Region: South Australia
Sub Region: Barossa Valley
Variety: Shiraz
Country: Australia
Vintage: 2019
Style: Full-bodied, structured red
The Wine
RWT expresses Penfolds through a specific combination of Barossa Valley Shiraz and French oak. The project began in 1995 as the “Red Winemaking Trial”, with the inaugural 1997 vintage released in 2000. Fruit selection centres on aromatic expression, depth and plush texture, giving RWT its distinctive position within the Penfolds collection.
The 2019 is a particularly concentrated rendition. An exceptionally dry, warm growing season reduced yields and produced deeply coloured Shiraz with intense flavour and ripe, firm tannins. Maturation followed for 18 months in French oak hogsheads, comprising 57% new oak and 43% one-year-old barrels.
Blackberry, dark plum and black cherry sit alongside liquorice, cocoa, cedar and smoky spice. Floral and herbal details provide lift, while substantial tannins give the wine a confident, persistent shape. The oak contributes both aromatic complexity and a firm structural frame.
This is a powerful vintage of RWT with considerable development ahead. Its early reviews consistently emphasised concentration, length and the need for patience, making it a compelling choice for collectors who value the slower evolution of substantial Barossa Shiraz.
Cellared Says
I’d buy the 2019 with a long view. There is plenty to admire in its scale and depth, but the real attraction is what those elements can become as the fruit, oak and tannins settle together.
For someone putting away a serious Barossa Shiraz, this would be an easy recommendation. If opening now, I’d allow generous breathing time. My preference would be to keep some bottles for the 2030s and follow their development from there.
Reviews
“Shows outstanding clarity and power…”
95 Points — Josh Raynolds, Vinous
“It’s so powerful, it hums. It’s going places but not in a hurry.”
95 Points — Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Region: South Australia
Sub Region: Barossa Valley
Variety: Shiraz
Country: Australia
Vintage: 2019
Style: Full-bodied, structured red
The Wine
RWT expresses Penfolds through a specific combination of Barossa Valley Shiraz and French oak. The project began in 1995 as the “Red Winemaking Trial”, with the inaugural 1997 vintage released in 2000. Fruit selection centres on aromatic expression, depth and plush texture, giving RWT its distinctive position within the Penfolds collection.
The 2019 is a particularly concentrated rendition. An exceptionally dry, warm growing season reduced yields and produced deeply coloured Shiraz with intense flavour and ripe, firm tannins. Maturation followed for 18 months in French oak hogsheads, comprising 57% new oak and 43% one-year-old barrels.
Blackberry, dark plum and black cherry sit alongside liquorice, cocoa, cedar and smoky spice. Floral and herbal details provide lift, while substantial tannins give the wine a confident, persistent shape. The oak contributes both aromatic complexity and a firm structural frame.
This is a powerful vintage of RWT with considerable development ahead. Its early reviews consistently emphasised concentration, length and the need for patience, making it a compelling choice for collectors who value the slower evolution of substantial Barossa Shiraz.
Cellared Says
I’d buy the 2019 with a long view. There is plenty to admire in its scale and depth, but the real attraction is what those elements can become as the fruit, oak and tannins settle together.
For someone putting away a serious Barossa Shiraz, this would be an easy recommendation. If opening now, I’d allow generous breathing time. My preference would be to keep some bottles for the 2030s and follow their development from there.
Reviews
“Shows outstanding clarity and power…”
95 Points — Josh Raynolds, Vinous
“It’s so powerful, it hums. It’s going places but not in a hurry.”
95 Points — Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Image 1 of 1
