- Meet the Maker
Meet The Maker: This Iconic Label Celebrates 180 Years With A Bold New Release
Back in 1844, husband and wife Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold began making fortified wines and sherries. Fast forward almost two centuries, and Penfolds has become Australia’s most renowned wine maker, recognised for its expansive collection of red wines and most notably, Grange — the first wine the label created which was made for ageing.
Now, as the brand looks forward to celebrating its 180th birthday this year, Penfolds have tasked their innovative team with creating an annual release that pays homage to the label’s rich history.
“The Penfolds Collection 2024 spans five vintages and includes a rare Commemorative Release – 2021 Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz – sourced from Penfolds Block 10 Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard and Block 5 Shiraz vineyard in Coonawarra,” explains Peter Gago, Penfolds’ Chief Winemaker. It’s an element that makes this year’s release distinct from those which came before it, and is a testament to Penfolds’ dedication to innovation. “We’ve always been on a quest to improve quality, to put the wine first, to over-deliver quality at every tier, and to create wines that mature gracefully,” Gago notes.
Ahead of the brand’s 180 year anniversary, we sat down with Gago to discuss the trials and triumphs of leading a brand with such rich heritage, and where he sees the label heading into its next century.
Can you talk a bit about the winemaking approach taken with this year’s Penfolds’ Annual Release?
Penfolds has always been committed to quality, which you can see in our house style. We find the best grapes to make wine from the very best regions, and our stringent post-harvest blind-tasting regimen now extends beyond Australia, to the bountiful soils and climates of California, Napa Valley, Bordeaux, and China.
You’ve spent 35 years at Penfolds. Heading up a brand that is committed to traditional craftsmanship, but unafraid to push boundaries, what innovations are you most proud of?
Innovation is in Penfolds’ DNA, and it’s been evidenced in so many ways over the past 180 years. To name a few, the Penfolds ‘g’ series (g3, g4 & g5) blends together multiple vintages of Grange, which is both rare and risky. Last year we launched V Chardonnay — a first of its kind — which blends five vintages of Yattarna back to 2011 to create a multi-vintage Chardonnay blend, and our Country of Origin project makes wines to the Penfolds House Style using grapes sourced from four continents – Australia, France, California and China. Truthfully though, we’re just getting started!
Apart from yourself, who else from the Penfolds team is influencing the bottles we see today?
The Penfolds Winemaking Team brings passion to each wine in the portfolio. They push boundaries while being respectful of the Penfolds legacy. We have a diverse team: winemaker Shauna Bastow is based in France; Matt Woo is often to be found working in China; and Andrew Baldwin and Steph Dutton are in California. Andrew Hales, Shavaughn Wells, Tom Shanahan and Henry Slattery expertly look after our Penfolds Terra Australis home base, with a special mention going to our longstanding white winemaker, Kym Schroeter, who has heightened the quality of all our white wines across Tasmania, Victoria and NSW.
Which bottle would you recommend to a Penfolds newbie?
Penfolds’ flagship Grange 2020 underpins the Collection release annually. In saying that, our Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, St Henri Shiraz 2021, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2022 are also all classic Penfolds reds with proven track records!
Father’s Day is coming up — which release would you recommend the kids pick up for dad?
The Penfolds Collection 2024 has something for everyone. For avid wine lovers, perhaps consider a copy of Rewards of Patience Ed 8, or if you’re feeling extremely generous a bottle of 2018 Superblend(s) with decanter(s).
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