Meet 2020 Penfolds collection
Led by the 66th consecutive release of Grange, this year’s collection is a testament to the enduring winemaking philosophy of Penfolds
The Penfolds Collection 2020 is a family of fine wines spanning five impressive white and red wine Australian vintages. Led by the 66th consecutive release of Grange, the collection is a testament to the enduring house style and winemaking philosophy passed down through generations of Penfolds winemakers.
The wines of the 2020 Collection stand proudly in a release that offers multi-region and multi-vineyard blends, single-region wines and a single-vineyard wine. In its entirety, the new release features red wines of distinctive refinement and cellaring potential and white wines that deliver on complexity and flavor.
Sophisticated and sculptured, the 2016 Grange was a crowd favorite during the recent Penfolds Rewards of Patience Edition VIII tasting. “Not playing to flagship favorites, but the 2016 Grange may politely nudge the classic 2004 and 2010. It would be brazen to rank any further back into the last millennium,” comments Peter Gago, Chief Winemaker, Penfolds. This Australian icon achieved a perfect score of 100 points from The World of Fine Wine, one of the globe’s most influential wine magazines.
Adding to this year’s release, Penfolds launched a wine blended from four vintages of Grange, aptly named Penfolds g4. The blend energetically entwines Grange DNA from the exceptional 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2016 vintages to craft a unique expression of Penfolds flagship, achieving yet again a perfect score from The World of Fine Wine and the wine critic James Suckling. Only 2,500 exclusive bottles were filled. “These four Grange vintages are amongst our favorites of the last two decades. All so different – in every sense, not just climatically. The synergistic blending of these vintages worked perfectly from a quality, structural & style perspective,” shares Gago.
Although Grange leads the charge, the charm and character of the core 2018 Bins rival any Penfolds Bin released over the last half-century. This year, the 2018 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz – a Penfolds classic with a reputation and universal appeal that transcends the ordinary and known as “Baby Grange” – commemorates its 60th anniversary since it was first made in 1960 by Max Schubert. Described as harmonious, balanced and focused, Bin 389 remains one of the world’s most cellared red wine styles.
The cabernet stable broadens this year with the sixth release of Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet, a contemporary 2018 expression of cabernet, which is released only in exceptional years. And altogether different is the 2017 St Henri, a masterclass of texture with silky, polished tannins. The new release is stylish and proportioned with a great core and lovely framework – a truly exemplar St Henri vintage.
Not to be overshadowed by the reds, the four white wines released in the collection continue to excite Penfolds winemakers. The 2019 release of Bin 311 Chardonnay caught the attention of the Chief Winemaker during a recent tasting. “From the garage to the studio, Bin 311 can now more than just whistle an enduring tune. This wine now confidently struts across a wider cool-climate stage. An awakened and enlightened blend,” he adds.
The 2018 Yattarna, 2018 Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay and 2020 Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling are equally impressive.
The Penfolds Collection 2020 is available now. For more information, visit www.penfolds.com.
