2018 Penfolds 802.B Super Blend

Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product shown.

Other Reviews....

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.

98 Points
JamesSuckling.com

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.

97 Points
Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

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.

94 Points
David Sly - Decanter