Another highlight of the 2020 release is the 2018 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, awarded 98 points by Andrew Caillard MW and 97 points by James Halliday. This vintage is released to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the year it was first made by renowned Australian winemaker Max Schubert. The sweetness and structure of cabernet combine with shiraz’s savoury character and richness to form a focused and powerful blend where fruit and oak are rendered in perfect harmony. The Bin 389 is one of Australia’s most popular reds and is often referred to as Baby Grange, partly because components of the wine are matured in old Grange barrels. According to Gago the wine “manifests all that is Penfolds”. Balanced, generous and robust, it demonstrates Penfolds’ precision and pursuit of excellence, characteristics that have been passed down and valued across generations of its winemakers since its founding in 1844, and which continue to set the label—and its wines—apart.

The RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz was first released in 2000 with the 1997 vintage following five years of winemaking experimentation—its very name stands for Red Winemaking Trial—and the 2018, released this year, shows how far it’s come. Made exclusively from the finest Barossa Valley fruit, this vintage is opulent yet balanced, lively yet supple, showing precise, complex aromas and concentrated, rich flavours. Its depth of character impressed across the board with Andrew Caillard MW awarding it 99 points, and Ken Gargett, Joe Czerwinski of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, and Huon Hooke each bestowing 98 points upon it.