April 2, 2024

Penfolds

Penfolds Subheading

 

2 Centuries of Red

Since 1844, Penfolds has been grounded in experimentation, curiosity and uncompromising quality. Penfolds’ success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers.

It began with Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold, the pioneers who dreamt big, inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines made from grapes and Australian sunshine. It continued with Alf Vesey, Ray
Beckwith and Max Schubert, celebrated winemaking legends who pushed Penfold’s development to
extraordinary, bold new heights.

It is this pioneering spirit and curiosity that still rings true after nearly two centuries, it is
what has helped them become one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world today.

 

Penfolds wines - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Champagne - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Champagne Cuvee Brut

  • Origin: Champagne region, France.
  • Type: Cuvee Brut.
  • Analysis: 12% ABV.
  • Tasting notes: A bonanza of flavours – instantly reminding of a just-baked Tarte au Citron meringuée. Subtle derivatives of raspberry pastille, nougat and vanillin bean pod flavours. Assorted sherberts coupled with tingling acidity enhance and define. An array of citrus exemplars prance across the palate – clean and pure, without any bitterness from zest. Gentle, ethereal, no rough edges.
  • Colour: Clear straw.
  • Aroma: Awash with florals – an exotic mix of white petals immediately ascend – wafts of lily, chamomile and seringat immediately come to mind. Familial notes of roasted nut, vanillin pod and custard-apple remain in the very-quickly emptied glass. A subliminal tussle between disparate aromatic dispositions – fresh, forward and flirtaceous vs. delicate, assured and measured.

Champagne through a Penfolds lens. This Cuvée Brut NV release is sourced from highly regarded vineyards across the Champagne region. Made in partnership with Champagne Thiénot, the blend is made up of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Complete and assured, the Cuvée Brut is fresh and forward on the nose, and lively on the palate.

 

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 750mL - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 750mL

  • Origin: South Australia.
  • Type: Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • Analysis: 14.5% ABV.
  • Tasting notes: The palate is firm, structured and very generous. Milk chocolate flavours lead the way, with a generous berry compote close behind. The tannins are silky, almost waxy or polished, creating a fine graphite like core. The texture is verging on lanolin, cheese rind, creamy. Juicy and utterly delicious.
  • Colour: Dark core, purple rim.
  • Aroma: The nose is varietally well defined, with a distinctive chocolate/mint note immediately to the fore. With a gentle swirl, generous dark fruits emerge. Fresh satsuma plum, mulberries and blackberries. The confectioners shop appears again, with a suggestion of hubba bubba and red liquorice. Toasted oak is manifesting as roasted hazelnuts… Nutella!
  • Food match: Lamb shanks, Beef cheeks, Toulouse sausages, charcuterie, firm cheeses like Cheddar or Gruyere.

Penfolds has championed multi-regional blending of the cabernet sauvignon varietal since the early 1960’s when our flagship Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon was first created. We first made the Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon in 2002.

Sourcing across the different soils and climates of South Australia allows our winemakers to craft wines with defined varietal character. This Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon is showing both the hallmarks of the varietal and the Penfolds stamp. Immediately accessible, enjoy now or after a few years of careful cellaring. This is the benchmark in Penfolds ‘entry level range’ and is recognised all over the world for style and quality. A wine that is a sign of what the Penfolds portfolio will offer in the more premium tiers.

 

Penfolds Club Tawny 750mL - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Club Tawny 750mL

  • Origin: South Australia.
  • Type: Fortified Wine.
  • Analysis: 18% ABV.
  • Tasting notes: Soft and mellow. Sweet plum currant flavours align with fine spirit and balanced acidity, creating freshness and length of flavour.
  • Colour: Medium dense tawny with crimson edge.
  • Aroma: Fresh caramel nutty aromas with a distinctive aniseed lift from the spirit, combined with ripe plum fruits.
  • Food match: Braised meat dishes, seared chicken livers, duck terrine, charcouterie. Chocolate desserts. Crème brûlée.
    Cheese: Blue Castello, English Cheddar, Manchego, Soft goats cheese.

With a rich and established history, Penfolds Club Tawny has been instrumental in shaping what is known today as Penfolds ‘House Style’. Whilst the first releases were sourced from a single vintage; 1950, 1953 and 1956, Club Tawny today is crafted as a multi-varietal, multi-vintage blend, encompassing the Penfolds winemaking philosophy.

A youthful Tawny, Club displays depth and intensity, relying on a wonderful combination of fruit and spirit to provide freshness, weight and a full, flavoursome finish. Matured in seasoned oak barrels, the Club Tawny has a minimum average blended age of three years. As the cornerstone of Penfolds range of exceptional fortified wines, Club continues to provide a well-balanced Tawny demonstrating a consistency of style and quality.

 

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz 750mL - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz 750mL

  • Origin: South Australia.
  • Type: Shiraz.
  • Analysis: 14% ABV.
  • Tasting notes: Red fruited succulence, plush juicy fruit and refreshing acidity giving length to palate. A finish reminiscent of creamy strawberry yogurt. Red fruits follow onto the palate. Vanilla crème gateaux. Fine graphite powdery tannins. Panna cotta silkiness on the palate.
  • Colour: Blushing ruby red. Medium purple core.
  • Aroma: Intense all spice. Perfumed notes of fresh red currants and strawberries. Light charcuterie
    notes: pastrami and bresaola. Intensely aromatic.
  • Food match: The mid-week pizza, family roast, or even just enjoyed with cheese and charcuterie –
    you will find an easy food match for this wine, any day of the week.

First made in 2002, Koonunga Hill Shiraz is a multiregional blend from across South Australia’s premium wine growing regions. Koonunga Hill Shiraz is a plumper style with plush red-berried fruits, generosity of flavour and supple ripe tannins.

It has excellent structure and length, and while it is ready for drinking now, the Koonunga Hill Shiraz will gain further complexity over the next two to four years. This is the benchmark in Penfolds ‘entry level range’ and is recognised the world over for style and quality. A wine that is a sign of what the Penfolds portfolio will offer in the more premium tiers.

 

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 750mL - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 750mL

  • Origin: South Australia.
  • Type: Shiraz Cabernet.
  • Analysis: 14.5% ABV.
  • Tasting notes: Oak derived spice makes its presence felt by way of Hungarian paprika and celery salt. There are layers of flavour, the sweetness of hazelnut chocolate balanced by savoury pan-seared pancetta, sandalwood and salted nori. A fine line of acid and talcy tannins make for a supple and plush mouthfeel.
  • Colour: Crimson with purple hues at the core.
  • Aroma: Generous aromatics, equal parts sweet and savoury notes. Each varietal brings something intriguing to the party. Perfumed baking spices abound with raspberry coulis, dark cherry Danish and castor sugar dusting. A hint of bergamot provides an Earl Grey-esque allure. There is a certain plushness to the nose that is enriched by the presence of exotic spice.
  • Food match: Grilled meats, braised dishes, Italian sausages, lamb chops, charcouterie, firm cheeses like Cheddar or Gruyere.

First made in 1976 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet is very much a reflection of the Penfolds winemaking style and philosophy. Sourced from premium vineyards across South Australia, the wine is known for its full-flavoured style with excellent shiraz and cabernet sauvignon fruit, firm yet well-rounded structure and balanced oak.

Made as a traditional ‘Australian blend’, the Shiraz component provides fleshy fruit flavour while cabernet sauvignon provides a frame of fine grained tannins. This is the benchmark in Penfolds ‘entry level range’ and is recognised the world over for style and quality. A wine that is a sign of what the Penfolds portfolio will offer in the more premium tiers.

 

Penfolds Max's Chardonnay 750mL - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Max’s Chardonnay 750mL

  • Origin: South Australia.
  • Type: Chardonnay.
  • Analysis: 13% ABV.
  • Tasting notes: Sliced peach with hints of mandarin. A wonderful creamy texture reminiscent of Crème Brulee/Panna Cotta. A wet stone minerality delivers a lingering, fresh finish. A very textural and complex Chardonnay that belies the modest price point.
  • Colour: Pale straw with lime green hues.
  • Aroma: Classic Adelaide Hills aromatics. The white stone fruit spectrum is dominated by nectarine and peach. A swirl reveals complementary aromas of cashew, chestnut, almond nougat with fresh wafts of apple blossom and jasmine.
  • Food match: A great match for creamy dishes like coconut curries or creamy pastas. Will also delight when paired with roast chicken or strong seafood flavours.

Penfolds Max’s Chardonnay is a tribute to former Chief Winemaker Max Schubert 1948-1975, a legend in Penfolds history. Max’s constant pursuit of excellence paved the way for those who followed in his footsteps and also allowed the status and heritage of Penfolds to grow.

Max’s Chardonnay continues the evolution of the Penfolds white wine program, highlighting the fruit sourced from the cool climate of the Adelaide Hills wine region. Crafted by Penfolds White Winemaker, Kym Schroeter, the Max’s Chardonnay benefits from relegated parcels of Reserve Bin A and Bin 311. It is a wine punching well over its price-point.

 

Penfolds Club Reserve Classic Tawny 750mL - Liquor Barons

Penfolds Club Reserve Classic Tawny 750mL

  • Origin: South Australia.
  • Type: Fortified Wine.
  • Analysis: 12.5% ABV.
  • Tasting notes: Soft and mellow. Sweet plum currant flavours align with fine spirit and balanced acidity, creating freshness and length of flavour. A touch of wood-aged nuttiness adds interest without inducing ‘inappropriate’ complexities for this approachable fresh style.
  • Colour: Medium dense tawny with crimson edge.
  • Aroma: Fresh caramel nutty aromas with a distinctive aniseed lift from the spirit, combined with ripe plum fruits.
  • Food match: Braised meat dishes, ox tongue, chicken liver parfait, duck terrine, charcouterie.
    Chocolate desserts. Crème brûlée.
    Cheese: Stilton, English Cheddar, Manchego, Soft goats cheese.

A signature expression within the Penfolds fortified collection of wines, Club Reserve is a definitive aged ‘Classic’ Tawny with a minimum average blended age between five and ten years.

Since 1985 Penfolds has been identifying the best parcels of Club Tawny and reserving them for additional maturation. These selected parcels are then skilfully blended to create Club Reserve, with the additional ageing adding further complexity and concentration of flavours. Rich in fruit and intensity – hallmarks of the Penfolds Tawny style – Club Reserve is crafted to be enjoyed on release, alongside the other members of the Penfolds fortified collection.

 

Quick facts:

  • The first wines made by Mary and Christopher Penfold were prescribed as a tonic for patients suffering from anaemia.
  • Dr Penfold’s interest in wine was based on its perceived health benefits.
  • As Dr Penfold’s medical reputation grew, it was Mary Penfold who was at the helm of the winery and was widely respected for her winemaking and agribusiness skills.
  • Max Schubert was first employed in 1931 at Nuriootpa as a Laboratory Assistant He was just 16 years old.
  • It was a fateful research trip to Bordeaux that inspired Max Schubert’s first vintage of ‘Grange Hermitage’ in 1951.

Website: www.penfolds.com/en-au

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