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Old World / New World
By Nicole Trilivas | 18 January 2023 | Food & Drink
Legendary Australian winemaker Penfolds breaks new ground in Bordeaux
Penfolds is synonymous with Australia. With a winemaking heritage that dates back to 1844, Penfolds is one of the country’s oldest wine producers; and the brand’s flagship wine, Grange, has even achieved protected heritage status from the National Trust of South Australia — such is its iconic standing.
Yet, Penfolds is not one to rest on its laurels, however deep-rooted they may be. Every year, Penfolds debuts its latest vintages, and this year — on a sun-splashed afternoon dining at the French Riviera hotspot Mirazur — the brand introduced one of its most adventurous feats yet: its first-ever French wines.
Merging the new world with the old world and the southern hemisphere with the northern hemisphere, Penfolds’ new French offerings come from one of the world’s premium winemaking regions.
With a stylish label of signature red and sleek silver, Penfolds II is a collaboration between Penfolds and respected French winemaking house Dourthe Bordeaux, and blends Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) with Shiraz (28%) and Merlot (12%). A true “wine of the world,” the grapes here come from both the Barossa Valley of Australia and France’s Bordeaux region.
The second in the French duet is FWT 585, which is made using only grapes from Bordeaux and blends Cabernet (53%) with Merlot (34%) and Petit Verdot (13%). While the fruit in this wine comes only from the Médoc, the wine is, of course, still made with the Penfolds lens, using the brand’s time-honoured techniques and individualism. After only a few sips, it becomes quite clear that you’re not drinking just another Bordeaux – it also helps that these new French wines are served alongside a tender veal tartare veiled with gold, purple, and scarlet petals of the cosmos flower. An edible work of artistry, it’s the kind of dish that explains why Mirazur has earned three Michelin stars and was voted the best restaurant in the world in 2019.
“When we talk about the Penfolds collection we’re truly talking about a number of different continents,” says Peter Gago, Penfolds’ chief winemaker, as the lush, velvety wines are topped-up from table to table in Mirazur. “Some people might find that a little challenging as a concept, but to borrow a term from champagne, we make wines in a ‘house style’. We use raw ingredients from different vineyards, from different viticultural regions, and nowadays from different countries.”
According to Peter, the move to France wasn’t so revolutionary because the risk-taking, experimental brand has always looked beyond its own backyard. “This is a natural progression for us,” he says, gesturing out the window to the tangle of vegetation and the sea views beyond. “It’s really no different than us leaving our original spiritual home in Magill Estate near Adelaide [where the first Penfolds vines were planted] and going north to the Barossa Valley or south to McLaren Vale. Now we just go a little bit further afield.”
This is not the first time Penfolds has entered into (literal or figurative) new territory. Last year, it revealed its well-received California Collection, a quartet of reds, which were the product of an 20-plus-year endeavour that brought together both Californian and South Australian fruit (Bin 98 Quantum and Bin 149), and introduced purely Californian fruit (Bin 704 and Bin 600).
“[The California Collection] all have that Penfolds stamp: the generosity of flavour, the tannins that don’t push you away. We make these wines like we would do back in Australia, the only difference being we’re using material out of California,” says Peter.
The 2019 vintages of the California Collection are also served alongside the inaugural French debuts at Mirazur. Grange 2018, the 68th vintage in the flagship line that has been released uninterrupted since 1951, is also part of this year’s annual collection. “Grange is what we call a multi-regional blend—it can come from anywhere, provided it’s the best Shiraz we can find anywhere in Australia, then we put it together as you would a champagne,” he says.
What’s next for the brand that knows no borders? “We want to be in business for another 178 years,” says Peter. “And we also want to be in business by moving around this planet, looking at different regions. Rumour has it we might be looking at something in the Rhône Valley at some stage—but if anyone asks you where you heard that rumour, it wasn’t me.”