Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2002 - tasting note

Penfolds RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz 2002. About $AUD150. The RWT is black cherry in colour and near opaque. Nose of pepper and spices, cherry liqueur, aniseed and lightly charred French oak. The palate (this is way too young to drink now) is solid, dry and chewy with 'cop this!' tannins. The fruit as you might expect is enormous but is subdued at the moment by the untamed chewiness. The long finish has hints of raspberries and high-grade, slightly bitter, dark chocolate. This'll all come together in a couple of years into a memorable blend that promises to cellar well for 20 and more years.

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Posted by Martin Field at 01:37 AM
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Cork - 'taint good enough

Just recently I bought a dozen bottles of a wine I reviewed for an online newsletter. Since then two of the bottles I've opened have shown cork taint; the corks are those agglomerate ones with a disc of solid cork stuck on each end. I contacted the wine distributor about the problem - he said he'd send me two replacement bottles (still waiting) and I emailed the winemaker to alert him to the problem – no reply.

Now I'm wondering if the remainder of the dozen will be sound and whether the bottles I sold to a mate to try will be in good condition. It's a mildly depressing prospect.

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Posted by Martin Field at 01:29 AM
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