The ‘Red Wine Trial’ that redefined Barossa shiraz at the highest level. Naturally, now no longer a ‘trial’, this release shows precision, concentration and balance to age for many years.
Stylistically, RWT is contemporary, opulent and finely tuned. An interesting contrast to the well-established Grange, which is more concentrated, muscular and assertive in style. RWT is made exclusively from Barossa Valley shiraz grapes primarily selected for their aromatic qualities, varietal typicity, fine tannins and plush texture. Maturation in French oak provides another contrast to Grange.
The initials RWT stand for ‘Red Winemaking Trial’, the name given to the project internally when developmental work began in the early 1990s. It was launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage. Since the 2014 vintage it has been allocated Bin number 798, based on the alpha-numeric telephone punch dial for RWT.
While delightfully approachable on release, RWT Bin 798 has the concentration and balance to age for many years – the best vintages will last at least 30.
Three wines that are often placed together for a three-wine comparison are; Penfolds Grange, Penfolds St Henri and Penfolds RWT.
The reason for their comparisons is that they each are shiraz wines, however their sourcing and treatment differ in ways that make for a very intriguing event.
RWT presents an admirable alternative to the multi-regional sourcing and American oak maturation that are hallmarks of Grange. It expresses instead, single region Barossa Valley shiraz matured only in French oak.
St Henri offers an intriguing counterpoint to both Grange and RWT as a multi-regional wine that does not rely on any new oak, standing tall on fruit quality alone.
In 1995 work began on a wine that could sit as a distinct alternative to the multi-region and American oak matured Grange. The result was RWT which is 100% shiraz sourced from a singular region (Barossa Valley) matured in French oak and designed to be plush and fleshy, contrasting with Grange, which is more muscular and assertive.
This use of French oak and its ripe and plush palate has made Penfolds RWT one of the most popular expressions of shiraz from the Barossa Valley. It is immediately approachable upon release, yet maintains a three-decade long drinking window, allowing it to feature in multiple occasions, whether sharing with friends over a well-prepared meal, or gifting top mark a special milestone.
