Sourced only from the Barossa Valley, RWT is aged exclusively in French oak, giving it two major points of difference from the rest of the Penfolds range. Always a sexy, voluptuous wine (and admittedly a personal favorite), the 2018 RWT Shiraz ratchets that up to new heights in a great Barossa vintage, boasting layers of berry-like fruit, refined vanilla shadings and baking-spice notes, plus more exotic elements like star anise and cocoa powder. It's full-bodied and plush without being unstructured in any way, with a lingering, complex finish and the concentration to age two decades or more.
98 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Jul 2020)
This full-bodied shiraz spent 16 months in French hogsheads (64% new, 36% 1yo). The red winemaking team at Penfolds has the game by the throat here. It's flashy, it's opulent, its depth of black fruits and surrounds of oak and tannins sweep away any resistance. But beware of the pea and thimble trick – it needs at least 10 years to let you come up for air.
97 points, James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (Aug 2021)
This wine offers layers of appealing aromas straight off the bat, from black cherry and currant to cedar, mocha, graphite, herbs and black olive. Concentrated yet impeccably balanced, the palate is smudged by savory tannins while spice and dark berry flavors weave seamlessly together. This delivers power and polish. Drink now–2040.
96 points, Christina Pickard, Wine Enthusiast (Dec 2021)
This has a very attractively fresh, showy feel to the nose with aromas of ripe red cherries, blackberries, goji berries and redcurrants, as well as red plums and some wild-herb and licorice notes on offer, too. Very expressive and fragrant. The palate has a super intense and powerful delivery of ripe red-cherry and plum flavors and immaculately fresh French oak (64% new) that really clasps and holds the finish long. The tannins are so ripe and well positioned. Drink over two decades.
96 points, James Suckling (Sep 2020)
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