Wine Advocate (96)

The 2016 Shiraz Magill Estate aged in 100% new oak (70% French and 30% American), which has left its cedary, vanilla mark on the wine, but in a balanced, harmonious way. It's a full-bodied wine, with big berry fruit and lavish oak, yet those components are wonderfully judged, coming together in a fine, elegant wine that showcases the brand's home estate in the Adelaide suburbs. With only 15 cases for the United States, it will be tough to track down.

Vinous (94)

Opaque violet color. Potent, spice-accented aromas of dark berry compote, cola, and potpourri, with a vanilla nuance gaining strength with air. Fleshy, palate-staining dark berry flavors show excellent depth and definition, with spicecake and candied violet notes adding complexity. Weighty, sweet and powerful on a finish that features floral and star anise elements.

Wine Advocate (92+)

Medium-deep garnet purple in color, the 2012 RWT Shiraz is going through a closed stage. The nose reveals youthful blackberries and wood aromas with some baking spices and Provence herbs. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant, quite pretty and fine, then finishes clean.

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2020 RWT Shiraz Bin 798 is a powerhouse of bloody fruit and firm tannin. It veritably explodes from the blocks, showing plum skin, raspberry leaf, blackberry, mulberry, lashings of salted licorice and rendered lamb fat. I am coming to love (in a big and serious way) the Barossa Shiraz' bottlings from 2020—the year was significantly down in yields, warm and dry, and responsible for wines of muscle, density and gravitas. So, too, for this wine. Excellent.

Matthew Jukes (19.5+)

Peter Gago explained that on 20th December, the temperature peaked at 45.6C, yet these vines dealt perfectly with this extreme challenge. In fact, I think it emboldened these vines, giving them a serious depth of flavour and darkness that opens onto a phenomenal array of black fruit and density, and it is packed with awesome power, and yet it is so refreshing and lifted on the finish it defies belief! Compact yet massive, overwhelmingly grand and delicately perfumed, this is an incredible RWT with a very long life ahead of it. This is an unmissable wine for serious collectors in this release.

Wine Spectator (95)

Aromatic, complex and silky, slipping in its gorgeous blackberry, currant and plum fruit against a seething background of toast, spice, mineral and loamy earth. The texture is seamless, and the flavors just take off, sailing through the long, expressive finish. Best from 2011 through 2020. 1,000 cases imported. -HS

Wine Advocate (97+)

Very deep purple-black in color and showing an attractive nose of warm blackcurrants, blueberries and licorice with a complex undercurrent of mocha, cedar, menthol and grilled meat, the full-bodied 2010 St Henri Shiraz is relatively rich in the mouth, offering tons of fruit structured by firm, fine tannins and refreshing acid. It finishes with great persistence. Drink it 2015 to 2030+.

Wine Advocate (96+)

The 2012 Shiraz St Henri is very impressive with its elegant, sophisticated and well-crafted expression of this superb vintage. As always, there is no new oak employed here, simply 50+ year old large oak vats. This vintage has a dollop (3%) Cabernet Sauvignon, contributing a lovely cassis lift to the heady perfume. Deep garnet-purple colored, it displays a gorgeous nose of commendable purity and intensity with notes of red and blackcurrants, freshly crushed blackberries, menthol, cinnamon stick, bacon fat and cloves. Rich and already expressive on the palate, it is nonetheless built for the long haul with firm, ripe and grainy tannins carrying the fruit to a long and layered finish. This should be a long-lived St Henri that should cellar gracefully for at least 2 decades.

Jancis Robinson (18)

Thick deep purple. Refined, really complex nose. Super-ripe purple fruit and lovely polish. So clean and fresh on the end. Suave and velvety. Complete. Lightly salty and beautifully smooth yet with masses of tannins underneath.

James Suckling (98)

This is a much anticipated vintage for St. Henri, and it does not disappoint. The complexity of fruit here is stunning, together with a very complex and playfully fragrant, spicy edge with graphite, roasted coffee and woody spices, framing a core of very fresh blackberries, red and dark cherries and blueberries. So fresh and brimming with fruit aromas. The palate has a stunning array of deeply fleshy fruit flavors with a superb sense of length and powerful, ripe tannin, underpinning vibrant, fleshy fruit that is beautifully assembled in a refined, elegant and impressively pure mode. So long and pure. Silky and elegant. A real masterpiece, taking its place among the finest vintages like 2010, 1990 and 1971. 95% shiraz and 5% cabernet sauvignon. Drink over the next three decades.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Port Lincoln, Robe, Padthaway, Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills fruit. Matured 12 months in 50+yo vats. The effortless, unassuming self-assuredness of St Henri holds a unique and beloved place in the assemblage of Penfolds heroes, and 2018 marks a particularly special release. Accomplished, spicy, glossy black fruits of grand integrity unfold to magnificent effect in the glass, contrasting a fine-boned frame of rigid yet graceful, powder-fine tannins that carry a finish of long-lingering line and alluring appeal. I look forward to spectating from the sidelines as its fruit slowly unfurls over the decades to come. An adorable St Henri that exemplifies all that this label stands for.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

68/32% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz, from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, Robe and the Clare Valley. Parcels matured separately for 22 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads; 1400 cases. Stature, power and might. The framework of cabernet in the presence of 100% new American oak hogsheads projects a 707esque presence, within which a one-third inclusion of shiraz builds dramatic palate depth and intrigue. It is as if all the grandeur of 707, Grange and 389 have been united in one dramatic whole. The result delivers structural endurance, a grand display of monumental fruit and a line and length that hark back to the glory days of Bin 60A and all the subsequent legends of Penfolds cabernet shiraz. Superblend, A-class indeed!

Wine Advocate (96)

Gently toasted almond and subtle pencil shavings give some indication of the 35% new French oak that was used to age the 2016 Chardonnay Yattarna. Ripe peach, pear and melon fruit fills out the medium to full-bodied palate, then really grows in intensity and focus on the long finish. This is the most complete Yattarna I've ever tasted, blending richness and acidity in a seamless fashion. It's a blend of fruit from Tasmania (51%), Henty (23%), Adelaide Hills (14%) and Tumbarumba (12%).

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

57/32/11% Tasmania/Tumbarumba/Adelaide Hills fruit. Matured 8 months in 55% new French oak barriques. The tension, endurance and sheer molecular detail of Yattarna propels it to the pinnacle of Australia’s pointy chardonnay pyramid, and 2019 follows confidently in the hallowed footsteps of the sublime 2018. This is a vintage that demands a great deal of time to unfurl. Tight, compact, focused and immensely determined, it leads out in its virile youth with the finest struck flint and gunpowder. A pinpoint singularity of white-fruit precision focuses a laser line of pure white acidity that projects from its core through a finish of astounding line, length and promise. Powder-fine, crystalline minerality surges long and strong. Another epic Yattarna. Vintage on vintage, has Yattarna now ascended to become Penfolds' greatest wine of all?

Emanating regality from Adelaide Hills, Australia, Petaluma Chardonnay 2015 strikingly exemplifies artful winemaking. This esteemed Chardonnay is crafted by Petaluma's master winemakers, a producer celebrated for its commitment to premium quality, sustainability, and viticulture rooted in the region's unique character. The grapes are scrupulously handpicked from distinguished vineyards, ensuring only optimal fruit is selected for this sophisticated varietal.

Extended lees maturation, followed by nine months in French oak-barrels, establishes Petaluma Chardonnay 2015's radiant depth and complexity. This process imparts notes of white peach, fresh pear, and smoky oak, culminating in a luminous finish. Its fine, textured palate echoes sublime elegance with its perfectly balanced acidity.

Renowned wine critics affirm its pedigree, lauding the invigorating freshness and intensity intertwined in the Petaluma Chardonnay 2015. Drinking magnificently now, this remarkable Chardonnay will continue to evolve majestically over the next decade. It's a testimony to Petaluma's definitive craft of exemplary wines.

The esteemed Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay 2013 embodies the finest manifestation of Australian terroir. Hailing from the hilly viticultural landscape of the Adelaide Hills, this singular wine is renowned for its precision and complexity. The winemakers at Petaluma drew upon their deep knowledge of the Piccadilly Valley's cool, crisp growing conditions to craft this Chardonnay. The grapes were hand-picked and nurtured using traditional methods, including wild yeast fermentation and regular hand stirring of lees to enhance complexity and texture.

The Petaluma Tiers Chardonnay 2013 broadcasts a vibrant array of green apple and white peach flavours, encapsulated by an irresistible flinty minerality. Its exquisite acidity and generous oak maturation result in a delicately layered, structural wine which lingers on the palate. Truly, it is a testament to Petaluma's commitment to expressing the idiosyncratic character of their cool climate vineyards through years of refined skill and artistry.

James Suckling (98)

This has really transformed into a complex, bottle-matured riesling with lemon-rind, lemon-butter and toasty aromas. The palate is very smoothly arranged and the wine has taken on a glossy textural quality over the five years in bottle. The length and intensity here is so impressive. This is breathtakingly pure, yet complex and drinkable. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Halliday Wine Companion (97)

2002 vines. Wigan is king of Eden Valley riesling and yet again one of the top releases of the year. Still a magnificent straw-green at just 5yo, it's at that magic moment where primary and secondary characters unite in equal measure. All the fresh lime and Granny Smith apple of youth, backed by rising buttery, spicy, roast almond maturity. Brilliant acid line charges an astonishing finish that lasts for 30 seconds. Yes, I timed it! For all it represents, this might just be the bargain of the year.

James Suckling (97)

So vibrant for it’s age, this has great concentration of candied-lime and grapefruit-zest character. Terrific structure and energy on the driving palate, but all of this is wrapped in rich citrus fruit to create stunningly complete harmony. Very long and compact finish that suggests this has at least a further decade of aging potential. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

James Suckling (96)

Attractive bath powder and lemon blossom as well as white peach, grapefruit and some flint. The palate has a super fleshy feel with a blaze of acidity and long, fresh lemon, grapefruit and white-peach flavors. Good acidity and concentration. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

James Suckling (96)

A very fresh, piercing nose of sliced lemon with plenty of sweet perfume, too. The palate is similarly intense and vibrant with white stone-fruit and lemon flavors, delivered in an impressively intense and balanced mode. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Matthew Jukes (18.5)

The sample bottle for this wine arrived a couple of hours after I had finalised the 100 Best Australian Wines Report for 2022/23. It will surely join the throng in the 2023/24 Report, which I will be launching in September because it is the most impressive Pewsey Vale Riesling I can remember. There is a Tardis-like quality to this wine that completely bewitches the senses. It grabs the attention from the off with a textbook, breezy, citrus and saline perfume. Then the palate takes over with exultant flavours and sensuality, and it is immediately apparent that this is no ordinary seventeen-pound bottle of white wine! 2022 PV is an ‘attention grabber’, and I hope that I have your attention when I say that the coming spring and summer will not be complete without a couple of cases of this wine in your cellar.

Halliday Wine Companion (98)

Named after the family matriarch. Selection of the best parcels of fruit from the Polish Hill River estate. pH 2.93, TA 8.23 g/L, RS 3.1 g/L. Pikes' flagship, but also a Clare Valley flagship. It's not often a 6-month-old riesling can be described as luscious, but that's the impact of this wine. It's citrus focused, of course, and it also has keynote acidity, but it's the honeyed mouthfeel and flavour that hits the jackpot.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

Another gem in the lineup, the 2016 Shiraz Barossa & Eden Valleys is equal parts from each region brought up in foudre. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by scents of black raspberries, currants, incense, Christmas spice, and sage, with exotic peppery notes developing with time in the glass. Full-bodied, deep, silky and layered, on the palate, it’s another brilliant wine from this family that’s going to keep for over a decade.

Jeb Dunnuck (95)

Another gem in the lineup, the 2016 Shiraz Barossa & Eden Valleys is equal parts from each region brought up in foudre. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by scents of black raspberries, currants, incense, Christmas spice, and sage, with exotic peppery notes developing with time in the glass. Full-bodied, deep, silky and layered, on the palate, it’s another brilliant wine from this family that’s going to keep for over a decade.

Vinous (93)

Deep, shimmering ruby. Dried cherry, blackberry, licorice and woodsmoke on the spice-inflected nose. Concentrated black and blue fruit, floral pastille and mocha flavors are braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Shows firm, spicy cut on the persistent finish, which features steadily emerging tannins and a hint of bitter cherry pit.