Everything you need to know about the 2022 collection release from the Aussie wine legends.

Of all the big dates on the annual wine calendar (the only calendar that matters, if you ask us), the most feverishly anticipated has got to be Penfolds annual collection release. Each year the Aussie wine legends – and we don’t use that word lightly – wander down to the cellar, pull out their very best wine and offer it up to the world at its perfectly timed peak. And then, wine aficionados from around the world clamour to secure a piece of the collection and own Australian wine excellence.

You’d think that after more than 135 years in the game, Penfolds would be running out of tricks, but each year the esteemed winery finds a new way to surprise us – and 2022 is no exception. This year, for the first time ever, Penfolds is releasing its Australian, Californian and French releases together as one collection. Amongst the 18 bottles is an assortment of wines that spans worlds old and new, with some half-decade vintages crafted with winemaking knowledge spanning three millennia. It’s not just a chance to buy wine, but a chance to buy history.

Penfolds’ most beloved wines are represented in the 2022 Collection, including all of the Bins you know and love, some St Henris that’ll knock your socks off, and a Chardonnay for the ages. And before you ask, there is, of course, a Grange that will surely go on to break auction records someday. But never fear if you’re not in the market to spend almost a thousand dollars on a single bottle of wine, there’s still something for everyone in this year's release. While we’ll be grabbing at least one of everything (we’re greedy like that), below, we’ve spotlighted the wines at the top of our shopping list for this year’s release.

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Penfolds Grange Shiraz 2018

There’s only one way that we could possibly start this list – with the heritage icon (as officially listed by the South Australian government) that is Australia’s most celebrated wine. Tasting Grange is like tasting South Australia – the soil and region is viscerally present in each mouthful – and the 2018 embodies this more than any other recent Grange release. It’s the most Grange-y Grange that we’ve seen in a while – fresh, brash, and erupting with aromatics like ripe fruit, anise and dark cocoa. With peak drinking between 2028–2068, put it away for half a century (we’ll teach you how) and experience a once in a lifetime wine drinking experience.

Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz 2020

Bin 28 is always a benchmark expression of warm climate Australian shiraz – that classic, big and bold style that we do better than anyone else in the world. This 2020 release from Penfolds is a classic of classics, weaving everything we love about Penfolds’ house style into a singular wine. Ripe, robust and oh-so-generous in flavour, it’s warm on the palate and has an approachability that is perfect for Penfolds newbies and collectors alike. If you can’t help yourself, drink it now – but put it away for a few years and you’ll be rewarded handsomely for your patience.

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Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2020

The nickname for Bin 389 by those in the know is ‘Baby Grange’, which should tell you everything about the quality of this wine. The nickname is also in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. It’s a blissful marriage of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz that plays to the strength of each grape. You get the structure of cab sauv and the richness of shiraz intertwined into one delicious drop – yin and yang working together in harmony. The 2020 vintage is familiar but refined, with a sweet oak nose that gives way to baking spices and dense fruit that washes across the palate. It’s a complex wine that you’ll want to spend some time with while you unravel its mysteries.

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2019

St Henri is a kind of if-you-know-you-know style shiraz. Although it was first made in the 1950s, it wasn’t until the ‘90s that people started to understand and appreciate its alternative style. It’s a proudly unique wine that stuck to its guns and waited for everyone else to catch up. And boy did they – St Henri is now a beloved fixture for many collectors who appreciate its rich and plush characteristics. The 2019 vintage is exactly what you want from a St Henri, minimal oak (if any) that lets you appreciate the dark fruits and slight salinity.

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Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2020

It’s always the reds that get the most attention in a Penfolds release – which is great because it means there’s more white wine left for us! Okay, okay, we’ll be generous and give you the inside scoop on this Yattarna Chardonnay – it’s too good not to share. Yattarna is known for setting the standard for ultra-fine Australian chardonnay and the 2020 vintage raises the bar again. It features the pronounced ‘struck-flint’ nose that the style has become known for before moving into a toasty, buttery brioche flavour that chardonnay fans will love. This is cool climate chardonnay on a whole other level!

Penfolds Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2022

If a wine label has the words ‘Eden Valley Riesling’ on it, you can bet it’ll pass the pub test. Add ‘Penfolds’, and you can bet the house on it. Either way, we’ve never met a sure thing like Bin 51. Racy aromas of tropical citrus, notes of white blossom and green apple, and that tell-tale river stone texture to drive the point home – this is damn fine wine. In production for almost three decades, the 2022 is Bin 51 at its unrelenting best. Fantastic in youth, this wine has serious cellar potential. An equal delight for both the patient and the not-so-patient.