Penfolds (Coonawarra)

Penfolds history is much more than the story of Grange. In 1844 Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold planted vine cuttings, they had brought from Europe, at Magill Estate in South Australia. Through innovation and hard work, Penfolds was South Australia’s largest winery by the early twentieth century, so winemaker Max Schubert walked into a successful operation in 1948. His experiments with different blends of wines and the use of American oak led to the creation of wines which were ground-breaking. So much so that the Grange project, started in 1951, was officially shelved until several years later, although the wines were made and stored in secret until it was officially re-instated in 1960.

Around the same time the “Bin” concept started. Simply named after their storage bin, wines of different source and blend were given bin numbers on release. Some of these became continual releases to this day, others had short runs or were only released in exceptional years. Several of these individual Bin wines – such as 60A, 620, 42, etc. – are now wines of legendary status.

Some of the greatest red wines of the 1950s and 60s in Australia were made by blending wines from different areas to create a consistent style. Penfolds has continued this with many of their range … rich, sumptuous wines mostly with the spicing of American oak.  Penfolds has evolved its styles over the years and now produce an exemplary range of blended and specific regional shiraz styles.

However, Penfolds is also and rightly famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, produced from its various holdings in South Australia. The first of its numbered bin range was the Bin 707 (yes named after the plane) which was first produced in 1964 but the wines saw an overall uplift in consistent quality (and price) into the 2000s. They are now consistently high quality cabernets, but at a price. 

A step up in quality (and price) is the occasionally produced, and outstanding, Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon.  However, for us the star of the (Penfolds Cabernet) show is their Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, a relative newcomer, but one which delivers outstanding quality and value.

We offer the following wine from Coonawarra from Penfolds: 

• Penfolds Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra