The 2023 vintage is widely reported to have been the most difficult and challenging in at least the past 20 years. A third La Niña event produced the wettest year since 2011 and the ninth wettest on record since 1900 for Australia in 2022, with rainfall totals 26 per cent above the 1961–1990 average. It was also Australia’s coolest
year since 2012, although average temperatures were 0.5 degrees C warmer than the 1961–1990 average. Persiste...
The Penfolds program of world domination continues apace, with this third release of the Chinese Winemaking Trial. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon and Marselan (a French blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, known for its structure). The Marselan component is 11%—previous vintages saw 23% Marselan in 2022 and 18% in 2021—which is sourced from the Ningxia region, while the Cabernet hails from Shangri-La (located in the southwest near Burma, Laos, and Vietnam). Ningxia is in the central north of the country, where winter temperatures are so cold that the vines are buried with soil to protect them.
Dark maroon in hue, and the nose offers smoked meats, mushrooms, spices, animal flesh characters, leather, dark fruits, root vegetables, and cherries, with good oak integration. A wine of medium length and good freshness; there is plenty of grip here and a touch more rusticity than we see in most of the Penfolds reds. Expect this to provide pleasure for the next 8 to 12 years. 93
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