"Really impressive already, with more to come; the star buy from this year’s collection." - Decanter
There's not much we can or need to say about Penfolds' latest iteration of their smash-hit, best-selling Shiraz. The 2023 Penfolds Bin 28 picks up right where all the previous vintages left off with a sterling critical line that includes stout praise from all corners. This wine is always a quintessential expression of Aussie Shiraz, thanks to Penfolds' complete mastery of their vineyards and winemaking. As always, everything is so impeccably balanced and composed that it's still a shock how good the Bin 28 is when you consider its sub-$25 price. All the components work in such harmony that it's easy to lose sight of what a value it is, to the point where it's not just delicious now, but it will also cruise for a long time in the cellar. When was the last time you spent $25 on a wine you'll still be enjoying ten or 15 years from now? Exactly. So make some room in the cellar and load up, because the 2023 Bin 28 is a hit for fans of Penfolds and any great Australian Shiraz.
And in case you missed it the first time around, we have not one, not two, but three soon-to-be legendary vintages of Australia's greatest wine, Penfolds Grange, at some of the sharpest prices in the market. Leading off, the 2018 Penfolds Grange is set to be an all-time masterpiece from one of South Australia's great modern vintages. Its perfect score from James Suckling is complemented by huge, near-perfect praise from every other critic of note – Erin Larkin of Wine Advocate (99 points), Angus Hughson of Vinous (98 points), and MaryAnn Worobiec of Wine Spectator (98 points) to name just a few.
Next, the 2019 Penfolds Grange is a 98-point, "epic wine that doesn't quit" per Wine Spectator's Worobiec, and a trio of 97-point reviews further bolster its classic appeal. Dave Brookes of Halliday Wine Companion notes, "Weighty and concentrated with classic Grange density of fruit and tannin; persistent, texturally flexing and long of finish. As per usual will cellar like a dream."
Rounding out the trifecta, from what many consider the vintage of a lifetime, the 2021 Penfolds Grange is a top candidate to achieve perfection once it reaches its prime. A pair of 99-point scores from Decanter and Halliday Wine Companion (as well as a trio of 98s from Advocate, Suckling, and Spectator) sing its praises. The bottom line is, if you collect the world's great wines, those transcendental bottlings that stand alone in their own hierarchy, Grange is a must-have for your cellar. There are few rewards greater than a legendary Grange at its peak.
A robust Grange from a lauded vintage, this wields sheer power with such compelling prowess. Uncompromising Grange. There are rich blackberries and plums on offer, together with brazen oak and abundant notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, charcoal, cola and hard brown spices. So fleshy and intense. Dark-chocolate and cocoa-powder aromas and flavors here, too. The tannins are polished and long, extruding deep into the finish and holding endlessly. Dark chocolate, black cherry, dark plum and more. Impressive. Brazen. One of the great Granges that will drink magnificently for decades to come.
100 points, James Suckling (Dec 2022)
Composed of 97% Shiraz with a 3% splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Grange was sourced from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Clare Valley. It was aged for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads (slightly larger than the classic Bordeaux barriques). It sports an opaque purple-black color, while the nose begins as an impenetrable wall of blueberry pie and blackberry preserves. Patience and vigorous swirling eventually unlock an underlying perfume of Indian spices, cedar chest, sassafras, fragrant soil, and cracked black peppercorns, with slowly emerging wafts of licorice, charcuterie, and rose oil. The assertive, full-bodied palate is taut and muscular, featuring very firm, super tight-knit tannins and seamless acidity, finishing long, long, long. Undoubtedly one of the great modern era Granges, this 2018 is like a hypothetical blend of the concentrated, powerful 2013, albeit with the latent expressiveness of the fabulously opulent, flamboyant 2008. Try to keep your hands off this multifaceted powerhouse for 10-15 years and then drink it over the next 50 years+ or bequeath it to your favored next of kin.
100 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent (Jul 2022)
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.
99 points, Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate (Jul 2022)
Inky, bright-rimmed violet. A kaleidoscopic, penetrating bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruit preserves, espresso, cola, incense, coconut and Moroccan spices, along with a smoky mineral topnote. Shows superb clarity and mineral lift to the sweet, deeply concentrated black currant, bitter cherry, dark chocolate, fruitcake and mocha flavors, which are sharpened by a spicy element. A vein of juicy acidity adds support and drives a wonderfully long, smoky finish that leaves a suave floral note behind.
98 points, Josh Raynolds, Vinous (Sep 2022)
A remarkable wine, bursting with complexity and intensity but on a polished, mouthcoating and juicy frame, which makes this easy to enjoy now. Features chicory, sarsaparilla, dark chocolate and salted caramel notes that mingle with ripe black cherry, framboise and huckleberry flavors, backed by hints of almond paste and savory details of cured meat and fresh-crushed rosemary that linger on the epic finish. Drink now through 2045. 426 cases imported.
98 points, MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator (Dec 2022)
The latest release, from the warm '18 vintage, of Penfolds's most iconic wine delivers on all it promises. Even sans decanting, it promptly fills the nose with a multitude of aromas, from black cherry and lightly grilled plums to dark chocolate and cracked black pepper; from roasting herbs and spices (think bay leaf, rosemary, thyme and dried mint), to a polished glean of well-integrated oak. The palate is powerful, in a dignified way, with a sculpted shape, fine, chalky tannins and persistent flavor. Decades of age await, but if well decanted and well paired, it's drinking remarkably beautifully now.
98 points, Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast (Mar 2023)
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