97 - In 1986, a mass selection from the grandfather vines was taken and planted in the Mount Edelstone vineyard. As a result of this, the Henschke's decided to plant to the post office block—right next door to the Hill of Grace vineyard. This was in 1989, and it has given them the opportunity to assess at what point the vines move from young vine to established vines. The most obvious young-vine characteristic, to my palate, is the register of fruit: this 2021 Hill of Roses Shiraz is eminently red-fruited, while the Hill of Grace is black and blue. Another is the tannins, which don't serve to carry the fruit as far through the finish here as they do in the Hill of Grace. Still silty and ultra-fine, they provide pliable structure and chew through the finish. This has notes of pressed garden rose, ozone and wet asphalt. It's a beautiful wine, fresh and vibrant. The vines were 32 years old at the time of the single-pass harvest in 2021. This is excellent. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

FLUFFIER - RP98 - The 2022 Hill of Roses Shiraz is eminently red-fruited, and this really aligns with my previous perceptions of this wine. While the Hill of Roses comes from "young vines" (planted in 1989) from the Hill of Grace vineyard (the oldest plantings date back to the mid-1800s), each year the vines grow more, and the wine becomes darker, more powerful and more intense. However, it still retains its red-fruited heart throughout all the versions of climate and vintage. This is lighter, fresher and fluffier than the Hill of Grace Shiraz, and the tannins are "easier" somehow. The tannins of the Hill of Grace wine are dense—although fine—and feel more abundant. There will come a time when the vines reach a level of maturity that the expression of this wine begins to merge in character with the Hill of Grace. That will be an interesting day.

ICONIC - JH97 - The 70th-anniversary release of this much-loved and iconic Australian wine. A hail event reduced yields somewhat, with perfect instances of summer rainfall and a mild, drawn-out finish to the growing season. The end result was an exceptionally strong vintage. Bright magenta crimson with aromas of pure plum, blackberry and black cherry and a flash of blue fruits over sage, peppercorn, rosehip, mace, bay leaf, crushed stone, herb garden, gentle cedar tones, milk chocolate, pan juices and, further back, tobacco and crushed rocks. Beautifully balanced on the palate, showing a graceful arc of travel, the fine tannins melting away into the fruit. The finish stretches out persistently, all detail and elegance.

SUPERBLY - JH97 - Take the best parcels of cabernet sauvignon from Trueman, same for Brookes Road shiraz, a 56/44% blend respectively, and another selection at the final assemblage to ensure it's the best of the best. Yep that works. It's morphed into a harmonious entity. Complex, detailed on every level with powdery tannins, cassis, dark plums, cured meats and spice, very refreshing, full-bodied, deep and superbly balanced - MUSEUM RELEASE

ICONIC - JH97 - Sourced from the contoured quilt of estate vines, a confluence of silts, loams and ferrous outcrops. A traditional blend of the finest performing blocks and best barrels (50% new). A nose tingling with a visceral energy, such is the mineral-clad spine to this wine. Rich and powerful, to be sure, as the sweetness of shiraz and its blue-fruit aspersions meander across cabernet's bones of finely tuned tannins, dried herb and cedar-oak cladding. Yet the overall effect is one of umami warmth, savoury depth and immense potential. This is an iconic wine and deservedly so.

ASTONISHING - JH97 - Deep, clear crimson colour. Home Hill lays waste around most of its kindred Tasmanian pinot noirs; the bouquet is admirable, but it's the palate that takes you into an astonishing world of plum, dark cherry, spices, licorice (the latter two unlike those of cool-grown shiraz) and ripe tannins.

FAULTLESS - JH97 - Very stable, deep colour; a fine vintage of a very distinguished wine with a great pedigree; faultless blackcurrant cabernet fruit, fine-grained tannins and high-quality oak; very good length.

BEAUTIFUL - JH98 - From the single Justin Vineyard in the Frankland River; this speaks of its place of origin even more eloquently than the Gladstones Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. The cabernet is effortlessly focused and powerful, the balance, texture, structure, line and length of this beautiful wine certain to carry it long after I have had my ashes scattered.

NO COMPROMISE - JH97 - The most powerful and concentrated of all the deluxe/icon wines in the Houghton range, a distillation of blackcurrant, black olive, bay leaf and cedary oak, the tannins lined up in a haughty (sorry for the pun) support. No compromise here - the wine would have pleased Jack Mann enormously.

MAGNIFICIENT - JH98 - From the 48yo Justin Vineyard in Frankland River, includes (as ever) 8% malbec, hand-picked and sorted, small open fermenters, 10 days on skins, wild yeast, matured for 16 months in French barriques (50% new). Magnificent wine. It would make Jack Mann glow with pride and proclaim 'it is resplendent in its generosity'.

OUTLIVES - JH97 - The cabernet shape of the bottle is normal, its weight heavier – appropriate for Jack Mann's belief that no wine was worth its gold unless it could be diluted with 50% water and still enjoyed. This is pure cabernet sauvignon, from a deep well of blackcurrant and black olive fruit, and tannins to make sure the wine outlives you.

GREAT - RP97+ - The 2022 Spring Farm Block 74 Cabernet leads with a bouquet that can only be described as spicy, sophisticated and supple. The wine is from the Spring Farm vineyard, and this block 74 is at 485 meters in elevation, planted to a westerly aspect that catches the afternoon sun. For all the intensity of the aromas, the palate is finer and more detailed than expected—it moves toward "delicate" with unnerving grace, and like a fleet-footed assassin, it sails across the palate with almost weightless impact. This is leafy and fine in the vein of great Clare Valley Cabernet, and it has the added benefit of seamless oak framing. It's a great wine. 13.9% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

BEST - JH97 - From the stellar '21 vintage, the Eligo represents the best of the year and is a split of a range of amazing vineyard sites from the Barossa (62%) and Eden (38%) valleys. It's concentrated and essence-like with deep, resonant blackberry, black cherry and Doris plum fruits with hints of clove, cinnamon, purple flowers, licorice, dark chocolate, cedar, olive tapenade, pan juices and earth. Thick shouldered but balanced and harmonious with melt-in-the-mouth, chocolatey tannins and exceptional length of flavour.

WS 98/100 - Wine-Searcher Critics Scores & Reviews - ?/100 James Suckling - MUSEUM RELEASE

ENDURING - RP97 - I am well documented for loving the warm 2014 Cabernet vintage in Margaret River. So much so, that last year I put out a call in the region to taste all of the Cabernet wines from that season. What I learned that day has continued to reverberate in my mind ever since, and I now see that the region has been pulsing—ebbing and flowing, or expanding and contracting—in its stylistic bounds of Cabernet, and 2014 was a pivotal moment in time that showed us the drinkers, and perhaps even the producers themselves, what the limits of Cabernet could possibly be in this region. The 2014 Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon is red-fruited and effortless-feeling, with an abundance of berries and raspberries, nori and kelp, iodine and crushed shells. It has saline acidity woven throughout, and the fruit possesses a velvety sheen—like the skin of a ripe peach—which plays out across the length of the palate. I like the wine so much, and feel it is one of the best Cabernets produced in the 2014 vintage in Margaret River. The freshness of it is its enduring asset. MUSEUM RELEASE 

WHAT A WINE - JH97 - This was a freak vintage in the hands of many winemakers in WA, capable of power, balance, ripeness and glory. This has pomegranate, red licorice and peppered raspberry. The fruit flavours, while slinky and seductive, are not the major player here. And that is saying something. The key to the brilliance of this wine, like the '14, the '10 and to some extent the '05 before it, is the texture. The tannins. They are tightly woven, very fine and serve to support the fruit and the acid. This wine is built on a stable scaffold of tannin that both cushions the experience and defines it. What a wine.

BEGUILING JH97 - Awesome power, grace, depth and finesse; pure grapefruit, nectarine and peach flesh aromas are framed by complex, toasty, grilled nuts; the palate is amazingly concentrated, yet portrays a lightness that is completely beguiling and incredibly long.

POWER - JH97 - Bright and youthful colour; a complex array of nectarine, grapefruit and spice, particularly cinnamon, is offered on the bouquet; the palate exhibits understated power, with grilled nuts supporting the very generous, yet refined, level of stone fruit and oak; the finish is staggeringly long, fine and complex. The adoption (since 2004) of screwcaps has brought a collective sigh of relief from all of its many admirers.

JEWEL - JH97 - From the three chardonnay blocks on the Family Paddock planted to clones P58, Mendoza and Bernard 95. This is a beautiful wine. It leads with oyster shell and white peach, nectarine and lemon soufflé. Masterful composition with fruit weight and oak complexities skilfully interwoven, currents of salinity fraying the edges of its richness. Poached pear, crystallised ginger, abundance of white florals. Effortless, with great length. The flavours swell and intensify through the mid-palate before a slow and gentle retreat – a jewel in the Levantine crown.

BEST - JH97 - Moss Wood at its best, everything in its right place, perfectly balanced, and speaking of the vineyard, the vintage, the variety and the winemaker with equal conviction. Full purple-crimson; supple blackcurrant fruit is cosseted by superfine, but persistent, tannins and high quality French oak.

DECADES - JH97 - The bouquet shows the first signs of development via nuances of spice and earth. The palate is still bracing and fresh, cassis and redcurrant on the same page. These different personas are simply an intermediate stage before the wine moves on to a lingering plateau that will be measured in decades not years.

GREATNESS - JH98 - Pulsating with sweet fruits and velvety mouthfeel, it only takes a split second for this wine to establish its greatness in the pantheon of cabernet sauvignons grown around the world. The unusual decision to include 7% petit verdot picked at 15.2? baume (cropped more heavily than the cabernet and picked over a week later) doubtless played its part, but its synergy with the cabernet (and a soupçon of 3% cabernet franc) must have given much pleasure and justified pride. Nature being what it is, the cabernet sauvignon yield was 40% down at 4.5t/ha. All in all, though, this is a cabernet to melt a pinot noir addict's heart.

BEST - JH97 - When you’re the flagship, there’s always pressure because you must be the best of the best. Well, take a bow. This harnesses all the power of fruit and winemaking, all seemingly effortlessly, and turns it into an elegant, stunning wine balancing savouriness with fruit. Just the right amount of cassis, mulberries, violets and spicy, cedary oak, nori and menthol and more besides. The palate builds yet stays just shy of fuller bodied with fine-grained tannins, refreshing acidity and superb length. Excellent now and with decades ahead of it. Oh and another accolade, this represents the 50th vintage of the wine. Take another bow

SUPERB - RP97+ - The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is powerful and layered, with a long finish. The tannins are firm, abundant and tightly knit, and they wrap around a core of dark fruit. As the wine sits in the glass longer, the tannins begin to soften and gain suppleness, allowing the fruit and other elements to harmonize further. As this happens, the beauty of the vintage begins to shine through, revealing freshness, energy, balance and drive in equal measure. This is a superb wine, and given all the elements here, it will age wonderfully too. It isn't dense or brooding like some of the other vintages have been; this has detail, life and energy. It is really excellent. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

GREAT - JH97 -  Hand picked, 20% whole-bunch pressed, the balance crushed and destemmed. Matured in French puncheons and barriques (30% new) for 11 months. Interestingly, Mount Mary offers their mailing customers the choice of either Diam 30 or screwcap. A very bright green gold. Smells super with its aromas of perfectly ripened white nectarines, orange blossom and some complex matchstick and oyster shell notes. Powerful and structured on the palate, finishing saline and long. A great and long-lived Mount Mary chardonnay in the making.

PLEASURE - JH97 - 20% whole-bunch pressed, the balance crushed and destemmed. Matured in French puncheons and barriques (30% new) for 11 months. A concentrated Mount Mary Chardonnay where the volume has been turned up in '23! An intense bouquet of white peach, confit lemon, fresh vanilla bean and oyster shells. There's a lot going on and this follows perfectly onto the mouth-filling, powerful, structured and harmonious palate. This will give pleasure for at least 10 if not 15-plus years

AWESOME -JH98 - Bunch-sorted on vibrating tables, Oscillys-destemmed whole berries, 10-14 days on skins, matured 14-18 months in oak (25% new). Not a hair out of place, all the boxes with big ticks. A perfumed bouquet with rose petals and tantalising hints of forest, the vibrantly fresh palate with a diamond-clear stream of red fruits and spices. The length is awesome.

PERFECTLY PITCHED - JH97 - Destemmed and fermented with as many whole berries as possible. Left to soak for four days, pre-fermentation with one pump over per day, then plunged three times per day; 15 months in French barriques (25% new). In a slightly darker fruit spectrum to the 2021. Cherries, stewed quince and spiced raspberries. A little less floral and a little earthier. Great intensity on the suave, concentrated yet perfectly pitched and balanced palate. The tannins superfine and persistent. I'd love to have a few bottles of this in the cellar to open up over the next 10 to 12 years.

PINOT OF THE YEAR - JH98 - 2026 Pinot Noir of the Year. PR writes: Destemmed and fermented with as many whole berries as possible. 15 months in French barriques (25% new). First year using Diam as opposed to natural cork. Bright purple. Youthful with complex aromas of wild strawberry, boysenberry, potpourri, star anise and a little Sichuan pepper, even. Even better on the palate where old vines and low yields have conspired (along with the winemaker, Sam Middleton) to produce a supremely textured, layered and flawlessly balanced wine. The tannins are silky and very persistent, and this will be worth both the money and time for those that still have some 10–20 years from now.

SUPER - RP97+ - The 2019 Quintet was served to us at dinner in Yarraglen this week, and it looked impossibly fresh and red fruited on that night. In the line-up here today, the warm season has given the wine a density and gravitas, but it does it with a surge of buoyancy and density at the same time. The wine is black-fruited as opposed to red here, but with ruby inflections. It has a super pleasurable feel in the mouth. 13% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

UNFORCED - RP98 - It's no secret that the Quintet is one of my favorite Cabernet blends in Australia. I collect a few bottles for my cellar each year because of three reasons: they speak of site and place eloquently and gracefully, they age in the same manner, and despite every and any season, the dry-grown vines prevail. I love the vintage variation through the lens of house style; these are natural feeling, unforced vineyard wines and a proud statement of what is possible in the world of global Cabernet, and Australian Cabernet more specifically.

GREAT - RP97 -  The 2022 Quintet comes from the estate vineyard planted in 1971 in Coldstream, Yarra Valley. The vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Franc (15%), Malbec (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%), and this more or less reflects the final cépage each year—though it is also dependent on vintage conditions, fruit set, etc. Aromatically, the wine leads with milk chocolate, cassis, tobacco and blood, with layers of dried herbs, cinnamon cassia, raspberry seed and something minty in the echelon of star anise and fennel—even delicately pushing to aniseed. As per usual, the tannins feel effortless and naturally forged, inducing movement and chew while drinking. This is a silky, seamless wine and is routinely one of my favorite Australian wines each year. Each of the varieties were picked and fermented separately and kept on the skins for about two weeks. The wine matured for 22 months in a variety of French oak: 30% new barriques, 25% in large format (1,500 liters or larger), with the balance in two- to five-year-old barriques. The wine has a firmness through the tail end of the finish, which for me puts it slightly behind the previous vintage in terms of quality but does nothing to dent the space it occupies in my heart. This is a great wine and a great producer. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork.

JOY - RP97 - The 2023 Quintet is, like every other Quintet I've tasted in my life, pure joy. The wine is famous for its fine frame and floral aromatics, its ability to age what feels interminably and its unfettered expression of this corner of the Yarra Valley—Coldstream. While the cooler season of 2023 has shaped some of the elements of the wine, it remains true to its site and leaves a gentle cedar note trail through the memory. It has more pomegranate and cherry than cassis or blackberry, along with notes of violets, bay leaf and star anise even. It is a beautiful wine, one of my favorite Cabernets in this country. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under Diam cork.

PERFECT - JH97 - Progressively hand-picked with three passes through the vineyard, picking only the perfect bunches, destemmed and crushed to open fermenters for a brief cold soak, fermentation for 7 days, matured in large-format French oak (30% new) for 18 months. From the oldest vines in the Block range, and the lightest colour; ultra classic Hunter Valley shiraz with savoury/earthy/spicy undertones to the medium-bodied blue and black fruits of the palate, contributing as much to the structure and texture of the wine as to the flavour.

OLDER-SCHOOL - JH97 - This is the first time this wine is a more or less current release, with prior examples having a museum schedule. This saw 15% new French oak, with the balance in seasoned barrels; about two years in total élevage. A wine like this, a reserve, old-vine bottling, can often lean towards opulence and lavish oak, but not so here. There’s an engaging transparency, a transmission of site, of struck rock and kicked earth across blackberry, compressed raspberry and soused black cherries, along with anise, crushed bay leaf and iron. There is an older-school feel. Not the days of plump and power, but rather back further, back to a simpler, truer expression, unfussed, savoury, yet still enveloping. It’s a wine of real poise, presence and sense of place

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience 2026 - Drink now – 2035  -Medium-deep crimson. Intense blackberry jam, cassis, dark chocolate aromas with tobacco leaf aromas. Beautifully concentrated blackberry jam, cassis, dark chocolate, fine chalky tannins and lovely minerally acidity. Sinewy firm at the finish. Buoyant Claret style. 13.5% alc Maturation in 20% new and 80% seasoned French oak hogsheads.

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience 2026 - Drink now – 2038 - Deep crimson. Fresh dark plum, espresso, roasted walnut, vanillin aromas with black liquorice, hint herb notes. Velvety smooth wine with ample dark plum, roasted coffee, vanillin flavours, fine chocolaty tannins and superbly integrated acidity. Builds up Claret-firm and minerally. “Holding its shape well with the fruit comfortably showing secondary characters and the tannins woven neatly through.” (NR) A superb Penfolds vintage. 14.5% alc 12 months’ maturation in American oak (25% new, 25% seasoned) and French oak (25% new, 25% seasoned).

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now – 2045 - Deep crimson. Attractive dark chocolate, blackberry, bush garrigue, hint wax polish aromas. Generous and inky deep wine with classical Penfolds chocoberry fruits, some roasted walnut/espresso notes, fine slinky tannins, lovely mid-palate buoyancy and well-integrated mineral acidity. Chocolaty firm with liquorice notes at the finish. “Restrained richness, a dark earthiness and tight tannin weave. Muscular but not muscle bound.” (NR) Drinking really well now, but should continue to evolve. 14.5% alc 12 months’ maturation in American oak (25% new, 25% seasoned) and French oak (25% new, 25% seasoned). Rewards of Patience 2026

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now – 2035 - Medium-deep crimson. Espresso, dark plum, blackberry aromas with sage/herb garden notes. Roasted coffee, black cherry, blackberry flavours, fine slinky tannins, attractive mid-palate richness and fresh long mineral acidity. A touch earthy dry at the finish. “The wine seems a touch hollowed out, all elbows, not enough heart.” (NR) At its peak of development. 14.5% alc Barossa Valley (45%), McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Langhorne Creek12 months’ maturation in American oak (25% new, 25% seasoned) and French oak (25% new, 25% seasoned). Rewards of Patience 2026

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR  - Drink now – 2045 - Deep crimson. A classical Bin 389 vintage. Fragrant dark cherry, praline, hint liquorice aromas with brambly undertones. Deep-set dark cherry, dark chocolate, liquorice all-sorts flavours, ample firm chalky/grippy/ cedar tannins and underlying marzipan, roasted chestnut notes. Finishes grippy with aniseed notes. A plume of tannin at the finish. Super density and torque. Brilliant wine. 14.5% alc “A more sinewy, sleek, expression with red berry fruits, panforte, espresso notes and some meatiness and red earth. Tightly woven with some leather and the fiery breath of the forge.” (NR) 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Shiraz Barossa Valley (37%), Langhorne Creek, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Robe, Clare Valley. Rewards of Patience 2026

BARGAIN - JH97 - Deep, dense crimson-purple; the profound bouquet offers every kind of black fruits imaginable, large and small, yet somehow leaves a space and air in the mix for more complex secondary characters to emerge given time - lots of it. The palate takes all this, and adds to it with barrel ferment characters introducing licorice and touches of wild herb. This wine fully lives up to the great expectations held of it (and the vintage). Arguably the bargain of the release

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience 2026 - Drink now – 2038 - Deep crimson. Intense and lifted blackberry, mocha with leafy/bush garrigue hint sage aromas. Voluminous and richly flavoured with black cherry, blackberry leafy flavours and fine graphite tannins. Builds to a chocolaty firm/leafy finish. Glossy, chewy and vigorous, with some years to go! 14.5% alc 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Shiraz Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Robe, Padthaway

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now - Medium-deep crimson. Classical cassis, red cherry, roasted chestnut, melted dark chocolate aromas with beautiful herb garden/hint eucalyptus notes. Fresh blackcurrant pastille roasted chestnut, praline flavours, fine loose-knit slinky tannins, attractive mid-palate volume and well-integrated quartz acidity. In lovely condition, with superb complexity and flow. “Nearly four decades of cellaring haven’t diminished its Cabernet Sauvignon essence; its mature, sweet blackberry flavours appear even livelier against the refreshing eucalyptus.” (AM) 13.5% alc Padthaway (27%), Coonawarra, McLaren Vale 8 months’ maturation in 94% American oak (39% new) and seasoned American and French oak. WS 98/100 - Non Vintage Tasted: Jan 2008 The intriguing bouquet offers aromas that include leather, candle wax, flax and earthy scents of moss, grass, stone and damp soil. Entry is lusciously ripe and intensely grapy; the midpalate features the ripe grape element. Finishes satiny and stone-like. Delicious. Rewards of Patience 2026

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now - 2040 - Medium-deep crimson. Black cherry, blackcurrant, dark chocolate hint marzipan/vanilla aromas with a touch of tobacco leaf. Richly concentrated palate with gorgeously dense cassis, blackberry pastille, dark chocolate flavours, supple chocolaty tannins, superb mid-palate viscosity. Finishes chocolaty firm with liquorice/tobacco notes. “Surprisingly youthful, boasting rich mature compact blackberry black cherry notes, a robust tannin structure and heat at the finish. There’s a hint of audacity: an uninhibited confidence. A rare gem of the 1990s.” (AM) In a beautiful spot, but should continue to develop. 14% alc Coonawarra (33%), Padthaway, Bordertown, McLaren Vale 12 months’ maturation in 12% new French oak, 11% new American oak, and 77% in seasoned American and French oak. Rewards of Patience 2026

BUY WITH CONFIDENCE - Penfolds Recorking Clinic Certified 

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now – 2045 - Deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, blackcurrant, mulberry hint roasted almond, vanilla aromas. Plush supple and smooth with ripe cassis, praline, mocha roasted chestnut/marzipan demi-glace flavours, fine chocolaty textures. Finishes graphite firm with crunchy dark berry fruits. “A plushness that doesn’t obscure the wine’s architectural detail. Gorgeously composed and sitting assuredly in a good spot.” (NR) 13.3% alc “Gloriously expressive with pure blackcurrant fruits, backed by tar and topped by gently heady floral notes. Harmonious, captivating, and enticing, with finesse, focus, and freshness. The fruit glides across the finishing line and then does a lap of honour.” (NB) Rewards of Patience 2026

Coonawarra (53.5%), Barossa Valley, Eden Valley 

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience 2026 - Drink now – 2048   Deep crimson. Intense black cherry, blackcurrant, vanilla, hint marzipan, polished leather, rose petal aromas. Velvety-textured wine with abundant black cherry, blackcurrant, chinotto flavours, lovely inky density, fine giant cedar tannins. Finishes firm and tight. Lovely richness, volume, and torque. "Not fully resolved, but the wine grows and unfurls in the glass, showing that it has a long way ahead of it." (JA) 13.3% alc "Smells divine with its milk chocolate, blackcurrants, roses, mint, sweet spice, cherries, and cola aromas. It's not a showstopper, but the balance of fruitiness, acidity, and mineral grip carry a sense of quiet confidence. A charming and characterful wine." (GH) Coonawarra (34%), Kalimna, Padthaway, Barossa Valley, and McLaren Vale

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now –2050 - Deep crimson. “Fresh, ripe and exuberant” (NR) blackberry, mocha liquorice aromas with vanilla roasted almond, panforte notes. A richly concentrated palate with smooth blackberry, cassis, praline flavours, well-balanced mocha, vanilla, roasted almond (new oak) notes, persistent fine-grained tannins and fresh long mineral acidity. Finishes cedary/chewy firm. Powerful, generous, and complex with lovely volume, flow, and length. In its prime, but should last another two decades at least. 13.5% alc “Crushed rose petals and peony on the nose with a faint blush of heat. A low hum of energy and momentum through the palate; pomegranate and mandarin peel alongside the more classic cassis/ blackberry fruit and liquorice. This has so much crackle to it and the tannins feel resolved and elongated. At that beautiful tipping point between young and old.” (JA) Coonawarra (40%), Padthaway, Kalimna, McLaren Vale, and Bordertown  Rewards of Patience 2026

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR -  Drink now–2045 - Deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, black cherry, meaty, dark chocolate, vanilla, liquorice aromas. Inky deep blackcurrant dark cherry chinotto fruits, slinky dry textures, underlying mocha, chocolate, marzipan notes and fresh crispy acidity. Firm al dente finish with mineral notes. “Naturally expressive with clear limpid fruits, poised acidity and supported by perfectly polished fine-grained tannins. Great structural refinement.” (NB) Bittersweet but voluminous wine with lovely energy and persistency. 13.5% alc “Panforte, espresso, plum paste, and berry compote. A decadent and indulgent Bin 707. All bells and whistles, but not a cacophony. A wine still very much about flesh, rather than framework.” (NR) Coonawarra (52%), Padthaway, McLaren Vale, and Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley)   Rewards of Patience 2026

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR- Drink now–2050 - Deep crimson. Lovely fresh inky dark chocolate, cassis, mulberry, sage, espresso aromas with grilled nuts and liquorice. Richly concentrated and Penfoldsian in style with beautiful blackcurrant, mocha cedar flavours, fine chocolaty tannins and lovely mineral/graphite length. Finishes chalky firm with plentiful dark berry fruits, some new oak notes and traces of eucalypt. “Coiled and reserved, but full and forward. There’s absolute finesse here with a real sense of class.” (GH) Still youthful, with decades ahead of it. A great vintage. 14.5% alc “Cherry chocolate, mulberry, and cassis with a little violet and leaf. Relatively transparent with a framework of fine prismatic tannins, tensile acidity, and a deft draping of flesh giving a beautifully lithe shape.” (NR) Barossa Valley (49%), Coonawarra, and Adelaide Hills - Rewards of Patience 2026

BALANCE - JH97 - Deep, dark red, the wine has an extremely complex and varietally expressive bouquet, its fragrant scents having a pinot noir-like allure, drawing you back repeatedly. The blackcurrant and cassis palate is a seamless extension of the bouquet, with extreme length and such impeccable balance it hovers on the edge of outright elegance.

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience 2026 - Drink now – 2045  Medium-deep crimson. Inky dark chocolate, panforte, black cherry aromas with roasted coffee, roasted walnut notes. Concentrated black cherry pastille, cassis, praline, mocha flavours, plentiful slinky/chalky tannins, lovely mid-palate viscosity and underlying liquorice, star anise notes. Finishes chocolaty firm. "A lip-smacking salinity offsets some of the riper notes, making this a fascinating wine." (MJ) A classical Grange vintage with the opulence and balance further ageing. 13.5% alc "Peter Gago's first red-wine vintage" [as Penfolds oenologist]. "Blackish garnet. Crushed ants and blackberries. Such excitement compressed in here! Dry finish, but with ink and fruit, this should eventually be a great drink. Very long finish. So impressive!" 89% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra 

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience 2026 - Drink now – 2050 Deep crimson. Lifted sea breezy dark chocolate, black cherry, quartz, liquorice aromas with hints of orange peel and spice. Classically structured and voluminous with ample dark chocolate, blackberry, spice flavours, superb chocolaty/velvety textures and underlying roasted walnut panforte notes. Finishes chocolaty and smooth. "Heady and rich. Sweet and flattering. A rich jewel. Tight but rewarding." (JR) A standout Grange vintage. 14% alc "Mulberries and plums, some cherry liqueur and dark chocolate. Panforte and coffee cream. It's the texture that impresses here, an almost obscene satiny plushness that's never overblown or excessive, just so seductively luxurious. The tannins emerge slowly but surely through the wine, wrap it up tight, and pull it down through a long, assured finish." (NR) 94% Shiraz, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Magill Estate (Adelaide) Maturation of Grange temporarily discontinued at Magill.

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now–2060 - Deep crimson. Classic pure blackberry dark chocolate, mocha aromas with hint of panforte/fresh tobacco/ liquorice. Beautifully concentrated blackberry, dark chocolate flavours, velvety/chalky firm textures and fresh long aniseed notes. Finishes crisp and chocolaty with sumptuous dark berry fruits. “The oak sits down in the glass, and the tannins are mesmeric, respectful, and well marshalled. It needs a decade, but it is already looking perfectly well balanced.” (MJ) 14.5% alc “Brambly fruit, some very dark chocolate, a panoply of dark, woody spices. Power and presence, comfortable in its skin. It’s built on a framework of ironstone and slate; it’s finely layered and drives through the palate with undeviating momentum.” (NR) 97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate (Adelaide), and Padthaway  Rewards of Patience 2026

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now–2060 - Deep crimson. A touch more evolved than 1998. Lovely inky dark chocolate, dark berry, cigar box, liquorice aromas with rose petal notes. Classical Grange palate with ample dark chocolate, panforte, dark cherry, blackberry fruits, brambly/chocolaty/dusty tannins and well-balanced mocha roasted walnut oak notes. Finishes firm and minerally. “Complex nose with many fresh layers. Dry finish. Hint of camphor.” (JR) A famous Grange vintage, but more recent tastings see the 1998 vintage remaining slightly ahead in the long-distance race. 14% alc “Astonishingly luxurious and perfectly formed wine with floral spice top notes beginning to emerge from the intense dark fruits. Creamy almost syrupy but far from heavy with animating, energising acidity lightly wrapped. This is still nascent and many years away from its high plateau.” (NB) 100% Shiraz Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate (Adelaide), McLaren Vale, and Padthaway  Rewards of Patience 2026

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now–2050 - Deep crimson. Fresh raspberry pastille, black cherry, dark chocolate aromas with liquorice, herb garden notes. Generous raspberry, black cherry, blackberry fruits, lovely flowing chocolaty tannins, attractive mid-palate richness and well-balanced mocha, panforte notes. A lovely slinky graphite plume at the finish. “Cool and understated on the nose, but so bright, intentional and generous in the mouth. This wine gives and gives and gives.” (TC). 14.5% alc “Deep blackish-blueish crimson. Super-correct Grange nose. Still quite restrained with no shortage of tannins, but surely this is going to be classic! Such freshness and vitality!” (JR) 98.5% Shiraz, 1.5% Cabernet SauvignonKalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley) and Barossa Valley  Rewards of Patience 2026

PERFEFT 21ST Birthday PRESENT 

POWERFFUL - JH98 - Deep crimson; its bouquet has a strikingly complex array of black characters that run all the way from the first whiff to the finish and aftertaste: licorice, tar, bitter chocolate, blackberry, prune and plum. The tannins are prominent, and play their part with each successive sip of the steadily building impact on the very long palate, but they are in balance with the fruit and oak of an extremely powerful Grange.

DECADENT -RP100 - Very deep garnet-purple in color the 2008 Grange reveals a truly decadent nose with tons of spices, fruit cake and black & blue fruit compote notes along with nuances of chocolate and potpourri. The full and rich, multi-layered palate has a little oak still showing, it is going through a little bit of a structural stand-out stage, but it doesn't detract on the long and complex finish. It still needs a good few years to develop, though this very opulent, expressive Grange shows the very best of this vintage and the vineyards it hails from.

EXTRAORDINARY - RP99 - This wine comes with high expectations—as does the vintage. The 2018 vintage across South Australia (and cheekily, we could probably extend the accolade to all of Australia) was excellent. It was warm, but without incident, and responsible for powerfully ripe, serious wines. Many producers made some of their best wines in this vintage. So here, to the 2018 Grange: there is spiced raspberry, lashings of salted licorice, red curry paste, layers of forest berries, rendered lamb fat and crushed pink peppercorns to start. In the mouth, the tannins close around the fruit with the same polish and seamlessness as the 2008, possibly the 2004? Very different vintages, but there is a textural similarity for me. This is polished and glossy and so very pretty. It contains 3% Cabernet Sauvignon this year, and 69% Barossa, 18% McLaren Vale and the balance from Clare Valley. Each of the regions brings with it its own characteristics. Barossa brings the red dirt, blood, deli meat and rust. McLaren Vale brings the plush purple fruits with a side of meat and licorice. Clare brings the polish, the opulence and the velvet texture. With their powers combined, this is an extraordinary Grange. One of the true greats, which will only get better as it ages.

GREAT - JH98 - A blend of 97/3% shiraz/cabernet sauvignon; matured for 20 months in 100% new American oak. As Peter Gago says, "Penfolds' 180th anniversary year, following a series of stellar Grange vintages in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 ... No pressure." He needn't have worried. The 2020 release is stunning. Its heady concentration and initial rush of formic herald its arrival. There's a singularity of aroma and flavour in strong Grange releases and that is certainly the case here. Deep-set blackberry, black plum and black cherry fruits of great intensity. Hints of brandied fruits, blackforest cake, dark chocolate, licorice, graphite, roasting meats, fruitcake spice, sandalwood, oak spice and turned earth. Densely packed and strong of character with a cascade of fine tannin and plenty of muscular swagger as the wine slowly tapers off with a vapour trail of black fruits, baking spices and earth. A great Grange release.

 PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Rewards of Patience - Drink now to 2040 - Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark chocolate, blackberry shellac, hazelnut and herb garden aromas with cola, dust and graphite notes. Inky textured but substantial with developed dark chocolate, blackberry, hazelnut and crème brûlée flavours and red liquorice notes. Plentiful fine lacy textures, attractive inky complexity and extra-fine acidity. Finishes chalky with apricot and graphite notes. 94 percent shiraz, 6 percent cabernet sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate and Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide). “Powerful and expressive with smoky dried cherry, blueberry, espresso aromas, superb richness, spicy sweet oak notes and fine persistent tannins.” (JR) “Lovely lifted spice nose and a graceful elegant palate with many layers of spice cake, mulberry, coffee and cocoa.” (FW)

PENFOLDS FIVE STAR - Drink now–2035 - D Medium-deep crimson. Intense red cherry, cassis, crème caramel, roasted coffee aromas with liquorice, spice aromas. Layered and deeply set with concentrated red cherry, blackcurrant pastille, toffee, espresso flavours, plentiful fine grippy tannins and well-balanced mocha, vanilla, roasted chestnut, touch bourbon notes. Finishes chocolaty and long with strawberry nuances. “The tannins will protect this wine for many years, but catch this vintage earlier rather than later to wallow in the fabulous fruit.” (MJ) Still holding up very well. 13.8% alc “Very hot year with rain in early March. Blackish crimson. Comfortable, toasty nose. Rich and sumptuous. Really glorious, rich and deep-flavoured, with heady layers. Not unlike a Bordeaux 1989. Complete.” (JR) 91% Shiraz, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, and McLaren Vale The last vintage labelled as Grange Hermitage; future vintages are released as “Grange”. While not considered a standout vintage at release, its inherent Grange bloodlines and longevity have emerged over time. A classic dark horse.  Rewards of Patience 2026