Penfolds RWT Bin 798 Shiraz 2019

The initials RWT stand for ‘Red Winemaking Trial’, the name given to the project internally when developmental work began in 1995. Naturally, now no longer a ‘trial’, RWT Shiraz was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. The alphanumeric Bin designation 798 was bestowed upon the wine from the 2016 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 plush texture. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa shiraz at the highest quality level. RWT wines are built for the long haul, with the precision, concentration and balance to age for many years.

The 20l9 growing season was extremely dry and warm. In the 12 months to March, the region had only 61% of the long-term average rainfall. Spring temperatures were slightly below-average driven by lower minimum temperatures (-2.5°C) including two below 0°C events during September, which resulted in frost events on 4th September and 29th September. Summer was very warm, with December and January well above-average driven by a combination of both higher maximum and minimum temperatures. The Kalimna vineyard experienced 31 days of temperatures exceeding 35°C. While March was also dry, crucially it was not too hot allowing for an orderly harvest. Low yields delivered Barossa Valley shiraz with dark colours, intense depth of flavour and ripe firm tannin structure.

Appellation: Barossa Valley
Varieties: Shiraz
Vintage: 2019

ALC: 14.5% | pH: 3.56 | TA: 7.0 g/l