Penfolds RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz 2002. About $AUD150. The RWT is black cherry in colour and near opaque. Nose of pepper and spices, cherry liqueur, aniseed and lightly charred French oak. The palate (this is way too young to drink now) is solid, dry and chewy with ‘cop this!’ tannins. The fruit as you might expect is enormous but is subdued at the moment by the untamed chewiness. The long finish has hints of raspberries and high-grade, slightly bitter, dark chocolate. This’ll all come together in a couple of years into a memorable blend that promises to cellar well for 20 and more years.

Just announced by Penfolds is the launch of their en primeur Special Bin wines, the Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 and the Bin 60A Coonawarra Cabernet Barossa Shiraz 2004. At the same time (May 1) they are releasing their super premium wines: Grange 2000, Yattarna Chardonnay 2002, Bin 707 Cabernet 2002, Magill Estate Shiraz 2002, St Henri Shiraz 2001 and the RedWinemakingTrial shiraz 2002.

Prices range from around $70 for the St Henri to maybe$500 for the Grange, putting these wines out of the reach of any but auction speculators, the wealthy or the seriously indulgent. Oh, I forgot, and the wine writers who get to sample them. When I was younger and wanted to try wines such as these I lashed out with the hard-earned or joined with friends to share the cost of an unforgettable experience. I still recall the buzz I got when I opened the first Grange I tried – the 1969. Are they worth it? How much might a wine lover pay for an unforgettable experience?