97 points from James Halliday (incidentally this is the same score the last 2 winners of the Halliday Annual Cabernet Challenge received).
This is luxe, bounteous and exceptionally powerful. Double decant a few hours before drinking, or drink it over several days and watch it evolve.
Black tea, cedar, anise, mulberry, violet, black liquorice and masses of silky mouthcoating tannins and a real finesse to the palate shape. Symphonic fruit which builds to a mighty crescendo.
Penley as a wine brand was first mooted as far back as 1947, when members of the Tolley and Penfolds families were joined through marriage. It wasn’t until 1988 that descendants Kym, Ben and Ang Tolley bought a block of land and got to work, officially establishing Penley Estate.
Kym Tolley — trained by Max Schubert, the pioneering force behind Penfolds Grange — took the winemaking reins, and Penley quickly built a formidable reputation for exceptional Cabernet and Cabernet blends.
In 2016, Kate Goodman was appointed winemaker, ushering in a more modern, refined style. Her impact was emphatically recognised in 2024 when she was named James Halliday Wine Companion Winemaker of the Year.
Today, Penley’s wines are magical: complex, powerful and lively, all at once.
Region
Coonawarra, SA
If there is one combination to look for when browsing for a good medium-bodied red, Coonaw ...
If there is one combination to look for when browsing for a good medium-bodied red, Coonawarra SA, terra rosa and Cabernet Sauvignon is always a winner. Far down the line from Adelaide (about 390km southeast, a grape's throw from the border of Victoria), the name is Aboriginal for "honeysuckle", yet reds from the region are more known for flavours of plum and blackcurrant.
The Coonawarra vineyard region is sparse, running along a thin 2km-wide ridge elevating it above surrounding swamp. World-renowned, this 15km stretch of red soil is so unique, it's worth looking it up on google maps and switching to satellite view to see how it is farmed. See that s ... Read Full Article
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Variety
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is unmistakably one of the world's most recognised red wine varieties. ...
Cabernet Sauvignon is unmistakably one of the world's most recognised red wine varieties. It is produced in most major wine growing regions across the world, from the banks of the Gironde in France to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, to the valleys of California where it overtook the Zinfandel variety on it's rise to glory. Read Full Article
I'm gonna ruffle a few feathers here with this one and go MERLOT!!! Mer-what? I know, I know, merlot hasn't got the best of reputations these days but honest to god there are some crackers out there! Often massed produced and definitely overdone in California at least it has grown out of popularity somewhat. WELL, prepare to have your mind changed in a matter of mls!!
If there is one combination to look for when browsing for a good medium-bodied red, Coonawarra SA, terra rosa and Cabernet Sauvignon is always a winner. Far down the line from Adelaide (about 390km southeast, a grape's throw from the border of Victoria), the name is Aboriginal for "honeysuckle", yet reds from the region are more known for flavours of plum and blackcurrant.
The Coonawarra vineyard region is sparse, running along a thin 2km-wide ridge elevating it above surrounding swamp. World-renowned, this 15km stretch of red soil is so unique, it's worth looking it up on google maps and switching to satellite view to see how it is farmed. See that strip of green north of Penola? That's it, and notice the big spread of nothing around it? The Coonawarra is a very special place. Laying on an old ridge of limestone, the fields have superb drainage, allowing the vines to flourish without the dampness at night that can ruin a good crop. Very similar in climate to the Bordeaux region in France,
Cabernet Sauvignon is unmistakably one of the world's most recognised red wine varieties. It is produced in most major wine growing regions across the world, from the banks of the Gironde in France to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, to the valleys of California where it overtook the Zinfandel variety on it's rise to glory.
