Brief notes on the release of the premium new Penfolds wines: 1995 Grange: A good but not a great Grange. All the expected flavours and very true to type, but not the concentration of the top years like 1994 and 1990. Comparatively finer, softer tannins should see an earlier-maturing wine than usual. Comparable vintages are 1985 and 1987. I rate it 18.7 and suggest cellaring until at least 2007. To retail around $300. 1997 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon: A lighter, dustier, leafier Bin 707 which reflects the difficulties associated with this vintage. Still a very good elegant and polished wine and certain to develop well, but light years away from the stellar group of 1990, 1991 and 1996. Taut and trim, but clearly greenish. 18.6, drink 2009+. 1997 RWT: The so-called Baby Grange, sourced from 100% Barossa vineyards and matured in exclusively French oak, half of which was new. Ripe, soft, plush and fleshy, with excellent depth and typical Penfolds handling. Spicy, forward and voluptuous, bursting with ripe fruit, but an entirely different prospect to Grange, to which it should not be compared. 1997 Magill Estate: Very good wine, unusually exotic and evolved for a Penfolds red, revealing complex earthy and undergrowth influences. Very firm spine of fine, bony tannins and excellent depth of fruit suggests good longevity.Drink 2009+, rated at 18.5. 1997 Yattarna: Miles ahead as the best Yattarna released to date and the first of truly outstanding quality. Remarkable length of long, creamy palate with crystal-clear citrus and melon fruit and careful integration of winemaking influences. Long minerally finish, great style and refinement. Rate at 18.9, drink 2005-2009.
