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Penfolds

Penfolds takes its name from an Englishman, Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold, who emigrated to Australia in the 19th Century. Like many of his time, Penfold held a belief in the medicinal qualities of wine, and his baggage included a collection of vine cuttings sourced from the south of France. In 1845 he and his wife, Mary, built a small stone cottage at Magill, near Adelaide, around which he planted his cuttings. This cottage was called...The Grange.

At the time Australian wine was largely fortified, and those produced by the Penfolds did not buck the trend. These fortified wines were principally produced for Penfold's patients, and they were very popular, and before long the vineyards were expanded. After Penfold's death in 1870 Mary continued to manage the vineyards alone, and within a few decades Penfolds was a household name across Australia. When Mary died in 1895, she passed control to daughter Georgina and son-in-law Thomas Hyland. The Penfold Hylands saw their family business rise to dominate the Australian wine industry; at one time one in every two bottles of wine sold bore the Penfolds label.

It was one of the Penfold Hyland's descendents, Jeffrey Penfold Hyland, that decided in 1950 to move from fortified to table wine production. The task of developing the range was given to their then winemaker, Max Schubert. What he went on to produce at Penfolds has become legend; in 1951 he blended an experimental table wine, based on Shiraz, which is now recognised as the Grange prototype. The wine was not well received by the Penfold Hylands, but Schubert continued production without their knowledge, and on subsequent tasting the family realised that this was a great wine. Grange was born, and over the next few decades Schubert went on to create many more of the famous Penfolds labels. In 1976 the Penfold Hylands relinquished control of their business to Tooth & Co., but it has subsequently been absorbed into the industrial group Southcorp (also responsible for Lindemans, Rosemount and Wynns Coonawarra Estate). Today the wines are made by Peter Gago, who took control from his predecessor John Duval in 2002.

To document all the wines produced by Penfolds is a monumental task, but it is probably worth a nod in the direction of the premium wines. First among all is the Grange Shiraz (also called Bin 95, and also called Grange Hermitage until the 1989 vintage), a multi-district blend of Shiraz often with small amounts of Cabernet, although the 1999 is 100% Shiraz and the 2001 is entirely Barossa Valley fruit, so there are exceptions. This iconic wine was first produced in 1951 in an experimental format, and commercially in 1952. Grange sees up to 20 months in 300 litre American oak barrels.

The RWT Shiraz was first produced in 1997 and is made from 100% Barossa Valley fruit sourced from vines of 20 - 100 years of age. It sees up to 15 months in French oak 300 lite barrels, of which up to 70% are new each vintage. RWT stands for Red Winemaking Trial, and reflects the great advances made in both viticulture and vinification practices at Penfolds in the last few decades. The St Henri Shiraz is, like Grange, another multi-district blend which also includes small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon. First produced commercially in 1957, there were experimental vintages between 1953 and 1956. This information may not be entirely accurate as at least one bottle of commercially produced 1955 has been discovered. It has less oak influence than some other wines in the Penfolds portfolio, with 18 months in 1640 litre casks of over 50 years of age. It changed its name from St Henri Claret in the 1989 vintage. The Magill Estate Shiraz was first produced in 1983 and differs from the preceding cuvées in that it is a single vineyard wine, made from vines surrounding the original Penfold homestead. The wine is 100% Shiraz, and sees up to 14 months in two-thirds new French oak and one-third American oak.

The Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon is the other important single vineyard red wine, produced from block 42 of the Kalimna Vineyard in South Australia. Its earliest bottling was the experimental 1948 vintage, but the fruit was not consistently of a sufficient quality for Max Schubert who was working on his Grange project. Nevertheless in subsequent vintages the fruit of this block has found its way into Grange, and also Bin 707. As a consequence there are only a few vintages of Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon compared to the other Penfolds labels. Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon is a multi-district blend, created in 1964 following several experimental vintages uses Block 42 fruit. It sees 18 months in 300 litre American oak barrels. Although more regularly produced than Block 42, some vintages such as 2003, 2000, 1995 and others saw no Bin 707.

Finally the only premium white wine, dubbed the 'White Grange' by some, is the Yattarna Chardonnay. This is a multi-district blend although it is primarily sourced from the Adelaide Hills. It is 100% barrel-fermented Chardonnay which then sees a further 18 months in French oak, which is between 50-100% new each vintage.

In addition there are several other ranges of wines, including Clare Valley organic bottlings, Bin number wines (including Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz and Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon), the Thomas Hyland wines (Shiraz, Cabernet, Chardonnay), Reserve wines, as well as Koonunga Hill and Rawson's Retreat bottlings. (20/8/04)

Contact details:
Address: 78 Penfold Road, Magill, South Australia 5072
Telephone: +61 (0) 8 8301 5569
Fax: +61 (0) 8 8301 5588
Internet: www.penfolds.com.au

Penfolds - Tasting Notes

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Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2002: Quite pale. Big, honeyed, oak-influenced nose, with some lemony fruit. Attractive palate, with good acidity underpinning a rich, honeycomb fruit. There is good style here, but the oak is dominant at present. Needs 2-4 years in the cellar before approaching. 15.5+/20 (May 2005)

Penfolds Cabernet Shiraz Bin 389 2002: Big, liquorice, American oak dominated nose. Slightly earthy, with aromas of beetroot pickling spices. Full, open, accessible palate, with stacks of oak but with a wealth of dark fruit too. Ripe tannins. All the structure required for the cellar; needs 7-8 years at least. 16.5+/20 (May 2005)

Penfolds RWT Shiraz 2002: Great colour. Very primary nose; red and black fruits smothered in dark chocolate. A full, soft, creamy, seductive texture, backed up by the grip of a seam of supple tannins, which build through the midpalate. Lovely black cherry fruit. Nicely poised, and lovely character. My choice from this selection. 16.5+/20 (May 2005)

Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz 2002: A more subtle nose; dark, spicy fruits, melded with American oak. The palate is soft, ripe and quite plump, with a layer of supple tannins which, although swathed in fruit, provide lovely grip. This is very good, with certain potential for the cellar. Needs 5-7 years. 16+/20 (May 2005)

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay (Padthaway/McLaren Vale, SA) 2001: Quite pale for a New World Chardonnay. Tropical fruit nose, with a sweet, vanillin lick of toasted oak. A touch of fatness on the palate, with obvious tropical fruit, and slightly astringent oak. Fresh, despite soft acidity. 14.5/20 (October 2002)

Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Semillon Chardonnay (SA) 2001: A lemon-gold hue. This wine has a good nose, which is dominated by the Semillon - honey on lightly buttered toast, with a touch of lanolin. Fresh, vibrant flavours on the palate, fruit dipped in honey, and pleasing acidity. 16/20 (October 2002)

Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Riesling (SA) 2001: A paler colour than one might expect for Aussie Riesling. Nevertheless, a lovely presence of fresh kiwi, pear and other white fruits on the nose. A clean palate, full of fruit, backed up with fresh acidity and some body. Mouth-watering, delicious, and all too easy to drink. Bottled under Stelvin (screwcap), like many Australian and New Zealand wines intended for early consumption, this is one wine where you don't have to worry about cork taint. Great value too. 16.5/20 (May 2002) Label

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay (Padthaway/McLaren Vale, SA) 2001: A fresh, lemony and slightly mealy nose. There is a freshness to the clean, slightly tropical fruit on the palate. Crisp lemony acidity. Good texture. Another quaffable vintage of this reliable label. 15.5/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Adelaide Hills Chardonnay (Adelaide Hills, SA) 2001: Plenty of honeyed, mealy oak on the nose here. The palate has a much firmer structure than the Koonunga Hill. A firm layer of fruit and good acidity. There is a mealy, toffee and honeycomb quality to the oak, which fortunately does not overpower the other flavours. There's a touch of style with this wine. 16/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Cabernet Shiraz Merlot (Clare Valley & McLaren Vale) 2001: One of Penfolds organic labels (NASAA certification). Pleasing colour although not great intensity of hue. Rather sweet and confected nose, with buttery blackberry crumble aromas. Medium bodied, somewhat bitter, foursquare tannins. The sweet fruit-cordial flavour lacks concentration, and leads into a short finish showing some disjointed alcohol. 12.5/20 (February 2005)

Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Bin 21 Semillon Chardonnay Colombard (SA) 2000: Semillon definitely dominates here, with a honeyed, lemon curd nose. The palate has good weight, low acidity and an aromatic, pear-drop flavour. Extravagant finish. 15/20 (May 2001)

Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 2000: Great depth to the nose here. Plenty of oak still showing, but a gamey, spicy complexity shows also. Moderate, more restrained style on the palate. Midweight, balanced, but with a core of powerful tannins, enveloped in a soft, seductive texture. To be critical, lacks focus and precision. But very good, nonetheless. 16+/20 (May 2005)

Penfolds Reserve Riesling (Eden Valley, SA) 1999: Quite a pale wine, with a fresh and zingy nose. A light and zippy palate, with good acidity, but not enough interest or weight for me. Pleasant, but not up to the quality offered by Tim Adams or Pewsey Vale, for instance. 14/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Koonunga Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvedre (SA) 1999: A sweet nose, full of pepper and raspberry fruit. This is followed by sweet, peppery, chewy summer berry fruit on the palate. A good body, nice structure and soft tannins. 15/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Rawsons Retreat Bin 35 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz (SA) 1999: A good dense colour. Dark fruits on the nose, with a big lick of vanilla and liquorice American oak. Medium bodied, with spicy, vanillin American oak dominating, good fruit and tingling acidity. A touch sweet and confected on the endpalate. Pleasant, but somewhat incongruous acidity. 14/20 (May 2001)

Penfolds Chardonnay (Adelaide Hills, SA) 1998: This wine has a fat, almost oily seeming nose, laden with tropical fruits. This is mirrored by an attractive intensity of flavour on the palate, with a good amount of balancing acidity. A fair amount of oak, but not overdone. 15/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Old Vine Semillon (Barossa Valley, SA) 1998: A light green-gold, with some thick, oily legs. The nose is classic Semillon, with buttery, lanolin, waxy aromas, and hints of white fruit. On the palate the wine is medium bodied, soft and round. Pleasant Semillon characteristics. Slightly bitter finish. Reasonable, but I expected more. 14/20 (October 2000)

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1998: Lovely blueberry and blackberry fruit on the nose, with a sheen of liquorice oak. The palate has sensible, balanced acidity, with soft tannins and plentiful blueberry, raspberry and blackberry fruit. Medium bodied, nicely textured. Nuances of spice and pepper on the finish. 16/20 (September 2001)

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1998: A richer, denser hue than the Bin 35. Liquorice and black fruits on the nose with less prominent oak. Pleasantly fruited palate, slightly softer acidity here, and integrated tannins. 15/20 (May 2001)

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz (SA) 1998: A good chocolate, spice, blackberry and raspberry nose. Quite powerful on the palate, with great fruit backed up by good structure. The tannins are firm, supple, but perhaps just a bit too prominent. Perhaps needs just a few more months in bottle. 16.5+/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz (Coonawarra, SA) 1998: A very youthful nose, with intense fruit and good black pepper notes. Again this is a sweet and tasty, fruit-laden and youthful wine, although with supple tannins and balanced acidity. 16.5+/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Bin 389 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1998: This has a more restrained nose, with a hint of elegance. Plenty of chewy blackcurrant, other black fruits and black pepper on the palate, with big tannins and fine acidity. Big and powerful, but strikes a good balance despite this. Tannins come to the fore on the finish - this wine needs time to come good. 16.5+/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1998: Lovely cassis fruit on the nose, although it seems a touch tarry and chewy. Nicely rounded on the palate, with good tannins, sweet blackcurrant fruit and a mealy oak edge. The tannins also dominate the finish of this wine, which would also benefit from a few more years in bottle. 16.5+/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Bin 707 (SA) 1998: The latest vintage of this flagship wine has an intense nose of sweet, chewy, tarry bramble and blackcurrant fruit. It is sweet, rounded and smooth on the palate, with cigarbox notes and blackcurrant fruit. This wine is in a very simple, primary stage of its evolution. Tannins are prominent, yet very supple and there is balanced acidity. This wine needs a lot more time yet. 17+/20 (November 2001)

Penfolds Botrytis Semillon (Riverina, New South Wales) 1998: The first vintage on this wine from Penfolds. A light, fresh lemony orange marmalade nose. The palate has a lovely texture, nice botrytis character, and a superb streak of acidity providing balance and structure. 16.5+/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Bin 202 Riesling (SA) 1997: A richly coloured wine, which has powerful wax, lanolin and lime aromas on the nose. This profile follows through onto the palate, which has good limey acidity to support the big, mouth filling texture. Good petrol notes starting to come through. 16/20 (September 2001)

Penfolds Old Vine Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz (Barossa, SA) 1997: An attractive nose, with a nice aroma of cracked white pepper so characteristic of Grenache. Medium bodied, with good peppery raspberry fruit. 15.5/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz-Mourvèdre (Barossa, SA) 1997: Spicy, minty black fruit on the nose. More upfront fruit on the palate, with attractive spices. Acidity on the low side, but very easy drinking. 14/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz (SA) 1997: Lots of youthful, minty black fruit here. Smooth and richly fruited on the palate, with a healthy tannic structure. There seems to be good balancing acidity, and a meaty note to the fruit. Good balance with plenty of ripe fruit makes this wine a popular choice on the night. No guess for this or the next wine, because I provided them. 16.5/20 (October 2001)

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz (SA) 1997: A deeply coloured wine, with fairly typical ripe, sweet, smoky blueberry and blackberry fruit on the nose, with some toasted, buttery oak which also adds a hint of vanilla. There is a suggestion that this wine has a brawny, muscular power, and this is borne out on the palate. Alongside all the sweet and spicy berry fruits there are firm tannins and a muscular attack, with tingling acidity. Nuances of leather and cloves give some interest. A rich and mouth filling wine. 16/20 (June 2001)

Penfolds Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz (SA) 1997: Again a more dense colour, with a more complex nose. Vegetal notes on top of a layer of fruit. Aromatic spices on the palate, with integrated oak and well balanced acidity. Good body, slightly more prominent alcohol than the other wines. 16/20 (May 2001)

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz (SA) 1997: Bigger on the nose, packed with spicy, coconutty, vanillin American oak, but with a good intensity of fruit. The palate lives up to the initial impression, being loaded with red and black fruits, pepper and spice. 15.5/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz (Coonawarra, SA) 1997: More intense black fruits here, but again the liquorice and spice of American oak has a presence on the nose. A rich, medium bodied, fruit laden palate with more of that spicy oak. Needs some time to come together. 16+/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordertown/McLaren Vale, SA) 1997: An elegant, lifted nose for such a big Aussie wine, with some attractive liquorice oak notes, and intense blackcurrant fruit. The palate is laden with blackcurrant and vanilla, and a touch of that liquorice, with a medium bodied, fairly restrained texture. Needs time. 16+/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz (SA) 1997: A massive Shiraz nose of black fruit and black pepper. The palate has stacks of fruit, peppery spice and obvious oak. Medium bodied, less opulent than the 1996 which I had a few months back, but will be good for short term drinking. Also needs time. 16+/20 (December 2000)

Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz (Coonawarra, SA) 1996: Showing some maturity of colour. Secondary character on the nose here, with leather and liquorice notes, but still with plenty of dark, macerated fruits too. This is the case on the palate too, but there is plenty of very firm, foursquare tannins. Medium bodied, with just moderate richness of texture. I wonder if the fruit and substance will outlast the tannins here? Maybe. Try again in a few years. 15.5+/20 (February 2005)

Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz (Coonawarra, SA) 1996: This wine has some meaty, chewy black fruit, with just a touch of a minty edge to the fruit. Some spice and tobacco complexity, but these notes are really subtle. The palate is softer and more meaty than the Bin 28, with some sweet fruit. There are tannins but these are integrating well. A maturing wine, although still with a suggestion of power. 16.5/20 (October 2001)

Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz (SA) 1996: A more elegant mahogany red colour, a sign of age. Attractive fruit on the nose, with spice and vegetal complexities. More refined on the palate, but still with plenty of fruit. Integrated tannins and correct acidity. Beetroot and spice notes. 16/20 (May 2001)

Penfolds Bin 389 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1996: Another deeply coloured, almost inky-black wine, with a vibrant raspberry-claret rim. Really rather porty on the nose, with notes of dried blackberries and blueberries, with some sweet, spirity, iron-edged notes alongside. Nice texture on entry, but quickly displaying a dry structure through the midpalate with some woody, extracted tannins underpinning notes of dried fruit. Also the acidity is rather low, which gives the wine a soft, rather imprecise feel on the palate, despite the appealing texture and structure. There is a residual note of primary, fruit gum sweetness too. I think there is plenty of potential here for development in the cellar, but the soft and rather disjointed nature sounds a definite note of caution for me. As with the 407 I have another bottle so it will be interesting to see how this wine fares. From a 1996 vintage ten years on tasting. 16.5+/20 (December 2006)

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz (SA) 1996: Great depth of colour here, and a wonderful nose. Super, smoky, blueberry and blackberry fruit, with an overlay of tarry-perfume character. Impressive, plush texture on entry, with ripe, supple tannins, balanced by lovely extract and piles of plump fruit. This is lovely, with a great presence on the palate. Still has piles of potential, and should improve over another ten years yet. 17+/20 (February 2005)

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz (SA) 1996: First try for me of the 1996 vintage. An inky black hue. There is a lovely, forward nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, vanilla and oak. The palate is lush and laden with sweet black fruit and vanillin oak. The tannins are firm but not overpowering, and there is a balanced level of acidity. Finishes well with a good length. This wine has the right structure and sufficient fruit to last for many years yet. 16.5+/20 (June 2000)

Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon (SA) 1996: A deep, inky, purple-black hue in the glass, with a deep oxblood-red hue at the rim. A great nose, just bursting with life as soon as the cork is pulled, showing a blast of sweet blackcurrant fruit at first, but then thankfully more depth and character, with some sweet mint and liquorice, baked earth and cherries. Good full weight and style on entry, with plenty of structure with a barely creamy coating. Well balanced, with firm acidity and a rich, sweet, perhaps alcohol derived mouthfeel. Holds up well through the palate, showing a little toffee-edged tannin on the finish with a little angular character, the only detraction in what is otherwise a lovely wine. Still certainly on the way up. I think I may have one more bottle yet. From a 1996 vintage ten years on tasting. 17+/20 (December 2006)

Penfolds Grange (SA) 1993: Very dense and opaque. A stinky, complex, vegetal and undergrowth nose. Aromas of beetroot and spices, with a layer of rich, sweet blackcurrant fruit. This is a huge, multifaceted wine. The palate has big tannins, firm acidity, and is very rich, with layers of fruit. Undoubtedly this is Grange. From an Australian Shiraz tasting. 18.5/20 (March 2001)

Penfolds Grange (SA) 1992: What an amazing colour. There are some dense and youthful wines in this tasting, but this beats them all. Deep, purple-black wine. On the nose there are some intense ripe fruits. The palate is again massive, eclipsing that of the previous wine. Lush, yet structured, with integrating tannins. A behemoth of a wine, and yet almost paradoxically it is seamlessly put together, elegant even, with finely balanced acidity. It glides across the palate. There is some pickling spice complexity to the plentiful fruit. Bags of potential here. Wonderful. No surprises when the label was revealed - this had to something special. From a 1992 vintage ten year on tasting. 18.5+/20 (December 2002)

Tasting notes are ordered by date of tasting, most recent first. I have tried to indicate whether it is a tasting of a new release, or of a wine I have cellared.

Penfolds Magill Tawny (SA) NV: Purchased in 1999. A lovely red, golden-amber colour. There's plenty of complexity on the nose, with caramel, roasted vegetables, raisins, and more than a hint of volatile acidity. Good weight, toffee and fig flavours, and sharply fresh acidity. Nicely balanced, almost elegant. Sweet, aromatic, alcoholic length. 16/20 (February 2003)