Penfolds

Penfolds is one of the most successful in Australian wine industry, with over 150 years of legacy. Many regarded Penfolds to produce the greatest wine of the Southern Hemisphere, the Penfolds Grange.

The name Penfolds comes from a young English doctor who migrated to Australia. Born in 1811, he was the youngest of 11 children and studied medicine at St. Batholomew’s Hospital, graduating in 1838.

He had a firm belief in the medicinal value of wine, and so planted vine cuttings from south of France next to his cottage in Magill, on the outskirt of Adelaide in 1845. He and his wife Mary called this house ‘The Grange’ after his wife’s home in England.

Dr. Penfold died in 1870, but his wife continued to own the vineyards and winery, mostly dedicated to producing fortified wines of port and sherry. In 1881 the scale was already remarkable, accounting for nearly one-third of all the wine produced in South Australia.

When the consumer taste started to change after World War II, Max Schubert, the winemaker, decided to institute a profound change in the direction. After his visit to Europe, Schubert produced the first experimental vintage of Grange Hermitage, a Shiraz-based wine inspired by France’s Rhone Valley.

Penfolds also produce a wide range of wines, with the best regarded by many to be Bin 707.

I have recently tasted the 1994 Grange and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has deep ruby color, with fading rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (+) intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackcurrant and blackberry, pungent spice of pepper, sweet spice of cinnamon and nutmeg, some herbal notes of mint and Chinese medicine, oak notes of cedar, dried fruit of prune, kernel notes of chocolate, maturity notes of savory. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium tannin which is totally smooth and well-integrated, with medium (+) alcohol and medium (+) body, exhibiting medium (+) intensity of flavors including black fruit of blackberry and dark cherries, pungent spice of pepper, sweet spice of nutmeg, oak notes of cedar, kernel notes of chocolate, herbal notes of mint. The wine has a medium (+) finish.

Conclusion

Very good quality high-priced Australian Shiraz, showing good fruit despite already 20 years old, on the nose the highly complex aromas has good concentration, and the palate is elegant, given this is a powerful wine it is particularly impressive. The tannin is already well-integrated and extremely smooth, with the structure so robust and balanced. It is at its peak now but can be kept for another 3-5 years.