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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2005 and 2009 (based on 15 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 86.2 pts. and median of 87 pts. in 40 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by BruceReynolds on 12/13/2019: Had gone bad (1822 views) | | | Tasted by sharcin on 5/2/2019 & rated 88 points: Patience has definitely paid off with this one, it has been cellared below ground level for 16/17 years. The temperature maintained within 2 degrees.
Full bodied flavour rich in depth. Perfect tannins and very well balanced all round. (1882 views) | | | Tasted by hankydoodledandy on 11/23/2017: Not even sure where this came from, haha! Found in cellar, way past it's due date, hardly any fruit to speak of anymore. Black tar and rotten plum. (2531 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 8/19/2017 & rated 88 points: Last bottle, 15 years old, still some spicy fruit and licorice. Shows how well even cheap Penfolds can age in a good vintage. (2708 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 8/31/2014 & rated 88 points: A hint of farmyard on the nose suggest this is starting a very gentle and graceful decline? Still plenty of black fruit and licorice, and a warm spicy finish. (4775 views) | | | Tasted by NostraBacchus on 9/10/2013 & rated 87 points: Tasted from a "forgotten" 0.375 bottle. Still pretty dark purple color, getting a little lighter towards the rim. To my big surprise, this wine (from small bottle!!!) does neither smell nor taste dead. Nice nose of black fruits (black currant/cassis, blackberries) and some vanilla and flowers/herbs. Medium bodied with medium fresh acidity and still medium tannin (a touch green). Medium long finish. This is a pleasure-filled glass of wine, not very complex, but nicely balanced and surprisingly still relatively youthful. I honestly didn't expect this $12 bottle (for full bottle) to age this nicely for over 10 years... Great value! (5275 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 8/24/2012 & rated 89 points: As before - fantastic value (5747 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 4/29/2012 & rated 89 points: As before - seriously good wine at this price point. (5428 views) | | | Tasted by Emma on 11/20/2011 & rated 86 points: Fint utvecklat med mjuka tanniner, smak av plommon, lakrits och vanilj. (5798 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 9/30/2011 & rated 89 points: Just hitting its stride - juicy mouth coating tannin, blackberry, warm spice and a hint of licquorice. Great value. (3814 views) | | | Tasted by G_H on 11/19/2010 & rated 90 points: Having it together with Mexican Food, I'm surprised how much I like this. Great blueberry and vanilla cream nose. You can see that this was an excellent vintage. I don't like the name "everyday" wine usually, as for me this has some kind of repetitive notion, but just in terms of QPR and what I like to drink this could be a wine I would enjoy every day! Seems that I love Penfolds from top to bottom! (3996 views) | | | Tasted by tenorselbow on 10/30/2009 & rated 88 points: Nose of boysenberry, strawberry, pencil shavings. Meaty mouth with cherries, rustic and hearty. Medium length finish of prunes, plums and sawdust (3942 views) | | | Tasted by kmicho on 3/4/2009 & rated 82 points: Nose of cherries, plums, spice. Flavor was somewhat spicy. Not super complex, but good cherries & currant flavors. (4246 views) | | | Tasted by waragi on 12/13/2008: This was a gift left at our Christmas party. Dark, rich red color. Medium to full body. Chocolate, raison, blackberry and some spice. Very nice and much better than a 2006 Koonunga Shiraz-Cab. (4375 views) | | | Tasted by chris_3 on 9/20/2008 & rated 84 points: Perfectly fine inoffensive wine but nothing special (4246 views) | | | Tasted by Twitcher35 on 9/23/2007 & rated 88 points: Nothin' wrong with this baby - soft and smooth, with fruit to boot. Confirms my earlier remark that at sub $10 this is the best value red wine in Oz. (4809 views) | | | Tasted by brutusbuckeye on 6/19/2007 & rated 84 points: Deep and dark in the glass; nothing distinct really on the nose. The Shiraz is up front in the chewy, dark berry, currant, and pepper flavours in the mouth. Moderate finish. (4895 views) | | | Tasted by brentandalex on 3/24/2007 & rated 89 points: Wow...what a difference 2 years make . Really enjoyed this; wish I had bought more when I could. (4900 views) | | | Tasted by jcpetrson on 12/9/2006: Let this one aerate. Very hard tannins at first and opened up nicely. Definitely more Shiraz than a Cabernet. (5361 views) | | | Tasted by JNS on 9/6/2006: Beautiful color, aroma, legs, taste and finish. Just a delightful wine ! (5487 views) | | | Tasted by skm95t on 7/17/2006 & rated 80 points: Full-bodied, subtle aromas of berries and cola, no complexity, no tannins or structure, no peppery shiraz flavor, maybe it was just this one bottle, but I feel like it was already past its prime. This wine was the equivelant to drinking a flat coke. (1959 views) | | | Tasted by Emma on 3/31/2006 & rated 84 points: Almost nonexisting scent, but a lovely taste full of fruit (6225 views) | | | Tasted by Mic Mac on 3/20/2006 & rated 82 points: Completely unapproachable. Found the nose very closed. The wine lacks any distinct varietal fruit, with the palette hard and tannic. Don't recall this impression from earlier bottles from this dozen. Will leave and try another in six months or so. (6037 views) | | | Tasted by djimpens on 3/9/2006 & rated 86 points: Great balance. Easy drinking with spaghetti. (6355 views) | | | Tasted by cah1162 on 1/5/2006 & rated 84 points: Upon opening it was tough to drink. Very bitter. It is young. Decided to let it sit hoping it would open up. After a five hour wait (not deliberate. I had work to do.), I poured another glass and was pleased to find the tannins down and the berries and spices up. Not as good as Bin 128 Shiraz, but then again not quite as expensive. I am always looking for inexpensive reds to drink regularly and this one makes the list albeit towards the lower end. Next time I won't wait five hours... (6442 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| 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 2013Cabernet-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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