Add the Penfolds Annual Collection to Your Onboard Yacht Collection
For the first time in Penfolds Wines 178 year history, the annual Collection release in August presents three country of origin portfolios – Australian, Californian and the inaugural French release, highlighting Penfolds enduring ‘House Style’ in a global context.
The “House Style” promotes and embraces the freedom to explore premium viticultural regions across Australia and the world, with a global approach to winemaking – unrestricted by region or vineyard. The ambition to make wine outside of Australia started decades ago and continues to grow. A rich tradition of research, curiosity and wine trial endures and guides Penfold’s winemaking endeavors in Australia, Champagne, Napa, Paso Robles, California, and now Bordeaux, France.
The new French Collection, made in partnership with one of Bordeaux’s most respected winemaking Houses, Dourthe Bordeaux, combines the creativity, direction and vision of Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and Dourthe Chief Winemaker Frédéric Bonnaffous. The two houses collaborated in crafting a wine that spans the 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 honored Australian winemaking methods. Made from the 2019 vintage, the final wine was blended and bottled in South Australia by Penfolds winemakers.
The second wine releasing 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 have been tested 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 on the ground, in the cellars and the vineyards.
“Many great Penfolds wines were born from experimentation and trial; RWT 798 (Red Winemaking Trial) Barossa Valley Shiraz, Yattarna Bin 144 (144 winemaking trials) 1951 (experimental) Grange – and now FWT 585. The wines made in France pay respect to French terroir, yet one thing remains overly consistent…the Penfolds stamp. Just like our California wines…. we have the French sun above and soil beneath, but everything in between is Penfolds!” said Gago.
The 2022 Australian release is led by the 68th consecutive release of Penfolds 2018 Grange – a testament to the multi-regional blending philosophy that underpins Grange DNA, offering an abundance of complexity. “’78, ’98 and ’08 Granges … three favorites. The 2018 Grange? Just graduated, add to the list! This 2018 release answers to two IDs: ‘A well-dressed Grange … classy rock star! OR ‘a modern, classic Grange … sleek and finessed, with a punch!’ You choose”, said Gago.
With its inaugural release in March 2021, Penfolds Californian Collection presents its next vintages in August – a continuation of an endeavor started over 20 years ago when Penfolds winemakers first started exploring Californian soils. The 2019 Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon and Bin 600 Cabernet Shiraz continue this innovation from Penfolds.
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 endeavor with the California wine release. Now, we proudly introduce a partnership with leading a Bordeaux winery and reveal our own 2019 Trial Bin wine in France.”
Penfolds plans global experiential celebrations of its new Collections with a series of events globally titled ‘Venture Beyond by Penfolds,’ designed to be playfully disruptive and immersive. Executed over several months in critical regions around the world, experiences combine a mix of masterclasses, artist collaborations and culture-led performance pieces, underpinned by the ‘Venture Beyond’ theme.
The Penfolds Collection 2022 wines are available from Thursday 4th August 2022. For more information, visit www.penfolds.com
