2019 RWT Bin 798 Shiraz

Full bottle 1,525 g. Aged for 18 months in French oak hogsheads (57% new, 43% one year old). Blackish purple. Intensely high-toned but tight – not opulent – as though it's desperately trying to be serious! On the nose, it would be fun to slide this in to a blind tasting of young Hermitages! Smooth as silk!!! Maybe that should be Guigal Côte Rôties rather than Hermitages… As with the Bin 707, I could drink this tonight, despite knowing it will blossom into something even more complex and has quite enough tannin under that glorious fruit to develop over many years. Obviously the dry finish mandates some assertive food with this. Scrummy. Or should I say delicious as I think 'scrummy' was rather derided last time I used it? Great balance and nothing over the top. (JR)

A strident RWT with a regional signature of tar and coal smoke to the ripe plums and blackberries. Such intense, ripe dark-plum and blackberry drive on powerful, deep-set tannins that run long through the finish. Contained power. Drink over the next decade. Screw cap.

Opaque violet. Deeply pitched cherry, blackcurrant, licorice and incense aromas are complemented by vanilla and woodsmoke flourishes. Shows outstanding clarity and power, offering densely packed black/blue fruit, candied violet, cola and spicecake qualities, along with a peppery nuance that builds with aeration. Chewy and energetic on the strikingly long, sappy finish, which features well-knit tannins, lingering vanilla and spice notes.