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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 85.6 pts. and median of 86 pts. in 121 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by JackKingman on 3/4/2022 & rated 78 points: If you have it, drink it. There's no benefit to additional aging. Already past the peak. (1213 views) | | | Tasted by jluca on 9/17/2018 & rated 87 points: Nice aroma. Flavorsome (3934 views) | | | Tasted by Umay Ceviker on 12/12/2017 & rated 87 points: Ruby with brick highlights. Some vegetal notes out front followed by sour cherry aromas. Bitter on the palate entry then shows off its oak before the tangy, red berry fruit. (4697 views) | | | Tasted by Ralph_ on 9/1/2017 & rated 80 points: past peak (5502 views) | | | Tasted by BigfootPMH on 8/5/2016 & rated 88 points: Decanted and consumed slowly. This is a decent but unremarkable wine.
Undetectable tannins but enough general structure, this wine is likely to be drinking near its peak now and for another couple of years.
Unmistakably Penfolds and the 6 years since the vintage have improved its proposition immeasurably.
It's a fruit forward wine but mostly characterised as single dimensioned.
Is it a buy again? Probably not with better options in the sub $20 tier of the market (such as St Hallet Faith Shiraz, Duck Duck Goose Shiraz and Margan Shiraz) but it's drinkable after some time in the cellar. (7166 views) | | | Tasted by ThalesGaspar on 5/27/2016 & rated 88 points: Another great bottle of Penfolds for the price! Delicious. (6896 views) | | | Tasted by Lambsfry on 12/12/2015: Tinaroo with Kings and Berthers (5831 views) | | | Tasted by pkbowen on 4/30/2015 & rated 87 points: Aerated into a decanter. Presents as a brilliant ruby with an inky core and a bit of fine sediment in the last 5-10 mL. After pouring the nose is just hulking, massive, intense, and barely tolerable. Just that strong. After a few minutes (15+) it settles down and smells of smoked meat and rich earth. It's fairly straightforward, but very pleasant. It matches for the most part on the palate from the attack through the short finish. The structure is what makes this mouth-filling and especially "big." Medium(+), mouth-drenching acidity and high-intensity tannins pucker your mouth from stem to stern. Definitely requires relief in the form of cheese or fatty food. Overall, though, it was very enjoyable, and we have yet to dislike a bottle of Penfolds at any price range. "Very good," 87/100. (6489 views) | | | Tasted by powrsurg on 9/20/2014: Unstructured immature tannins. That said its creamy with loads of vanilla, currants, and a touch of coffee. (7792 views) | | | Tasted by corkscrews on 9/3/2014: A nose of dark fruit and spice, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied blend, with blackberry, black cherry, some chocolate and spice on finish, an average red. www.winelx.com (5958 views) | | | Tasted by dwaynelm on 6/10/2014 & rated 88 points: Dark fruit with bright acidity, hint of earthiness and balanced oak. Nice value. (6200 views) | | | Tasted by dwaynelm on 4/7/2014 & rated 85 points: Dark fruit, what I think of as a classic Aussie profile. Not my preference but no complaints at $5. (6112 views) | | | Tasted by dwaynelm on 1/15/2014 & rated 87 points: Dark fruit, spice, and tobacco. Surprisingly complex for the price. (5961 views) | | | Tasted by ItamarL on 1/7/2014 & rated 71 points: - med+ color
- green odder
- Very bitter , unfruity & unbalance (4554 views) | | | Tasted by with_1 on 12/12/2013 & rated 89 points: Outstanding qpr! (5068 views) | | | Tasted by mattias_hansen@hotmail.com on 12/11/2013 & rated 89 points: Dark Ruby. This has improved significantly since my last bottle, which i now believe must have been slightly off. Nose of ripe cassis, dark cherry, pencil shavings, crushed rocks, and earthy notes. Palate is rich and flavorfull, balanced with ripe dark fruit and fresh acidity. The cabernet is showing more than its fair share on the nose and palate, which i happen to like. Simplistic in composition, but nice and balanced. Good for the pricetag and not a jammy fruitbomb at all. Finishes medium+ ending in mineral and tobacco. (4385 views) | | | Tasted by xinco on 10/19/2013 & rated 84 points: Adequate. Prefer the shiraz, not the blend. Bought a case of this by mistake, good enough not to return. (4544 views) | | | Tasted by LindaFox on 10/3/2013 & rated 87 points: 75% Shiraz, 25% Cab. Sauv., dark cherry and anise with a crisp acidity and a medium finish. This is a good, dependable wine. (4020 views) | | | Tasted by wintergreen on 9/23/2013 & rated 86 points: nose: very aromatic, floral, smoky red fruit. bacon/roasted pig
palate: cherry candy, cooked plums. nice acidity. good tannins. savory finish with a hint of cinnamon and eucalyptus
if you like the flavor profile, go for it. it was too warm for me. (3895 views) | | | Tasted by AndreasHeddini on 8/11/2013 & rated 91 points: Very smooth, black currant, chocolate and warm tannins (3955 views) | | | Tasted by earlyApex on 6/14/2013 & rated 86 points: After deciding to start trying "finer" wines and going on a binge for the past six months it was time to take a step back from $20-$30 bottles and try the old stuff.
Purchased at the local grocer and upon opening this had a bit of a sting to it. Difficult to discern fruit but definitely felt the alcohol. After decanting for one hour and adding a slight chill (about 60 degrees) the wine came around and began to show more of the shiraz pepper notes and fruit you expect from an Aussie. As much body and complexity as you can expect from an $8 bottle with a light to medium finish. This was a very pleasant sipper and worked well with our dinner. No need to set your expectations too high, it is what it is, entry level but much better than peers at a similar price. Enjoy! (5030 views) | | | Tasted by tschneid on 5/16/2013 & rated 87 points: Good but not great. Good everyday kind of wine. (4487 views) | | | Tasted by mattias_hansen@hotmail.com on 5/2/2013 & rated 86 points: dark ruby colour. The nose is dominated by stewed red fruits, initially overwhelmed by a musty odor, which is offputting. It resides with time but a hint remains. The palate is not affected by the odor, but shows simple raspberry and black cherry character, mediumbodied and one-dimensional. THe finish is short, with a little heat on the finish. The tannins fully resolved and polished. Simple, but with ok balance between tannins and acidity. actually gains a little weight on the midpalate and finish with decantation, so packing a little more than at first sight (4502 views) | | | Tasted by bianca15 on 4/20/2013 & rated 87 points: Nice, not great. Not big but has some spice and good tannins. Interesting but would not go out of our way to buy again. (4513 views) | | | Tasted by YWG Wine Guy on 4/5/2013 & rated 85 points: For the price - kind of what you would expect - simple, straightforward every day sipper...bright red fruit with some structure with light acid and tannin. Not complex and not something to savour for the long term. (4433 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By David Lawrason
WineAlign (12/1/2012)
(Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet, South Australia red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Halliday
Halliday Wine Companion (8/28/2012)
(penfolds koonunga hill shiraz cabernet) Subscribe to see review text. | By Josh Raynolds
Vinous, July/August 2012, IWC Issue #163
(Penfolds Wines Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet South Australia) Subscribe to see review text. | By Steve Thurlow
WineAlign (4/27/2012)
(Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet, South Australia red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and Halliday Wine Companion and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Penfolds Producer website
Producer Cellar Door - Barossa (Google Maps)
About Us
Australia's winemaking history of less than two hundred years is brief by European measures though, like Europe, punctuated by periods of extreme success and difficult times. From the earliest winemaking days Penfolds has figured prominently and few would argue the importance of Penfolds’ influence on Australia’s winemaking psyche.
Without the influence of Penfolds the modern Australian wine industry would look very different indeed. Sitting comfortably outside of fad and fashion, Penfolds has taken Australian wine to the world on a grand stage and forged a reputation for quality that is without peer.
Penfolds’ reputation for making wines of provenance and cellaring potential might suggest a mantle of tradition and formality is the preferred attire of a company with so much history to defend. But to label Penfolds as simply an established and conventional winemaker, would be to confuse tradition with consideration and to overlook the innovative spirit that has driven Penfolds since its foundation, and continues to find expression in modern times.
If there is anything traditional about Penfolds, it is the practice of constantly reviewing the wines it already does well, and continuously evolving and refining styles as vineyards mature and access to ever older and more varied vineyard sites improves.
Making The Best Possible Wine
At Penfolds, the role of the winemaker is to make the best possible wine within the constraints of each vintage. Penfolds’ house style emerged from a fortified-wine producing culture and evolved as a winemaking philosophy – a way of making wine – which has had a profound effect on the entire Australian wine industry.
The concept of multi-regional and vineyard blending, a feature of the Penfolds house style, is an amplification of the ‘all-round wine’. Without the constraints of a single vineyard, winemakers could choose the best possible fruit with the outstanding characteristics of each vineyard.
While American oak has played a central role in the development of Penfolds red wines, French oak has been increasingly used in the evolution of new wines – particularly RWT and Yattarna. Maturation in oak, which follows fermentation, is also key to the Penfolds house style.
The Penfolds approach to winemaking has percolated through the entire Australian wine industry over the last 50 years. The techniques employed in research and development of Penfolds wines are remarkable and many of the discoveries and innovations have had a lasting impact on winemaking thinking.
Winemakers
In Max Schubert, Don Ditter, John Duval and Peter Gago, Penfolds has nurtured four of Australia's great winemakers. They have passed the Chief Winemaker’s baton of responsibility for crafting some of Australia's most iconic wines, down through the past six decades.
Joining Peter Gago in the Penfolds winemaking team are Senior Red Winemaker Steve Lienert, Senior White Winemaker Kym Schroeter, and Red Winemakers Andrew Baldwin, Adam Clay, Stephanie Dutton and Matt Woo - also the Penfolds Fortified Winemaker. All members of the Penfolds winemaking team ensure that Penfolds’ reputation for outstanding quality is upheld.
Vineyards
Barossa Valley
Penfolds draws fruit from a combined vineyard area of 618 hectares in the Barossa region of South Australia. The Barossa is about 70 kilometres north of Adelaide and in 1911 Penfolds established a winery at Nuriootpa, completed in time for the 1913 vintage. The Barossa region is known for its relatively low rainfall with many vineyards dry grown on single wire trellising.
Magill Estate
The historic and heritage-protected Magill Estate Vineyard was established in 1844 by Dr Christopher Rawson and Mary Penfold—just eight years after the foundation of Adelaide. It was originally known as the Grange Vineyard, named after their new homestead ‘The Grange’, a cottage which still stands intact amongst the vines.
Eden Valley
Joseph Gilbert planted the first vines in the Eden Valley in 1842 and since that time the region has become synonymous with producing elegant riesling and complex shiraz. While its name suggests a concave nature, Eden Valley is actually a wide ridge, situated east of the Barossa Valley with an altitude ranging from 440 – 550 metres.
McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is located approximately 40km to the south of Adelaide, with the vineyards in the region located between 6 and 15 kilometres from the Gulf of St Vincent. The elevation ranges from 50 to 350 metres above sea level. Penfolds has company owned vineyards throughout the region, using the fruit as blending components for premium red wines such as Grange and Bin 389.
Coonawarra
Penfolds has had a long history with the Coonawarra region, dating back to their first vineyard purchase in 1960. It is one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia with weathered limestone terra rossa soils, relatively cool climate and overall water availability. Coonawarra has played a significant role in many of Penfolds' multi-regional wines as well as the single region wines such as Bin 128.
James Halliday Australian Wine Companion Winery Of The Year 2014: Penfolds
Penfolds is Australia’s foremost winemaker, with an unbroken line dating back to its establishment in 1844 when medical practitioner Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and wife Mary purchased ‘the delightfully situated and truly valuable of Mackgill … Comprising 500 acres (202 hectares) of the choicest land’. Here they built the house that still stands today, and within a few years had begun the winery and cellar on the site of today’s buildings at Magill Estate.
Mary took charge of winemaking, initially producing grenache prescribed by her husband as a tonic for anaemic patients. By 1870 she, son-in-law Thomas Hyland and cellar manager/winemaker Joseph Gillard had formed Penfolds & Co. With markets in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, their wine production was over one-third of South Australia’s total.
Growth continued unabated, and in 1945 Penfolds acquired the jewel of the Magill Vineyard, at that time the largest vineyard in South Australia. It now has 2100 hectares of vineyards, the largest share of Australia’s total. Two men came together in the 1950s to lay the foundation of Penfolds today: winemaker Max Schubert, and research chemist Ray Beckwith (who died shortly after his 100th birthday in 2012); indeed, their contribution transcended Penfolds to the entire Australian wine industry.
The architecture for the Penfolds wine portfolio of the twenty-first century was established in the 1960s, half a century ago. There has been growth, both in the range of labels and their price points, but it has been cleverly – indeed sensitively – managed; demand-driven growth has been achieved without any quality compromise whatsoever.
There is no possibility that the pre-eminence of Penfolds will ever be challenged by any other Australian wine business. Equally certain is that the Penfolds brand value will continue to gain ground on the world stage of all consumable products. If proof be needed, the overall quality of the wines in this Wine Companion is the best Penfolds has ever presented to the markets of the globe.
Author: James Halliday Jul 20132010 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz CabernetShiraz 75%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%Cabernet-Shiraz BlendA very popular blend in Australia-particularly from South Australia, where the two varietals work well together. The most famous of these would be the Penfolds Bin 389, considered Australia's most cellared wine. In years gone by this was referred to as "Baby Grange" as some of the wine used barrels from the vintage of Grange.
The 2018 Paternus states only McLaren Vale Shiraz (no Cab Sav).Australia Wine Australia (Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) | Australian Wines (Wikipedia)South Australia South Australian Wine Industry Association | South Australian Wines (Wikipedia) |
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