Penfolds Rare 50 Year Old Tawny Series 9

Penfolds Rare 50 Year Old Tawny Series 9
A$3500, 19.5% alcohol, cork, Barossa Valley.

This was tasted from Bottle No. 1, though of course every bottle is the same. Each year Penfolds releases 330 bottles (only) of this rare 50-year-old tawny to the world. 330 bottles (not dozen) to service the world is its own kind of rare. The 50-year date relates to an average, approximate age; the actual vintages used span 101 years. According to the latest (9th Edition) Rewards of Patience book, this Series 9 of Penfolds Rare Old Tawny includes a “symbolic splash” of 1915 vintage tawny, “believed to have been the foundation of Penfolds first Grandfather cask. The blend also comprises portions of the 1940 and 1945 Grandfather and the first 1994 Great Grandfather releases. Various vintages of blends from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are also included”.

This release is made using Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro and Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa-grown, though small amounts of other varieties are also included. Given that some of the material used to produce this release was made many decades ago it’s not surprising that every single variety isn’t listed; it’s probably not known.

I must have gotten a little carried away when I was tasting this because, when I revisited my notes, the number recorded was 1000 points. Presumably the enthusiasm running through my fingers had added an extra zero. What is undeniable though is that this wine has amazing aromatics. It smells and tastes of honey, figs, toffee and caramel, with old wood and dark/roasted nut characters sitting bright and deep at once. The intensity on this brute. The lift. The life. The intensity and length of this wine trumps just about everything but without harping on about it, the aromatics themselves are next level. The final words in my notes were “toffees apples and all the rest”. 99 points – Campbell Mattinson.