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2018 Penfolds RWT (Red Wine Trials) Shiraz

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Latest Sale Price

June 29, 2025 - $86

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RATINGS

98The Wine Advocate

Always a sexy, voluptuous wine...the 2018 RWT Shiraz ratchets that up to new heights in a great Barossa vintage, boasting layers of berry-like fruit, refined vanilla shadings and baking-spice notes, plus more exotic elements like star anise and cocoa powder. It's full-bodied and plush without being unstructured in any way, with a lingering, complex finish...

96James Suckling

...very attractively fresh, showy feel to the nose with aromas of ripe red cherries, blackberries, goji berries and redcurrants, as well as red plums and some wild-herb and licorice notes on offer, too. Very expressive and fragrant. The palate has a super intense and powerful delivery of ripe red-cherry and plum flavors and immaculately fresh French oak (64% new) that really clasps and holds the finish long. The tannins are so ripe and well positioned.

95Wine Spectator

Complex and intense, starting with a core of juicy crushed raspberry, cherry puree and huckleberry flavors, oozing with details of Earl Grey tea, vanilla bean, sandalwood and anise that swirl around on the long, expressive finish, backed by dense, muscular tannins.

95Vinous / IWC

Dark berry liqueur, fruitcake, toasty oak and vanilla on the deeply perfumed nose. Coats the palate with sappy black and blue fruit, mocha and violet pastille flavors and vibrant mineral nuances add lift and back-end cut. Fleshy and deep but lively as well thanks to a spine of juicy acidity. Finishes on a youthfully tannic note, displaying sharp focus and superb persistence.

90Wine Enthusiast

...layers of appealing aromas straight off the bat, from black cherry and currant to cedar, mocha, graphite, herbs and black olive. Concentrated yet impeccably balanced, the palate is smudged by savory tannins while spice and dark berry flavors weave seamlessly together. This delivers power and polish.

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

2018 Penfolds RWT (Red Wine Trials) Shiraz