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Penfolds RWT Barossa Shiraz was released after several years of Red Winemaking Trials and a pent-up demand for a 100% Penfolds Barossa Shiraz. During the 1990s the Barossa emerged as one of Australia’s most exciting wine regions with an extraordinary and unmatched heritage of old vine Shiraz material going back to the 1840s. Max Schubert who grew up and worked in the Barossa, was well aware of the potential of Barossa Shiraz. He experimented extensively with this variety during the 1950s and 1960s. Early vintages of Grange included Barossa Shiraz. The first vintages of Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz were 100% single vineyard Barossa wines. Bin 389 and St Henri also draw fruit from the region.
During the 1970s and 1980s Penfolds relied increasingly on multi-regional blending and house style philosophy. The return to single vineyard and single region wines is a reflection of the growth and development of the contemporary Australian fine wine scene. Regional definition, individual winemaking philosophy and connection with landscape have captured the imagination of wine drinkers all over the world. The Barossa Valley has emerged as one of the world’s great wine regions with great characters, a fascinating story and beautiful and compelling Shirazes. While Penfolds Grange is seen as a Barossa type wine, based on the Kalimna Vineyard, it does draw fruit from other regions. Only on rare occasions is it a 100% Barossa wine. A 1973 Bin 170 Shiraz was the last pure Penfolds Barossa Shiraz. The release of RWT Barossa Shiraz was therefore an obvious step forward.
In 1945 Penfolds purchased the Kalimna Vineyard originally planted to vines around 1888 by George Swan Fowler. During the 1950s and 1960s the Bin range and philosophy of house style was developed and based on multi-vineyard and multi-regional blending. It planted and acquired new vineyards around the Barossa in the 1970s and 1980s including Koonunga Hill, Stonewell Road and Walton’s. Penfolds also developed long standing relationships with independent growers throughout the region. During the early 1990s more attention was given to the character of sub-regional Barossa Shiraz and the quality of individual parcels of fruit. The development of RWT Shiraz is inextricably linked to the evolution of precision viticulture and a general awareness of vineyard character. Penfolds has enjoyed long term cross-generational relationships with several Barossa grape-growing families.
The two disciplines of viticulture and winemaking are increasingly intertwined as growers and winemakers work together in search of optimum balance, ripeness and flavour development. Identification of the best vineyard sites around the Barossa Valley, securing a regular supply of independently grown fruit and establishing a clear idea of winemaking philosophy were the key elements to Penfolds red wine making trials, which began in 1995. Vineyards with a track record of producing the best Shiraz grapes in the region are constantly targeted by competitors. An ex-Grange or RWT vineyard brings certain guarantees of quality and strong marketing/ provenance cachet. Grower relationships which extend to vineyard improvement programmes, loyalty and quality premiums are especially important. Penfolds has a dedicated field team of grower liaison officers that work and advise independent growers on how to grow Penfolds standard fruit at optimum ripeness and flavour development.
When a new Penfolds Barossa Shiraz was first mooted, it was necessary to start an extensive red wine making trial from ground up. It needed to be distinctly Barossa in character yet foiled the other great Shirazes in the Penfolds portfolio. The wine had to be different from the elegant and muscular Magill Estate Shiraz, the maturation style St Henri and the opulent and powerful Grange. Winemakers preferred the perfumed, richly textured and seductive Shirazes grown in a broad arc across the west and north-west Barossa Valley. These 20 to 100 year-old vineyards are found in the dry, hot northern districts around Kalimna, Moppa and Ebenezer. This is open sweeping country of alluvial plains, with red loam and red brown clay soils dissected by gullies and rivulets. Stands of eucalypt trees and scrub protect the vines from dessicating winds. Other top vineyards are located in the central west district around Stonewell, Marananga and Seppeltsfield. It is a rolling landscape, a rumpled patchwork of vineyards, many planted several generations ago. The Shiraz is particularly perfumed with fine textures and plenty of fruit richness.
Paul Georgiadis, former Penfolds Grower Liaison manager, talks about the pride and passion of Penfolds growers. “When they make the grade for this type of fruit it’s like getting top marks in an exam”. Each parcel of fruit that comes into the winery is like a jig saw piece. Ultimately winemakers are looking for a classical plum/ blueberry essence fruit profile with voluptuous intensity, ripe tannins and juicy flavours. After vinification this will translate into what Australian wine critic Huon Hooke describes as “a distinctly individual wine with the stamp of Barossa terroir and the strong house style of Penfolds.”
At vintage time the fruit is batch vinified and then classified according to intensity, texture and concentration. The components of RWT are each vinified in headed down open stainless steel fermenters. Towards dryness, the wine is racked into new tightly grained French oak to complete fermentation. This Penfolds technique is exactly the same treatment given to Grange; RWT differs because of its regional fruit selection and the use of French rather than American oak. It was Penfolds ground-breaking work with Grange that began a Barossa tradition and love of American oak with Shiraz. By the 1990's however, there was an increasing movement of Barossa winemakers towards toning down the characters of American oak in Barossa Shiraz.
Barrel fermentation and maturation of Shiraz in new French oak is of great importance to the RWT style; the subtle underlying spice/savoury oak characters season and bring further complexity to the wine. The wine is matured in new and seasoned French oak for a period of around 12 to 15 months. RWT Barossa Shiraz is an opulent powerful wine with sumptuous fruit sweetness and seductive texture. US wine critic Josh Greene noted that “these are wines that completely absorb and harness the oak to drive and sustain flavour development”.
Peter Gago said “The RWT style has since first vintage further evolved. We have pulled back from 100% new oak to around 50% to 70% and changed the mix of French coopered barrels. Our winemakers are very focused on the voice and vintage character of the fruit. While this is not a fruit driven style the wine is all about the richness and beauty of Barossa Shiraz. The oak plays a supporting role to the fruit. Hence the proportion of new oak, each vintage is dependent on the overall volume and intensity of the wine."
Editor of “Fine World of Wine Magazine (UK)” Neil Beckett said “The RWT style is a glossy, rich, smooth wine with seductive, mouth-filling flavours and seamless texture. The wines have developed more succulence and better oak integration since 2002. The overall harmony and power of the wines all promise excellent cellaring potential.”
Huon Hooke summed up the bracket as very impressive. "The best years – 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 were absolute blinders showing understated power and lovely balance of fruit, oak, tannins and alcohol. In hindsight, the 1997 was still an experimental-type vintage. It is the 1998 vintage that sets the standard and orientates the overall style."
Campbell Mattinson describes the most recent vintages of RWT as 'Grange Killers'. The 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages are effortlessly beautiful wines with superb integration of oak and a perfect storm of tannins. These are all future greats.”
RWT Barossa Shiraz has quickly developed a strong reputation in the primary and secondary wine markets as a classic cellaring Barossa Shiraz style. While these wines are best enjoyed with 5 to 15 years of bottle age, the top vintages should hold or develop for a lot longer. If properly cellared these bottles could last up to forty of fifty years. It’s that type of wine. RWT is already establishing a strong track record of support as collectors recognise the cellaring potential and consistent quality of RWT vintages. The 1999 was served at the Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm. More recently the 2003 won the coveted George Mackay trophy for Australia’s best exported wine. The 2000 RWT was in the Wine Spectator’s Top Ten Wines of the Year in 2003.
Andrew Caillard MW
Langton's
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