2021 Bin 21 Grenache, Penfolds, South Australia

The 2022 Bin 21 Grenache pours a vibrant fuchsia in the glass and leads aromatically with poached raspberries, red earth, peppery rolled pastrami, brunette tobacco and a hint of black olive tapenade. In the mouth, the tannins are wrapped around a core of pure red raspberry fruit; it is ripe but not overly so and features a constellation of soft, chalky tannins. Really nicely done. It's the first vintage for the Bin 21. I asked where the McLaren Vale Grenache is (before you wonder yourself), and the answer was, "It is a medium-term intention." Sweet. It will be hard to resist drinking this in its infancy, but it has the hallmarks of future capacity also. It was matured in French oak for less than a year (6% new). Drink 2023 – 2035. 14.5% alc

A new wine! So much darker than most Grenaches – really blueish, mid to dark crimson. It does smell like Grenache. Very sweet start and it’s like a particularly soft, polished Châteauneuf rather than an old-vine Spanish Garnacha. With quite a bit of ripe tannin on the finish. Lots of pleasure here already. Hint of mint – buttery Murray Mints. Drink 2023 – 2030. 14.5% alc

Rather loose-knit and a little lolly-water-like, this is a decent wine, but it hasn’t decided whether it is a meatier Grenache style or a Pinot style, so it sits on the fence and tries to appeal to the masses, which it does, but it will likely miss out on wowing individualists. Drink now – 2030. 14.5% alc

This inaugural release of the 2022 Grenache Bin 21 is a crowd-pleaser. It displays a rich array of sweet fruit aromas ranging from red licorice and dark cherry overlaid by subtle new leather and oak influences. It's generous, fruit-forward and mouth-filling in feel with hard-edged tannins keeping the fruit in check. The 2022 is old school but appealing all the same time.