Wine Reviews By Barry Weinman
Wines of the Month
Penfolds – Reserve Bin A – 2025. This is so, so good. The fruit is superb, but it is the texture/mouthfeel/length of flavours that is an absolute standout. Compared to the Bin 311, here the citrus characters are much more muted, with the peach-like fruit the star, supported by complexity-building nuttiness (more almond meal than cashew from my perspective). With air, and as it warmed, this gets even better, the power and complexity really starting to build. For me, the value proposition with this wine is compelling.
Unlike Yattarna and Bin 311, Reserve Bin A is a single-region wine, with the fruit coming from the Adelaide Hills. Barrel fermented and matured for 8 months in 225-litre French oak barriques (~60% new), some barrels were allowed to go through wild primary ferment, and the wine underwent 100% malolactic fermentation. 12.5% alc | 96pts* | $125.00.
Penfolds – Bin 138 – Grenache/Shiraz/Mataro – 2024. This is a cracking wine that is already brilliant drinking. The savoury, chocolate/mocha notes really add to the package, bringing depth and complexity to the pristine fruit. And the high-quality fruit is the key ingredient here. Supple, balanced and delicious drinking already. With air, the structural components build, suggesting that this will cellar well, but it is so good now that early consumption is recommended.
Predominantly a mix of Grenache and Shiraz, with the addition of 6% Mataro. Matured in a mix of French and American oak. Importantly, no new oak is used with this wine. Sealed with natural cork. 14.5% alc | 95+pts* | $60.00.
Penfolds – Bin 128 – 2024. I love this wine. The density of the cooler climate shiraz elevates this to a different level to the reds that preceded it. This is remarkably supple and approachable, but it is clear that this is only hinting at its potential right now. The fruit remains the primary focus for the full length of the palate, but it is shrouded in a veil of tannins and oak (primarily seasoned French oak) that, whilst having a muting effect, are in no way aggressive or assertive. A highlight of the release. Sealed with natural cork. 14.5% alc | 96pts* | $75.00.
Penfolds – Bin 407 – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2024. This is outrageously good. Wonderful fruit and brilliant winemaking. The fruit is actually very shy on the palate at first, but you can sense just how good this will be with time in the cellar. So easy to drink today, but this is really a wine for the long haul. Hints of liquorice, spice and fresh herbs all add impact.
Bin 407 was a highlight for me as it often is and the value is compelling. Fruit for this wine is sourced from premium regions across South Australia and was matured in a blend of French and American oak (~20% new) for 12 months prior to bottling. 14.5% alc | 96+pts* | $130.00.
Penfolds – Magill Estate – 2024. A classic vintage for Magill and the results are spectacular. The fruit is quite exceptional and the structure is superb. This is just extraordinary. Silky, supple, fragrant and elegant. Yet this is structured, and very age-worthy. The length and persistence of fruit is outstanding. A wonderful wine and my pick of all wines to date.
Unique within the Penfolds range, this is 100% estate fruit, made on site at Magill Estate. Due to a vineyard restoration project, volumes in recent years are down 50% compared to longer-term averages. The impact of the new plantings will gradually start to be included over the next few years. The wine was aged for 18 months in new French (2/3) and second-use American (1/3) oak hogsheads. 14.5% alc | 97pts* | $180.00.
Penfolds – Bin 704 – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2023. Wow. This is very good. But in comparison to the 600, the structural components take on a much greater role and will also support cellar aging. Underneath the structural components, the ripe blueberry-infused fruit slowly builds and takes on a distinct character in the Penfolds line-up. A wonderful wine, but again, this is a wine for the long haul. If you can stash a bottle or two away for 20+ years, you will be amply rewarded.
Bin 704 is the inverse of Bin 407 and reflects that it sits at the same level in the USA range as the 407 does in the Australian range. The fruit is 100% Napa and draws on the parent company’s vineyard resources, supplemented by grower fruit. The wine spent 16 months in French oak barriques, 45% new. 14.5% alc | 96pts* | $125.00.
Penfolds – Bin 169 – Cabernet Sauvignon – 2024. OMG. This is quite stunning. So fine and elegant, yet with masses of intrinsic power. A superb wine. The way the (prolific) tannins and acid have been massaged into a supple, elegant package is quite remarkable, allowing the vibrant blueberry fruit to shine. The oak adds weight and depth but does not cloud the fruit in any way. A wonderful wine that will drink beautifully any time over the next 30 years. As the most important brand in the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio, Penfolds has the ability to access some of the best fruit from across the region that might otherwise be destined for another wine. 100% Coonawarra fruit aged in French oak hogsheads for 18 months (79% new). 14.5% alc | 97+pts | $300.00.
Penfolds – Grange – Shiraz – 2022. This is just remarkable. Intensity, power, density, depth, this has everything you could possibly hope for in a wine. This really is one of the world’s great wines. The fruit takes on a darker hue, being almost impregnable at this early stage, hinting at its potential, but pinpointing the fruit characters proved impossible, such is the density. Yet this remains silky, supple and utterly delicious. This has ultimate length of flavours and the silky texture in no way impedes the flow. Stunning! Just magnificent! Don’t get me wrong, there are tannins and acid to make this a 50-year cellaring potential, but it is amazing wine already. 100pts? Why not.
The fruit for this wine was sourced from the Barossa (87%) along with a splash of McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. As expected, the wine was matured in new American oak for 18 months and, in 2022 includes 3% cabernet sauvignon. 14.5% alc | 99pts* | $1000.00.
Recent Articles
Penfolds 2026 Portfolio Launch Part One: White Wines
Barry Weinman: Tasted 25th June 2026
Few wineries have shaped the story of Australian wine as profoundly as Penfolds. Since its foundation in 1844, Penfolds has been more than a producer of great wine; it has been a custodian of innovation and, through the enduring success of Grange, the winery that helped establish Australia’s reputation on the world fine wine stage.
Penfolds 2026 Portfolio Launch Part Two: Best of the Bin Reds
Barry Weinman: Tasted 25th June 2026:
Whilst Grange may be Australia’s most celebrated wine, many people, myself included, built our cellars around wines like Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz and Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz (as well as 389, which will be covered in a separate article). These are wines that have quietly carried the Penfolds House Style across the decades, providing remarkable consistency while introducing drinkers to two very different expressions of Australian Shiraz.
Penfolds 2026 Portfolio Launch Part Three: Super-premium Superstars – Bin 407 to Magill Estate
Barry Weinman: Tasted 25th June 2026
For me, this is where the real excitement exists within the range (along with the brilliant 2024 Bin 128). These are wines that need no introduction to Australian wine collectors.
Penfolds 2026 Portfolio Launch Part Four: The Californian Adventure
Barry Weinman: Tasted 25th June 2026
Penfolds’ expansion into California represents one of the boldest international projects undertaken by an Australian wine company. Rather than simply producing Californian wines, Penfolds has sought to express its distinctive House Style through Californian vineyards, drawing on relationships and vineyard holdings developed over several decades. The resulting collection—featuring wines such as Bin 704, Bin 600, Bin 149 and Quantum—combines Californian fruit with Penfolds’ centuries of winemaking experience. While initially met with curiosity, the Californian program has matured into a serious and credible extension of the Penfolds portfolio, reinforcing the winery’s long-held belief that great wine should be defined by quality and style rather than constrained by geography.
Penfolds 2026 Portfolio Launch Part Five: The Luxury Reds: Bin 169 to Grange
Barry Weinman: Tasted 25th June 2026
Penfolds Grange, Bin 707 and Bin 169 represent three distinct expressions of Penfolds’ winemaking philosophy: Grange, the internationally acclaimed icon that redefined Australian fine wine, is predominantly Shiraz and the first experimental release was in 1951.
Barry Weinman – June 2026
There has been a remarkable evolution in Australian cabernet and shiraz over the last three decades. In general, the wines have become ever more polished and refined. There is still great fruit quality and intensity, but the way the tannins and acids are now polished in the winery makes the wines so much more approachable than wines of old.
New Release Chardonnay – June 2026
Despite the quality and success of their pinots, following the release of the 2025 vintage, I am convinced that chardonnay is the best wine that Picardy produces. Especially when value comes into the equation.
A New World chardonnay that tips its hat to Burgundy.
Barry Weinman – June 2026
Every now and then, the panel reviews a wine that defies expectations. Sometimes, this is a very well-renowned wine that fails to impress. And now and then, it is a wine that I am not familiar with that excels.
And rarely, a whole range of wines comes along that knocks my socks off. And so it was with Tenafeate Creek Wines.
Hay Shed Hill: Finding a Value Needle in the Haystack
Barry Weinman – May 2026
Established in 1973 on what was once a group-settlement dairy farm in Wilyabrup, the estate is part of the original pioneering wave that helped define Margaret River as a world-class fine-wine region. The name relates to a hay shed perched on a rise above the then-pastures, where the wines were originally made.
Rowe Wines
May 2026
Richard Rowe is not a household name when it comes to great Australian wine, but he should be. For more than 50 years, he has been instrumental in crafting some of Australia’s finest wines during stints at wineries including Leasingham, Evans & Tate and KWV.
Rumour has it that, after retiring to the Margaret River region of Western Australia, his children talked him into starting a boutique winery in the region. The results are spectacular.
Idée Fixe: Fixation, Place and Precision
May 2026
In 2012, Paul Holmes à Court, proprietor of Vasse Felix, acquired an additional Karridale vineyard — one of Margaret River’s most marginal and slow-ripening sub-regions. Sitting close to the ocean and influenced by the Leeuwin Current, it consistently produced chardonnay with unusually high natural acidity and restrained fruit expression. Whilst these qualities were considered challenging for table wine, they proved revelatory for sparkling wine production. Trial bottlings sparked what would become a decade-long preoccupation.
Henschke: 2022 Vintage
Barry Weinman – May 2026
Some days in wine are more remarkable than others. And so it was when John Jens reached out to ask whether he could bring around the new Henschke reds from the 2022 vintage.
To taste the Hill of Grace or Mount Edelstone is a rare treat. To taste them side by side, alongside the Wheelwright and the Hill of Roses, was an extraordinary privilege — and the wines did not disappoint. Whilst the sheer quality was a given, the highlight for me was the subtle variations in style that each vineyard presented.
New Release Pinot Noir: May 2026
Barry Weinman – May 2026
With the cooler weather settling in, it is the perfect time for pinot noir. Last week’s panel tasting presented a number of wines well worth seeking out.
The most surprising wine was Singlefile’s 2024 Run Free Pinot Noir. How a wine of such quality can be sold for $30 is beyond me. The 2024 pinot from Battles is the first release of the variety from this producer, and it is a cracker. And the Picardy and Singlefile Family Reserve pinots showed the more serious side of the variety.
New Release Highlights: May 2026
Barry Weinman: May 2026
Across various blind tastings conducted over the last few weeks, these are some of the standout wines.
On the Tasting Bench: March 2026
Here are three of the highlights from the last few weeks of tasting.
The 2023 Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay is another stunning rendition of this wine, and the 2023 Moss Wood cabernet is the best young Moss Wood that I have tasted in several years.
And a wine that I know nothing about, but charmed the panel was the Thunderstone Pinot Noir 2024. Great stuff!
Vasse Felix 2024 Vintage Chardonnays: Chasing perfection
Barry Weinman: 25th March 2026
Hot on the heels of the brilliant Cullen Kevin John and Pierro chardonnays from the 2024 vintage comes the trio of premium wines from Vasse Felix.
If you needed any further proof of the potential of the 2024 vintage for premium chardonnay in Margaret River, these three wines deliver that in spades.
Whilst the quality is the reason for this review, it is the contrasting styles between the three wines that are the most interesting part of the story. Same winery, same winemakers, same region, but each is a unique expression of high-quality chardonnay.
Swinney Farvie – 2024 Vintage in Focus
10th February 2026
The Great Southern, whilst geographically large, is relatively small from the perspective of wines produced. In 2024, the total crush for the region was 4,322 tonnes. This is only 17% of the size of Margaret River’s crush (25,593 tonnes).
Barossa Beauties – Welland Wines
February 2026
With the current release reds from Welland Wines in the Barossa, Quality/Price ratio is off the scale.
Howard Park Global Sparkling Tasting
Held: 20 November 2025
In November 2025, Howard Park hosted a global sparkling wine tasting that went well beyond a simple comparison of great Champagne. Curated by Chief Winemaker Nick Bowen, the tasting was designed to explore how place, style, winemaking decisions and time shape the world’s finest sparkling wines.
Over the course of 2025, I was fortunate to taste many exceptional wines, both in formal settings and shared with friends around the dinning table. Looking back, the Howard Park Global Sparkling Tasting stands out as the most thoughtfully conceived and intellectually rewarding tasting of the year.
Rather than simply assembling famous bottles, the tasting invited comparison and contrast across styles, countries, winemaking techniques and vintages. The result was a rare opportunity to understand not only which wines impressed most, but also why.
Castle Rock Estate
Barry Weinman | September 2025
Perched high on the cool, granite shoulders of the Porongurup Range, Castle Rock Estate has been quietly focusing on producing high-quality wine since Angelo and Wendy Diletti planted the first vines in 1983. The site—elevated, wind-kissed and east-facing—has proved perfect for Riesling, alongside increasingly distinguished Chardonnay and, importantly, Pinot Noir.
When the Constellations Align: USA Superstars
Barry Weinman |October 2025
For the team at Constellation, bringing high-quality wines from their USA stable of wineries must be a bit like trying to sell ice to Eskimos or taking coal to Newcastle, given the spectacular quality of Australian wines that are available.
Singlefile Wines
Barry Weinman | October 2025
Singlefile Wines was co-founded in 2007 by geologists Phil and Viv Snowden, together with their daughter Pam and son-in-law Patrick Corbett. The family’s passion for wine was kindled during Patrick and Pam’s time living in Italy, which deepened their appreciation for exceptional wines.
Grosset 2025 Rieslings
Barry Weinman |October 2025
Grosset needs no introduction to lovers of Australian Riesling, having long sat at the very pinnacle of Clare Valley Riesling, acting as a quality beacon for others to aspire to.
Over the last decade, wines from Tasmania and the Great Southern in particular (Porongurup, Mt Barker, Frankland River) have emerged as contenders for Australia’s best Riesling, but Jeffrey Grosset has not rested on his laurels, continuing to finesse his wines and taking advantage of ever-maturing vineyards.
Dukes Vineyard
Barry Weinman | October 2025
The original Duke vineyards were planted in 1999 with an initial 9 hectares under vine. Since Ben Caine and Sarah Date purchased the operation in 2022, there have been significant efforts being put into the vineyard to improve quality. For example, they have embarked on a project to completely revise the trellising system, starting with Riesling and working through the vineyard.
Sittella in Focus
Barry Weinman | September 2025
The current releases from Sittella continue to reinforce their reputation for delivering high-quality wines at very affordable prices. And as the range has expanded, so too has the versatility that the wines provide.
Forest Hill Vineyard
September 2025
We were recently on the road in the Great Southern to meet with some of the key producers in the region, with a focus on Denmark and Porongurup.
First up was Forest Hill, who surely must be one of the unsung heroes of the Western Australian wine industry. The quality of the wines produced, particularly under the “Block” range, is superb and tremendously underpriced in the global context.
On the Tasting Bench: June 2025.
Barry Weinman: 27th July 2025
Here is a round up of some of the better wines reviewed in the last month that did not make it into other tasting notes.
A highlight for me was the 3drops pinot. Brilliant drinking and good value.
Lenton Brae – Value meets style
Barry Weinman: 25th July 2025.
With the first vineyard being planted in 1982, Lenton Brae has long been part of the Margaret River wine scene. Part of the interest for me related to the fact that founder Bruce Tomlinson did not stick to the script for Margaret River, with pinot blanc being one of the key varieties planted, along with a dedicated focus on making age-worthy sauvignon blanc-based wines.
Barry Weinman: 23rd July 2025
The 2017 pinot was the wine that brought Shepherd’s hut to my attention. A fantastic effort (especially at the price) and a wine that is still drinking brilliantly today. If anything, the 2018 was even better and remains a go-to wine when I am looking for a mid-week glass wine.
Faber Vineyard – 2025 Benchmark Tasting
Barry Weinman: 20th July 2025
John Griffiths, Faber’s larger than life winemaker/proprietor hosts what must surely be some of the most enjoyable and best value events held locally each year.
Of all the events, the Benchmark Tasting is the one that lovers of Australian shiraz should put into their calendar.
This is an opportunity to taste twelve high quality shiraz (blinded to the order they are served in) from a cross section of Australian wine regions, complemented by a delicious and substantial four course meal, all washed down with some gems from the Faber cellar.
Barry Weinman: 22nd June 2025
In a line up of predominantly very high-quality chardonnay, the Moss Wood Elsa sauvignon blanc was a real eye opener. A brilliant wine that shows the potential that can be achieved with this style in Margaret River. And great value!
And the panel were very pleased with the quality of sparkling wines that is being made in WA. In a line up of 10 wines, the Frazer Woods and Marri Wood Park both stood out.