Penfolds wines
Famous Australian winery has wide range of delicious wines to fit all palates and budgets
Penfolds is a household name in Australia.
Even people who are not that interested in wine (and perhaps never had a bottle of Penfolds in their life) have heard of it.
It is not too far-fetched to say that in the wine world, the Penfolds name is as well known as Google.
Except, unlike that brand that exists online, Penfolds is infinitely more tactile. And drinkable. Delicious too. Definitely more satisfying.
Penfolds was founded in 1844 in Adelaide by Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife, Mary. The couple had arrived in Australia from England at the ages of 33 and 24.
Their route to founding Australia's most famous winery was by way of medicine.
A trained physician, Dr Penfold was a firm believer in the benefits of wine and set up his practice on the eastern outskirts of Adelaide.
With his wife, he produced fortified wines in the style of sherry and port.
The wines were initially prescribed as tonics for anaemic patients.
As demand grew (and not always for medicinal purposes), the winery expanded and was officially established in 1844.
Later, the Penfolds discovered that Clarets and Rieslings were also popular and relatively easy to produce.
Not only was demand for their wines increasing, so too was the demand for Dr Penfold's medical expertise.
So Mrs Penfold had to step up to the greater challenge.
She devoted more time to the operation of the winery, including the cultivation of the vines and the blending of the various wines.
She was one of the first female winemakers in Australia.
Fast forward to more than 150 years later, Mr Peter Gago is the chief winemaker at Penfolds today.
He was born in Newcastle, England, where he lived until he was six, after which his family migrated to Australia, settling in Melbourne.
After graduating from the University of Melbourne, Mr Gago became a high-school teacher in mathematics and chemistry in the early 1980s.
At 29, he signed up for a degree in oenology at the famed Roseworthy College, South Australia, and graduated top of his class.
In 1989, he started working for Penfolds Wines.
In 2002, he became the fourth person in the history of the company - since 1948 when the legendary Max Schubert assumed the same position - to be named chief winemaker of Penfolds Wines.
The writer is wine consultant to FairPrice. He is also regional-chairman of Decanter World Wine Awards, vice-chairman of Decanter Asia Wine Awards and a columnist for the World of Fine Wine magazine in the UK.
PENFOLDS BIN 311 TUMBARUMBA CHARDONNAY 2016
Australian Chardonnay has gone through a mood swing - from creamy, greasy vanilla milkshake-like whites to more Burgundian-like tighter, crackling crisp, edgy winners. This is one such success. Very light straw, the aromas are restrained and suggestively cool climate. Grapefruit, lemon, nashi pear, soft vanilla, complete with a hint of flint. Lovely freshness. Balanced. Medium-plus bodied, and with intensity and length. The first vintage of Bin 311 was 2005.
PENFOLDS BIN 138 BAROSSA VALLEY SHIRAZ MATARO GRENACHE 2015
This deep-coloured red blend comprises three of the most important varieties of the Southern Rhone - Syrah or Shiraz, Mataro or Mourvedre , and Grenache or, as it is known in Spain, Granacha.
The ripe red and dark fruit includes cherries, blackcurrants, liquorice and a hint of chocolate. This is a rich red wine carried by equally ripe tannins. A relative red newcomer to the Penfolds brand, the first vintage was 1992. Delicious on its own and with roast pork, duck and stews.
PENFOLDS BIN 28 KALIMNA SHIRAZ 2015
Bin 28 is the oldest bin numbered wine in Penfold's historic Magill Estate. The first vintage was 1959. Eucalypt, plum, and chocolatey fruit caressed by soft tannins. A rich South Australian Shiraz that was aged in American oak for 12 months. Delicious on its own and with lamb, mutton, casseroles and stews.
PENFOLDS BIN 128 COONAWARRA SHIRAZ 2015
Following on the heels of Bin 28, Bin 128 was launched with the 1962 vintage. Whereas the former is aged entirely in American oak, Bin 128 sees time only in the French equivalent. The fruit is more lifted and brighter, including of plums, prunes and blackcurrants. Excellent with roast pork, roast chicken, duck and beef.
PENFOLDS BIN 407 SOUTH AUSTRALIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2015
Deep coloured. Liquorice, chocolate, plums, blackberries and blackcurrants. The succulent fruit is matched by equally rich, toasty oak.
A smooth, full-bodied Cabernet, the first vintage was 1990. Apparently, this red was given its bin numbering by a marketing executive who was an aviation aficionado and admirer of the Boeing 407 aircraft.
Whether up in the air or on the ground, an excellent match with steaks.
PENFOLDS BIN 389 CABERNET SHIRAZ 2015
Bin 389 is often referred to as the "Baby Grange", partly because the wine is matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange.
First produced in 1960 by the legendary Max Schubert, Bin 389 combines the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon (53 per cent) and the richness of Shiraz (47 per cent) to yield something that is greater than their individual parts.
Deep coloured and full-bodied, the ripe fruit includes stewed capsicums, plums and figs balanced by rich tannins. This will pair happily with red meats, including duck, lamb and beef.
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