Margrain 'River's Edge' Pinot Noir 2004
Martinborough, New Zealand $TBA (684258)
Martinborough Pinot Noirs are winning wide acclaim, and it's not surprising with wines of this quality. It's an elegant Pinot Noir that over-delivers on just about everything. The dark cherry-dominant flavours are multi-faceted, with swirling pepper and herbal notes finely balanced by the acidity. It has a texture that invites food, good tannins that make themselves felt but not unwelcome, and a long herbal finish. Classy and classic, gutsy and elegant, it's quite stunning. Enjoy it with grilled chicken topped with grilled shiitake mushrooms. (RP)

Penfolds Bin 28 'Kalimna' Shiraz 2004
South Australia $29.95 (422782)
This is a full-bodied, mouth-filling, fruit-forward number with loads of complexity in the layered fruit aromas and flavours. Look for black fruit and berries with spice, pepper and herbal notes, along with a hint of chocolate and vanilla. The finish is long, with the herbs and spice playing a prominent role. The tannins are ripe and gripping, and manageable now, but you can safely hold this another five or six years. (RP)

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
South Australia $29.95 (414987)
Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago, says that this wine is "proactively made to be a varietally expressive Cabernet." It's 100% Cabernet Sauvignon-the blending that takes place is of components drawn from different vineyards, not from different varieties. What you get from the 2004 effort is excellent structure and a taut texture, with flavours of cassis, black cherry and mulberry, and an array of spices. The tannins are ripe and sweet and you can drink this now or hold it another ten or more years. (RP)

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2004
South Australia $34.95 (309625)
Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago, declares that Bin 389 is his favourite within the Penfolds' line-up, which includes the winery's iconic Grange Shiraz. It is, he says, "the archetypal Australian red," and it's even aged in barrels made of American oak but assembled at Penfolds' own cooperage. At 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Shiraz, the 2004 blend is more evenly balanced than many; the Cabernet component has run above 80% in some vintages. As Gago says, Bin 389 "is not made to a formula, but made to a style." Look for huge complexity and gorgeous fruit here, with ripe black plum and cherry and crushed black berries. You'll find accents of black pepper, chocolate and mocha. The tannins are gripping, and this will hold ten years, but you can drink it now. (RP)

Penfolds 'Yattarna' Chardonnay 2004
Henty, Western Victoria $90.00 (558643)
This is a stunning Chardonnay that's a total pleasure to drink. There's a hint of green to it, but no trace of greenness in the aromas and flavours. What you get is marvelous complexity, starting with flavours that are yellow peach, ripe nectarine and sweet apple and pear. There's a streak of minerality, some pungency from the lees, and vibrant lime acidity. It's quite taut in structure with a lovely brisk mouthfeel. Winemaker Peter Gago says that Yattarna, which was conceived as a white to go with Grange, "is still on probation," and that's appropriate for a wine whose name means "little by little." Still, there's a bit of unnecessary modesty here. Yattarna is consistently fine, and even though it varies each year, it's established itself as one of the great New World Chardonnays. (RP)

Penfolds 'RWT' Shiraz 2004
Barossa Valley $125.00 (564278)
'RWT' stands for 'Red Winemaking Trial', a project that began in 1995 and produced its first vintage in 1997. It's no longer a trial (except in so far as every vintage presents its individual challenges and opportunities), but the name remains. Look for lifted aromas of sweet dark cherry and plum, with notes of spicy black pepper. In the mouth it's generous and quite plush, with the aromas replaying delightfully. The tannins are sweet and firm and you can expect this wine to drink beautifully as it evolves over the next 10, 12 or more years. (RP)

Penfolds Bin 95 'Grange' 2002
Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale $320.00 (336388)
Grange is Australia's icon wine, and older vintages command prices in the thousands of dollars. It's made to a style, and draws on the regions and vineyards the winemaker, Peter Gago (he's Grange's fourth winemaker since the brand began, in 1951), believes will produce the best Grange that vintage. The 2002 is 77.5% Barossa and 22.5% McLaren, and it's 99% Shiraz and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. What you get is a truly elegant wine that delivers layered flavours of dark fruit and crushed dark berries, enhanced by notes of pepper, spice, chocolate, coffee bean. The effect is cumulative, as the layers pile on, but nowhere are they overwhelming. The acidity is poised and the frontier between fruit and acid is as seamless as you'd want. The tannins are ripe and sweet and will hold it over the very long term. (RP)

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2004
Coonawarra $29.95 (509919)
This is a medium-bodied, finely-structured Shiraz that offers lovely aromas of crushed black berries, black cherry, and black peppercorn with some floral notes. The fruit replays in the flavours, where they're joined by good peppery spiciness and some herbal accents. All this finds an excellent counterweight in a seam of clean acidity. The tannins are sweet and ripe, and drinking now, but they'll hold the wine another five to eight years. The total effect is stylish and restrained, compared to the fruit-forward styles (including Penfolds' own Bin 28 Shiraz, which is reviewed above). Winemaker Peter Gago notes that the U.K. market prefers the bigger and fuller Bin 28, while the trend in the U.S. is toward this wine. (RP)