1998 Penfolds Shiraz RWT

Syrah - 750ML
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REVIEWS

WE 95 WS 92 WA 91
WE 95

Wine Enthusiast, March 2001

Seamless luxury from stem to stern this `baby Grange' is impressive juice. Blackberry menthol and smoke play unusually elegantly on the nose the texture is velvet on the tongue with dark berry coffee licorice and muted...
WS 92

Wine Spectator, November 2001

Rich ripe and generous a deep-pile carpet of blackberry cherry anise and white pepper flavors that linger on the polished finish. Appealing already. Best from 2003 through 2010. 4392 cases made.
WA 91

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 2015

Deep garnet-brick in color the 1998 RWT Shiraz opens to notes of Old Chesterfield, beef drippings, Bovril, sandalwood and sultanas. Quite elegant and fine on the palate, it is a little woody and finishes long and spicy. ...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Syrah
Country Australia
Region South Australia
Sub-region Barossa Valley
Vintage 1998
Size 750ML

Penfolds is an iconic Australian wine producer established in 1844 when Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold and his family arrived from England and paid the princely sum of £1,200 for 500 acres of the best land in Magill. He planted French vine cuttings with the intention of producing his own “medicinal tonic” wine.

When he passed away, his wife Mary assumed responsibility for the 60 acres of vines in The Grange Vineyard, which was then producing several varieties. She managed the estate for 25 years, passing it on to her daughter Georgina and son-in-law Thomas Hyland when she retired. The Penfold family continued to operate the business very successfully and retained a controlling interest after the company became public.

Penfolds now has an extensive portfolio that includes the ‘House Style’ collection, numbered-bin releases, special bins, and fortifieds among others. It has played a pivotal role in the evolution of winemaking in Australia and across the world.

Penfolds has earned numerous accolades for its flagship and most iconic wine, Grange, the creation of former Chief Winemaker Max Schubert who aimed to match the finest, aged Bordeaux wines. Initially rejected by Penfolds management, the experiment was kept secret and barrels of wines were hidden behind a fake wall in the tunnels at Magill Estate. With bottle age development, a second tasting was greeted with enthusiasm and production was restarted.

Penfolds vineyards are located primarily in South Australia on prime land throughout the state’s most esteemed viticultural regions. Throughout its history, Penfolds has owned and leased vineyards in addition to sourcing grapes from independent growers. Its grapes are sourced from more than 220 vineyards and grape growers across Australia. This strategy reflects the tradition of multi-vineyard and multi-regional sourcing, first introduced in the 1860s by Mary Penfold, and allows for a consistency of style and quality across vintages, something Penfolds is renowned for.

Penfolds RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz presents an alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and American oak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange. RWT expresses single region Barossa Valley Shiraz matured only in French oak. The initials RWT stand for ‘Red Winemaking Trial’, which was the internal project name at its inception in 1995. Far from a ‘Trial’ now, RWT Shiraz was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. Its style is opulent and fleshy, contrasting with Grange, which is more muscular and assertive. RWT is made from fruit primarily selected for its aromatic qualities and lush texture. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa Shiraz at the highest quality level.