Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2008, South Australia, 11.5%, €13.99Penfolds first produced this wine in 1972 under screw-cap, quite revolutionary in those times. This new release has the original label, and is a very good classic Australian Riesling. It has a lightly floral nose, delicious ripe but delicate lime fruits, and a lovely crisp linear acidity. Perfect with crab and other seafood. Stockists: This was an award winner in the Noffla Star Wines awards this year, so you should be able to find it in most independent off-licences.
Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2008, South Australia, 14.5%, €29.29A 1990 vintage of this wine was superb at a recent tasting; I intend laying down a few bottles if the post-Christmas wallet permits. In some ways, it is great value, a more-than-passing resemblance to the great Penfolds wines, at a third of the price. It has rich, sweet, ripe plums and cassis, soft but powerful with a smooth finish. Stockists: The Vintry, Rathgar; Redmond's, Ranelagh; McHugh's, Kilbarrack.
Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2008, South Australia, 14%, €62Bearing in mind that Grange will set you back more than €150 a bottle, this seems a half-reasonable price. Aged in large old oak barrels, you get less new oak, more Shiraz perfume, more developed harmonious dark fruits, classic Barossa dark chocolate, and a little more elegance. It is a style that I enjoy greatly; on the few occasions I have compared it to Grange, it has never looked out of place. Stockists: McCabe's, Blackrock; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4.
Penfolds Bin 707 2008, South Australia, 14.5%, €94This is one of the great wines of Australia, made with fruit sourced primarily from the Barossa (the original in 1964 was 100 per cent Kalimna Vineyard in the Barossa) and Coonawarra, famous for its quality Cabernet. Big and rich with masses of cassis, dark chocolate and a distinctive peppery flavour, this is amazingly easy to gulp down now, but will certainly develop for another decade or more. Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4.
ON THE GRAPEVINE
New Zealand winemakers will hold their annual consumer wine tasting on Tuesday, January 19th, from 6.30-8.30pm, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8. There will be a huge range of wines on tasting.
You can buy tickets (€15) online at www.newzealandwineevents.co.uk, or contact Jean Smullen on 01-2745955 or 086-8168468. For more information see nzwine.com.
jwilson@irishtimes.com