In a global approach to winemaking, Penfolds realises its ambition to make wine outside of Australia.
Text by Corina Tan
Australian wine maker, Penfolds has launched its annual collection this August, comprising of wines from three country of origins. The Australian, Californian and French releases showcase Penfold’s ‘House Style’, embracing the freedom to explore premium viticultural regions across Australia and the world.
This global approach to winemaking allows Penfolds to realise its ambition to make wine outside of Australia with skills, interest and experimentation that has grown over decades. A rich tradition of research, curiosity and wine trial continues to guide Penfolds winemaking endeavours in Australia, Champagne, Napa, Paso Robles California and now Bordeaux, France.
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The Penfolds Collection 2022 includes the following wines.
French
2019 Penfolds II Cabernet Shiraz Merlot: A partnership between Penfolds and Dourthe.
2019 FWT 585Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot
Australian
2018 Grange2020 Yattarna Chardonnay
2020 RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz
2019 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
2020 Magill Estate Shiraz
2019 St Henri Shiraz
2021 Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay
2020 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz
2020 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
2020 Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz
2020 Bin 28 Shiraz
2020 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz
2020 Bin 138 Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Mataro
2021 Bin 23 Pinot Noir
2021 Bin 311 Chardonnay
2022 Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling
Californian
2019 Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Bin 600 Cabernet Shiraz
Penfolds 2018 Grange
Following the inaugural release of Penfolds Californian wines in 2021, the new release this year includes the 2019 Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon and Bin 600 Cabernet Shiraz. Also led by the 68th consecutive release of Penfolds 2018 Grange, The 2022 Australian release is a testament to the multi-regional blending, offering an abundance of complexity.
Penfold’s new French release combines creativity, direction and vision in partnership with Bordeaux’s most respected winemaking houses, Dourthe Bordeaux. Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and Dourthe Chief Winemaker Frédéric Bonnaffous, collaborated to craft a wine that spans Northern and Southern Hemispheres, blending grapes from Bordeaux (71%) and South Australia (29%). The result delivers Penfolds II Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2019. The name “Penfolds II” represents two winemakers coming together, to express quality through a harmonious blend of traditional French winemaking techniques and time-honoured Australian winemaking methods.
“This is the start of our French winemaking journey. Our main objective? To remain true to the winemaking ethos of both wineries, to deliver the best blend possible, to ideally make Bordeaux and South Australia proud. This wine is not about bigness or boldness or assertion. It is blended to convey an ethereal lightness, subtlety on the palate -sensitively binding two hemispheres, Old World and New.” said Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker.
“To push the boundaries and craft such a blend was an unexpected and utterly fascinating concept. Collaborating and cultivating firm friendships with the Penfolds winemaking team in blending such an exceptional wine was a dream come true. For us, this was ground-breaking, resulting in a totally original, innovative wine -Penfolds II -which far surpassed all our expectations, while remaining true to the culture and style of our respective countries and houses.” said Patrick Jestin, Dourthe CEO.
The second wine to be released in August is the 2019 Penfolds FWT 585: A trial Bin wine made of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Since 2018, many trials and blends were tasted throughout the classification process where comprehensive and focused wine trials marked the beginning of this new chapter for Penfolds in France. The Trial wine was made at Cambon la Pelouse Winery with Penfolds Senior Winemaker Emma Wood who played a pivotal role, together with French colleagues on the ground. Penfolds winemakers have been visiting France for years, whilst refining a vision and benefiting from the support team in Bordeaux.
Penfolds Managing Director Tom King said “Penfolds is building a global ambition not just on paper but with our feet in vineyards across two hemispheres. We are focussed on making Penfolds wines from the best winemaking regions globally. We started this journey with our partnership with Champagne (Thienot), then brought to life a 20-year endeavour with the California wine release, and now, we proudly introduce a partnership with leading a Bordeaux winery and reveal our own 2019 Trial Bin wine in France.”
