2018 Penfolds Superblend 802 A
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Tasting notes
Carefully crafted tannins, elongated with a chalky character and evident grain, reserved and slow to unroll, raspberry leaf and rose buds with plenty of Shiraz perfumed florals. Love the quiet stealing up of charm here, great stuff. A wine to celebrate the 180th anniversary. No new oak (it was too intrusive during the blending sessions), but one year old 300l French hogsheads, 3.63ph, Coonawarra Block 10 and Block 5, both celebrated Coonawarra plots.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Dark purple. Heady, medicinal nose. Gloriously oaky and extracted but not really my style. A tad hot on the end. A bit Napa-ish. (JR)
Oak upon oak – this takes the Penfolds signature model to the extreme, with strong vanilla and coconut scent. Then the palate reveals the fruit all at once, in a flourish of ripeness and persistence. As ever, the quality of underlying fruit is undeniable, as evidenced by the purity and persistence. If you like the Penfolds style, you will love this. And if not, you won't. (RH)
Not made in 2019 and 2020. Made to celebrate Cabernet/Shiraz blends. Makes use of the A1-grade fruit that isn't suitable for Grange, similarly to Quantum – so that top-end grower fruit has more options. Cabernet and Shiraz matured separately for 18 months, then blended. Matured 22 months in American oak. Black fruit, lots of floral perfume – really quite different to the 389 style, and perhaps less typically Penfolds. Still delicious with black cherry, rounded tannins, a touch of tarmac – this is almost Piedmont in aromatic profile. A little less integrated than the 802-B. (RH)
About the producer
Penfolds is Australia’s most famous wine producer, known best for their iconic top wine, Grange. First produced commercially in 1952, Grange has since gone on to become one of the world’s most famous fine wines. In 2001, the wine was listed as an Australian heritage icon.