2024 Penfolds Bin 798 RWT Shiraz, Barossa Valley

Hard, unyielding and muscular, this is one of the firmest and more backward young RWTs I can remember. The fruit is like black marble with no way of cracking into its core. Unlike the chocolate fondant vintages, which I unashamedly like, this is a monastic wine with singular density, coolness and reserve. And guess what? It started to shimmer in the glass after half an hour, and then after an hour it flinched again. Ooh, I am very much enamoured by this wine, and I like the way it moves on its own and when it wants to rather than me dictating its trajectory. This might well be one of the classiest and most intricate RWTs of all time. The fruit integrity is nothing short of epic, so I will throw caution to the wind here with my score! This might well end up being one of, if not the greatest, RWTs ever made.

97.5 points Mathew Jukes

Deep crimson. Intense dark cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate aromas with hints of black olive. Well concentrated black cherry, blackberry fruits with underlying cedar, ample roasted chestnut notes and dense vigorous chocolaty/ bittersweet tannins. Firm oaky/ cedary finish with tail of seductive dark berry fruits. One for the long haul with a Grange-like density and character. 14 months in 82% new and 18% seasoned French oak hogsheads. Drink 2028 – 2048 14.5% alc

96 points Andrew Caillard MW 

Penfolds' 'Red Winemaking Trial', which launched in May 2000 with the 1997 vintage, has built a solid reputation for its harmonious, concentrated wines that have the ability to age beautifully in the cellar. Deep purple-splashed crimson in the glass with finely tuned aromas of blackberry, blueberry and black cherry fruits, along with baking spices, violets, dark chocolate, espresso, crushed earth, anise, cedar, dried meats and bay leaf. Full bodied and fruit pure, with a velvety gradient across its length, a beautiful flow of fruit, fine melt-in-the-mouth tannins and a bright, fresh mineral cadence. It's a wonderful, harmonious release that will repay the patient.14.5%

96 points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion Jun 2026

Penfolds RWT Bin 798 stands among Australia's most celebrated expressions of Barossa Valley Shiraz. First released in 1997, RWT, meaning Red Winemaking Trial, was conceived as an alternative interpretation of Penfolds' flagship Shiraz wines, showcasing the richness of Barossa fruit matured exclusively in French oak rather than the traditional American oak used for Grange. The result is a wine of remarkable generosity, purity and refinement that has become a modern icon in its own right, sought after by collectors for its luxurious style and outstanding cellaring potential.

The 2024 vintage draws on exceptional vineyards across the Barossa Valley, where old vines and a warm, even growing season delivered fruit of superb concentration and balance. Each parcel was vinified separately before careful maturation in premium French oak hogsheads, allowing the opulent fruit to absorb subtle spice and texture without losing its regional identity. The combination of meticulous vineyard selection and precise winemaking has produced a Shiraz that is both immensely powerful and effortlessly composed.

Deep crimson with an almost opaque core, the bouquet is lavish and expressive, revealing layers of black plum, satsuma plum and blackberry intertwined with dark chocolate, star anise and freshly ground cinnamon. As the wine opens, notes of black olive, espresso, cedar, licorice root and exotic spices emerge, adding remarkable depth and intrigue. The palate is full bodied and sumptuous, delivering wave after wave of concentrated dark fruit supported by velvety tannins and beautifully integrated French oak. Hints of cocoa, graphite and savoury spice build through an exceptionally long finish that combines richness with freshness, leaving an impression of effortless power and impeccable balance.

Magnificent with slow roasted lamb shoulder, dry aged rib eye, braised beef short ribs, venison with juniper or aged hard cheeses. While immensely satisfying with a generous decant today, this is a collector's Barossa Shiraz that will continue to evolve magnificently for twenty five years or more, rewarding patience with even greater complexity and finesse.