Penfolds

Bin 169 marches to the tune of Coonawarra. Black fruit, aromatic notes of minty eucalyptus leads to a pure, clean, cool cabernet sauvignon with intense red fruit and a slash of tea leaf. Classic Coonawarra, all sewn up in French oak, it is a wine you can drink today thanks to its plentiful, dense, sweet tannins filling the palate but not drying it out. Still, it will unfold its real story over the next two decades. Another sleeper from Penfolds, whose current lineup under Peter Gago and the team is closing in on perfection at all levels.

For the record, 2021 is exceptional across South Australia. Choosing the best wines is, at times, like pulling needles from a haystack. Crushed blackcurrants, a waft of sage, dried lavender and black olive paste are lathered across an impenetrably juicy finish that runs very long. A lick of Coonawarra menthol. Just a lick. This will age very well and I may be underscoring this today. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.