Penfolds house style famously emerged from the constraints of a fortified wine culture when the iconic flagship, Penfolds Grange, was created by Max Schubert (pictured) in the 1950s. And Schubert’s philosophy “true excellence is a constant and endless journey, not a destination,” holds equally true today. When I tasted Grange 2004 last June, I was struck by its elegance and exceptionally vivid purity of fruit compared with some of the earlier vintages also shown (see my report here). Though my experience of tasting Grange is sadly (!) limited, no doubt viti/vinicultural improvements account for this as much as youth and vintage vagueries. At a tasting to celebrate the release of the latest icon and luxury wines, winemaker Tom Portet confirmed that the team now look for more fruit expression over oak.
As for Penfolds flagship white wine, Yattarna, whose very name derives from the Aboriginal for “little by little,” there has been a seachange for sure. Compared with earlier, broader and oakier vintages I’ve tasted, the just released 2007 dances like a butterfly, with no trace of a “sting” from acid or oak! Why? Since the first vintage in 1995, the percentage of new oak has decreased dramatically from 100% to 35% in 2007. Quite right when it now comprises 100% cool climate fruit (Yattarna originally included a percentage of McLaren Vale fruit). And in 2007 – a challenging, heat-spike flush vintage – Tasmania’s vivid, well-defined fruit accounts for almost half the Chardonnay, with the balance from Adelaide Hills and Henty. Not just any Tasmanian fruit mind – it hails from the Derwent Valley in the cooler south, from whence Chardy was first sourced in 2006. If this is not music to your ears, fear not. For lovers of showier, oakier wines, Penfolds has the wine for you in the shape of Penfolds Reserve Bin 08A, and a funky number it is too.
Here are my tasting notes for the 2010 icon and luxury releases:
Whites
Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay 2007 (Tasmania/Adelaide Hills/Henty) – a surprisingly delicate, pure wine that comes in at a feather weight 12.5% abv. Exceptionally well-integrated oak and acidity allows the pretty citrus blossom, ripe, perfumed melon and star-bright citrus fruit (mandarin) to shine. Though long and linear, there’s none of the hard edge acidification and oak sometimes bring. A delight and proudly Australian in its purity, ripeness and depth of fruit expression. (Inoculated ferment; matured 9 months in French oak, 35% new). RRP £48
Penfolds Reserve Bin 08A Chardonnay 2008 (Adelaide Hills) – this wine reveals more readily the hand of the winemaker with its oak-tautened structure and flinty, smoky reductive note. Adelaide Hills packs a punch too in the form of tightly coiled white peach edged with vibrant lemon and lime zest. Long and persistent, there’s a lovely leesy, savoury tang and bite to the finish. Impressive. (Barrel fermented on solids with native yeasts and aged in French oak, 65% new; 100% malolactic fermentation, 13% abv). RRP £34
Reds
Grange 2005 (88% Barossa, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra) – a warm, dry harvest preceded by steady, continuous ripening produced well flavoured/structured grapes (95.9% Shiraz, 4.1% Cabernet Sauvignon). Deep crimson with malty, savoury oak. It melts in the mouth, with a lovely saturation of red plum, rhubarb, blackcurrant and cedary/sandlawood spice, showing a ripe, red-fruited sweet core as it opens up in the glass. Supple tannins ripple beneath – this is ever so discretely powerful at the moment. Aged 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. 14.5% abv. RRP £190.
St Henri Shiraz 2006 (Barossa, McLaren Vale, Robe) – regarded as the alter ego of Grange (it sees no new oak and is aged in 1460 litre 50+ year old oak vats), this is the 50th commercial release. A hot January was followed by a cool February, allowing for grapes (89% Shiraz,11% Cabernet Sauvignon) with excellent flavour and colour and a fine tannin structure. Crimson with a bright pink hue to the rim, it looks very youthful and reveals liquorice, ripe cassis and boysenberry on the nose. In the mouth it has a sweet core of red berry/cherry fruit, almost Grenache-like, with its edge of toffee. But there’s a structure and freshness behind this too, with quite present, powdery tannins. 14.5% abv, RRP £35
Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Padthaway, Barossa Valley, Coonawarra) – that challenging year – sustained periods of high temperature (40 degrees centigrade for 10 days on the trot and over 30 degrees for 15 successive days) made for tiny grapes with high skin to juice ratios. For this wine, Chief Winemaker Peter Gago says multi-regional blending really showed its worth; grapes (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) were harvested selectively parcel by parcel to optimise flavour, structure and balance. He reckons the Bin 707 2007 is quite possibly that year’s stand out wine and I’m inclined to agree. It shows a very opulent nose, which put me in mind of Blackcurrant Chewits, a childhood sweet or, in adult speak a really flamboyant cassis. In the mouth, cassis with a lift of mint is tempered by savoury black olive, malty earthy notes and firm, bony tannins, which suggest a long life ahead – terrific grunt. And, in case you didn’t know, the Barossa Valley component derives from Block 42. Planted around 1888 it is home to the world’s oldest surviving genetic Cabernet Sauvignon material (pictured). Aged 15 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. 14.4% abv RRP £68.
RWT Shiraz 2007 (Barossa Valley) – the youngest of the luxury labels, first made in 1997 and conceived in an opulent, fleshy style. It is the only wine outside the multi-regional box (though in 2008, Penfolds will go one step further and release a sub-regional Barossa Valley Shiraz from Marananga). With impressive fruit concentration in this drought year it shows heady, creamy cassis, pureed blackcurrants, liquorice and star anise on the nose and palate. The creamy, supple fruit very nearly disguises quite firm bony tannins beneath, reflecting perhaps the small berry size and high skin to juice ratio of this vintage. Aged 13 months in 71% new, 29% one year old French oak hogsheads. 14.5% abv, RRP £58
Magill Estate Shiraz 2007 (100% Magill Estate) – the punishing vintage resulted in the lowest ever crush following ruthless canopy management (sacrificial canes, fruit thinning and relegation) for optimal flavour and tannin ripeness. This 100% Shiraz shows more overt oak on the nose (aged 14 months in 63% new French and 32% new American oak hogsheads, the balance in 1 year old French oak), with sweet and sour plum, liquorice and cinnamon bark. The oak is quieter in the very youthful mouth which shows juicy blood plum, black cherry and currant fruit with darker soy undertones. Love the juiciness, especially given the vintage. 14.5% abv RRP £43
The new releases have been rolled out to retailers from 1 May, including Berry Brothers & Rudd, Majestic, Waitrose, Selfridges, Harrods, Tesco and other independent wine merchants.
You can see Chief Winemaker Peter Gago’s presentation about the 2010 releases here and, click here to download an electronic version of The Rewards of Patience (6th ed.), an extremely detailed, beautifully written account of Penfolds’ history and wines with vintage by vintage tasting notes.
Sarah Ahmed
The Wine Detective
(Wines tasted 29 April 2010)
