Penfolds RWT vs Grange (bin 95)

My colleague who first bought me 2 bottles of grange to taste, many years ago, is flying in for a visit. In return I have purchased RWT 2011 and grange 2007 to compare in March 2015.

We could compare a Penfolds 1996 or 1998 to the RWT but maybe the 2007 is a closer vintage. The RWT is a single variety vs the multi variety Grange. The RWT retails for AUD160 vs the Grange 2007 for AUD 600. Professional tasting notes from Penfolds website.


Some grange 2007 tasting notes from Tasting-Notes/Grange/Penfolds_2007_Grange

Grange is arguably Australia’s most celebrated wine and is

officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Grange

boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951

and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the

soils and climates of South Australia. Penfolds Grange utilises

fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes. The

result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one

of the most consistent of the world’s great wines. The Grange

style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds

multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.

COLOUR
As a five year-old, dense vivid red—impenetrable almost to the rim.
NOSE
Unmistakably Grange—formic, ripe, pungent, confronting. Core: darker elements—soy/cola/peat/
coal-dust/Dutch black liquorice with sesame/sea-weed/quince paste. Beneath: coffee-grind/mocha/
bitter chocolate (from oak?). Above: African spices coupled with a fleeting and appealing glacial waft.
PALATE
At once, balanced and accessible; fresh and tight. A structural and textural continuum—no
beginning or end, no gaps. Complete. In an attempt to define the palate profile... Flavours: dates,
persimmon, roasted nuts … freshly baked pecan-pie/Portuguese custard tart. Oak: omnipresent,
yet neither prominent nor ostentatious—completely assimilated. Tannins: neither obstructive nor
aggressive, yet effortlessly conveying flavours. Yes, maturation of 21 months in barrel and three
years in bottle, has moulded quite the structural and tactile Grange package.
VINEYARD REGIONS
Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate, South Australia.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS
The 2007 vintage was challenging with low winter temperatures threatening severe frosts and
accompanied by low winter rainfall. Dry conditions persisted throughout the growing season and
unusually high summer temperatures followed, which placed pressure on water resources and
fruit exposure. Low crops and the resultant fruit ripened relatively quickly and was selectively
and successfully harvested earlier, parcel by parcel, pursuing full flavours, structure and balance.
GRAPE VARIETY
97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet.
MATURATION
Matured for 21 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads.
WINE ANALYSIS
Alc/Vol: 14.5% Acidity: 7.1g/L pH: 3.54
LAST TASTED PEAK DRINKING
January 2012 2014–2045
FOOD MATCHES
80 day dry aged South Devon scotch fillet, wattleseed, pumpkin and chestnut
(Magill Estate Restaurant).

RWT tasting notes from Tasting-Notes/2014-Penfolds_2011_RWT_Barossa_Valley Shiraz
OVERVIEW
Penfolds RWT Shiraz presents an admirable alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and Americanoak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange, expressing instead, single-region Barossa Valley Shiraz matured only in French oak. 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. 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 fine texture rather than sheer intensity or power of flavour. The result is a wine that helps to redefine Barossa Shiraz at the highest quality level.
GRAPE VARIETY Shiraz.
VINEYARD REGION Barossa Valley.
WINE ANALYSIS Alc/Vol: 14.5%, Acidity: 6.7 g/L, pH: 3.70.
MATURATION 12 months in French oak hogsheads (51% new, 49% 1-y.o.).
VINTAGE CONDITIONS With above-average winter rainfalls and cool conditions that followed during the spring period, South Australian regions generally experienced a later budburst and disease pressures impacted to varying degrees across the state. Meticulous vineyard management was critical. Spring soil moisture levels resulted in healthy shoot growth and early canopy development. Healthy vegetative growth continued during the cooler spring months and delayed veraison and berry development in the New Year. A few warm days at the end of January guaranteed the completion of veraison and commencement of the ripening season. Multiple rain events, often isolated, meant that attention to detail was required with selective harvesting of pristine fruit.
COLOUR Deep mauve – impressive colour and brightness.
NOSE Barossa fruits ascend – preserved satsuma plum, rhubarb, cranberry.
Confusingly, yet intriguingly, a waft of tar-sulphide masks country of origin…
Spain, France?
Assorted ‘exotics’ remind of entry into a continental gourmet deli – cheese/
mettwurst competing with blueberry yoghurt waffle-cone for attention?
Another pertinent aromatic – cedar and restrained French oak.
PALATE Solid, forceful. Full-bodied – belying vintage.
Fine, pronounced and persistent tannins court blue and black-berried fruits,
sensitively encapsulating a sweet mid-palate.
French oak of mixed forest origin and age works its magic – sensitive to this
vintage’s flavours and structure, kindly endowed by Barossa vineyards and soils.
A supple, woven/pleated fabric texture validates the inclusion of this blend’s chosen
vineyard components, and its relatively brief sojourn in oak pre-bottling.
PEAK DRINKING 2015 – 2030.
LAST TASTED January 2014