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2016 Penfolds RWT (Red Wine Trials) Shiraz

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

December 7, 2025 - $91

Estimate

RATINGS

99Jeb Dunnuck

Thrilling notes of black raspberries, crème de cassis, toasted spice, mint, and espresso... With massive concentration, it still glides across the palate with no sensation of heaviness or rusticity, building, perfectly ripe tannins, and incredible opulence and intensity...a monumental Barossa Shiraz that flirts with perfection.

97Robert M. Parker Jr.

...offers hints of vanilla and cedar, but more than anything, it showcases the region's bold berry and plum fruit. Full-bodied and rich...firmly structured and long on the finish...powerful yet elegan...

96James Suckling

Aromas of redder fruit with raspberries and red plums, as well as black tea and a smoky, coal-dust edge. Boysenberries, too. This is complex. The palate has commanding length and depth with succulent, powerful yet fine and compressed tannins at its core. Both the length and balance are impressive. A great RWT!

96Decanter Magazine (points)

...aromas of liquorice, spice and mocha, and concentrated black fruits on the rich, sumptuously opulent palate. It's all underpinned by French oak polish along with a freshness and fine-boned structure...

96Owen Bargreen

The oaky undertones are a really good complement to the deep dark and blue fruits and chocolate aromatics that mingle beautifully in the glass. The texture of thew wine is sinfully good as the wine glides through the mid-palate. Black tea, blueberry compote, blackberry cobbler, cigar ash and boysenberry cordial flavors all delight the senses.

95Vinous / IWC

Sexy, high-pitched aromas of blueberry, smoky Indian spices, violet pastille and vanilla, with a vibrant mineral overtone adding urgency. Sweet, incisive and energetic on the palate, offering densely packed black and blue fruit, spicecake and cola flavors that gain weight with air. Hangs on with excellent tenacity on the finely detailed finish, leaving juicy, dark berry and floral notes behind.

94Wine Spectator

Striking, with polished, fine-grained tannins that provide a velvety background for a complex array of flavors. Sandalwood, chai tea, gingerbread and white pepper notes mingle with supple raspberry, black cherry coulis, spiced plum and red licorice flavors, with a hint of white truffle. Concentrated and harmonious. The finish goes on and on.

93.8CellarTracker

91Wine Enthusiast

...flashy and full-bodied...ripe, opulent fruit notes—blackberry, currant and plum—ride along aromas of coffee and cumin...fruit is plush and tangy...tannins are fine-grained and well-structured...

18Jancis Robinson

Very savoury and fun on the nose. Balsam. Round and gorgeous already. Long and neat and pencil lead and something a bit Piemontese about it. Very appealing and interesting. Long.

PRODUCER

Penfolds

Penfolds makes Australia’s most renowned wine – Penfolds Grange, a Shiraz-based wine that was inspired by Rhone Valley’s Syrah blends. Grange was introduced in 1951 by Max Schubert, the legendary Penfolds winemaker in the middle and later years of the 20th century. As a wine producer, Penfolds’ history dates to the mid-19th century, when a young English physician named Dr. Penfold migrated to Australia and started producing wine as boon to the health of his patients. Until World War II the winery specialized in fortified wines and brandy, but Schubert helped turn Penfolds into a successful producer of table wines, including Grange and Bin 707, a Cabernet Sauvignon. Today the company is owned by Southcorp Wines and produces many grape varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay along with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Annual production of Grange is 8,000-10,000 cases. Annual production of Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon is 10,000-14,000 cases.

REGION

Australia, South Australia, Barossa Valley

South Australia is the nation’s most important wine region. South Australia is to Australia what California is to the U.S. About half of Australia’s wine comes from South Australia and many of the country’s most acclaimed producers are there. Wineries based in South Australia include Penfolds Grange, Torbreck, Amon Ra, Henschke and Jacob’s Creek. The prestigious Barossa Valley is located in South Australia, and is often compared to Napa Valley because it is gorgeous topography covered in grape vines. First farmed by 19th century German-speakers who immigrated from what is now Poland, the Barossa Valley is the crown jewel of the region. South Australia has widely varying climates, from very hot, dry areas to cooler, high altitude areas. There are more than 150,000 acres of vineyards in South Australia, with more being planted each month. Shiraz is king, though the region also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Chardonnay and Semillon.

TYPE

Red Wine, Syrah (Shiraz)

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.

VINTAGE

2016 Penfolds RWT (Red Wine Trials) Shiraz