2013 Penfolds RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley

17 months in French hogsheads (57% new). Excellent depth and hue to the colour; French oak is a point of difference, not simply for the sake of difference, but as part of the superstructure of a very complex wine. The tannins could trick you into believing it is cabernet, not shiraz, as does the crossover of blackberry and blackcurrant. Its chemical analysis does not point to above-average acidity, but here, too, there is an exclamation mark. This is a serious wine of the kind one might expect from the northern end of the Rhone Valley.

97 points James Halliday Wine Companion