98 Point Rated - Huon Hooke The Real Review

Very deep, concentrated red-purple colour; deep-set black fruit aromas, laced with dried herbs, thyme and oregano, the palate massive and super-powerful in typical RWT style. A biggie, and a very grand wine. The tannins are remarkably smooth and supple for such a whopper. Superb wine.

98 Point Rated - Erin Larkin Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2020 RWT Shiraz Bin 798 is a powerhouse of bloody fruit and firm tannin. It veritably explodes from the blocks, showing plum skin, raspberry leaf, blackberry, mulberry lashings of salted licorice and rendered lamb fat. I am coming to love (in a big and serious way) the Barossa Shiraz’ bottlings from 2020 – the year was significantly down in yields, warm and dry and responsible for wines of muscle, density and gravitas. So, too, for this wine. Excellent.

98 Point Rated - Nick Stock, JamesSuckling.com

“This is a wonderful Bin 7 with striking poise, polish and intensity on offer. Show-stopping aromas of ripe blackberry, dark plum and espresso are primal and freshly captured. The palate is rich and lusciously expressed, with a very plush and intense core of ripe blackberry and dark-plum fruit. Roasted coffee here, too. Such poise and polish. Drink over the next decade or more. 

98 Point Rated - Andrew Caillard MW 

"Deep colour. Beautiful blackberry, blackcurrant, dark chocolate, roasted chestnut, hint marzipan. Lovely plush concentrated wine with smooth blackberry, dark plum fruits, fine loose-knit slinky/graphite tannins, underlying roasted chestnut oak and fresh mineral acidity. Finishes velvety firm with some mocha notes. Very good density, fruit richness and vigour. The Penfolds winemaking stamp nicely balanced with the opulence and beauty of ripe Barossa shiraz."

97 Point Rated - James Halliday Wine Companion

Matured for 16 months in an even split of new and 1yo French hogsheads. When you see a wine with this depth of colour, grading to a brilliant crimson rim, you know all is well. The deliberate use of French oak (to the exclusion of all others) was a decision made when planning the birth of RWT with its inaugural 1997 vintage, and in tasting through Penfolds' array of red wines, it stands out. It's a brilliant trifecta of intense fruit, balanced tannins, and that classy oak.

96 Point Rated - Tyson Stelzer 

"From parcels chosen primarily for their aromatic qualities and plush texture, the black fruit depth and power of RWT rise to grand heights, declaring the Barossa in layers of spicy dark berries, Satsuma plum and black cherries. Impressive dark chocolate French oak (49% new) sets out a fine tannin profile and elongates a grand finish that will hold its confidence in the cellar for magnificent decades." 

96 Point Rated - Tony Love WinePilot 

"While multi-regional sourcing for many of the Penfolds high-end reds is now the accepted practice, it's worth reminding ourselves that the Barossa Valley still carries some home ground advantage. And this glorious creation tells us that in no uncertain terms, driven by all the dark plum and blue to black berry vibes of major Barossa shiraz. Settle all this down with 16 months in French hogshead barrels, almost half of them new, and the layers all fit together in genius balance: gentle spicing, cola, sarsaparilla, mocha, building a palate echoing with regional power and gravitas."

95 Point Rated - Campbell Mattinson The Wine Front

Bin 798. Barossa Valley. 16 Months In French Oak Hogsheads (49% New, 51% 1-Y.o.).

You’d never know that 2020 was a lesser year. The palate here has its usual RWT strut but it has carry through the finish as well. It’s a meaty release, backed by plum, backed by clove and musk. This is deep, man. For all its silk and cream there’s a gravity to this, a presence, driven by the weight of flavour but also by the rock and roll of fruit-drenched tannin. Gold medal standard.

95 Point Rated -,Christina Pickard Wine Enthusiast 

"This is a strong vintage of RWT. It's austere, dense and still-young but is also seamlessly layered, almost unnoticeably complex. The brambly blueberry and raspberry fruit is woven with plums, dried herbs, spices and florals, with a note of freshly sealed tarmac. The palate is silky and supple, tightened by a muscular line of chalky tannins with lifted acidity and densely packed flavor. A long distance runner, this should be held another few years until around 2026, then drunk for several decades after."  

94 Point Rated - Jeni Port Winepilot 

"New oak always plays a noteworthy role in the RWT shiraz. Always. It can sometimes be a sticking point in its youth, but then I am sure the Penfolds' winemaking team members see generous new oak as part of the “opulent and fleshy” style they seek. The 2020 certainly fits a lot in to start, balancing lovely aromatics with some, at times, heavy-handed vanilla, spiced French oak (49% new). It plays out along similar lines on the palate. No surprises there. Still, the fruit has a lot going for it – flavourful plum, black cherry, mulberry, black berries – joined by a world of spice together with some earthy tones that add up to a good depth of flavour. Dusty, dry tannins probably need time to settle. A touch undeveloped yes, but RWT tends to benefit from extended ageing. If this is what you are after, this is your kind of wine."

Gold Medal 

James Halliday Wine Companion