2007 Penfolds, Magill Estate Shiraz, Adelaide Plains

A product of the lowest crop on record at Magill (about 1 ton to the acre), the 2007 Magill Estate Shiraz is as ever a single vineyard wine that was matured 14 months in 95% new French and American oak hogsheads. It reveals intense notes of warm bramble fruits, blueberry preserves, a bit of prunes and some cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg plus a whiff of cedar. Full-bodied, crisp and rich with firm fine tannins, it displays some coffee and spice cake in the long finish. Approachable now, it should be best from 2012 to 2022+. With a lot of changes happening around the Foster’s Group, it is business as usual at Penfolds…which seems to operate within its own world. But this is no small world. The vineyard holdings here are vast and the connections with growers go back generations. Chief winemaker Peter Gago is the very well spoken front-man for the production team backed-up Kym Schroeter in charge of the whites and Steve Lienert crafting some very fine, consistent and sometimes inspired reds. If Champagne is all about the art of blending, then Penfolds is the Champagne of Australian wine. Those that think large companies producing wines that emphasize blending can’t make great wines need to think about the Champagne model or simply try some of Penfolds top wines to become believers. That said – check out their recent single vineyard release: the very special 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon, the first release of a wine made purely from this 100+ year old single block (perhaps the oldest block of Cabernet in the world?) since 1996. Importer: Foster’s Wine Estates Americas, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-4500

Tasted at the LWTF. This pure Shiraz Magill Estate has an appealing delicacy on the nose with aromas of macerated dark cherries, kirsch, wild strawberry and Kalamata olive. The palate is full-bodied with fully ripe tannins, very good structure, very grippy, touches of orange peel, mocha and liquorices towards the fleshy, allspice and clove tinged finish. Lovely. Drink 2012-2018. Tasted May 2010.