55/45% cabernet sauvignon/shiraz, from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, Robe and the Clare Valley. Matured, fully blended, for 19 months in 54% new French oak hogsheads; 5000 cases. Blending just post-harvest is virtually unheard of at Penfolds, and the effect of maturing almost equal proportions of cabernet and shiraz together is a harmony and integration astonishing in a youthful blend of such monumental longevity. The 2 varieties entwine seamlessly with French oak, with the tension of cabernet and the body of shiraz interlocking with dark chocolate and coffee bean. Tannins are superfine and mineral, laying out a grand trail of longevity that meets every bit of expectation in the grant lineage of Penfolds blends. A world away from Superblend A, yet intrinsically aligned to the very letter of its DNA. The pair beg the question of picking favourites, but for me they are both profoundly unique yet impossible to separate. Ask me again in 2 decades.

This is easily the pick of the two new, limited-release ‘Superblend’ wines from 2018 with complex spiced dark-berry and plum aromas. Graphite and cedary oak, too. Nothing dominates this wine. The palate is layered and seamless and carries pure and intense fruit flavors so long. This is on the mark. A blend of 55% cabernet sauvignon and 45% shiraz that was blended after fermentation, then matured for 19 months in French-oak hogsheads (54% new and 46% 1-year-old). Drink or hold.

Penfolds's 2018 802.B Superblend comes across as more refined and elegant than the 802.A. It's 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Shiraz, blended just after fermentation and then aged 19 months in 54% new French oak. The oak here is more integrated and subtler, while the density of the fruit is similar, with overtones of mocha and dark chocolate added to the mix of cassis and blackberry flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, with a long, lingering finish. - JC

A stunning red, rich, dense, complex and seamless, showing a mix of salted dark chocolate, black olive, cardamom, black pepper and Earl Grey tea details that highlight the huckleberry, boysenberry and spiced plum notes at the core. This keeps gaining momentum on the epic finish. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. To be released August 2022. Drink now through 2042.

Deep ruby. Powerful, spice-accented cherry preserve, blackberry, potpourri and baking spice scents pick up suggestions of sandalwood and mocha as the wine stretches out. Shows sharp definition and spicy lift to its red/blue fruit liqueur, candied lavender and spicecake flavors, which slowly deepen through the back half, with no loss of vivacity. Finishes very long and lively, with resonating spiciness, gently gripping tannins and a late suggestion of musky chewing tobacco. Made in all French oak hogsheads, 54% of them new. (Drink between 2027-2041) - JR

The blend 55% Cabernet and 45% Shiraz being composed after 19 months maturation in a mix of new and one-year-old French oak hogsheads results in a more luscious wine compared to the 802A, where silky texture grabs your attention. It’s another exercise in power and drive, with oak still playing a decisive structural role in the tightly wound mid-palate, but there’s still breathing space for pretty elements to shine in time. Released in August 2022. (Drink between 2025-2055)