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18½/20
Penfolds 802-A Cabernet Shiraz Superblend 2018
South Australia, AustraliaPenfolds has two new wines they describe as "Superblend." Both are blends of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz, a nod to the iconic mix that has made Oz red wine famous worldwide, but they are distinctly different. Superblend 802-A sets itself apart from the French oak-aged Superblend 802-B. It is aged separately in new American oak hogsheads (assembled in Australia) for 22 months before mixing 68/32 cabernet sauvignon with shiraz. The classic blend is structural via the cabernet sauvignon and rich and fleshy the contribution of shiraz. The style is all Penfolds, from instant generosity on the palate to the oak and spice complex. The wine is black and massive at this early stage, and the fine-grained and polished oak tends to ride herd over the wine. Blackcurrants and chocolate dominate the flavour profile you best leave alone for another six to eight years. The fruit comes off a mix of sites from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale to Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, Robe, and Clare Valley. It's unclear if the first year is an experiment while chief winemaker Peter Gago and the team decide which wood type they will go with down the road. I vote French.Tasted: 10 September 2021Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $1000.00 | 750ml | BCLS |
| AB | $999.95 | 750ml | select private retailers |
| MB | $999.99 | 750ml | Manitoba Liquor Mart |
| ON | $995.00 | 750ml | LCBO |
| QC | $995.00 | 750ml | SAQ |
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz
