Region: McLaren Vale
Proprieter: Susie and Tony Parkinson
Established: 1988
Address:
Ingleburne Main Road
McLaren Vale
South Australia, 5171
Penny's Hill was established by Susie and Tony Parkinson in 1988, with the purchase of 32ha of grazing land on the foothills of east of McLaren Vale. Penny's Hill Vineyard was named after the hill at the base of which it is located. In conjunction with long-time friend, David Paxton, who declared the suitability of the land for Shiraz grapes, the Parkinsons were determined to develop a vineyard which would produce the best possible fruit.
All vines on the Penny's Hill, Malpas Road and Goss Corner Vineyards are hand pruned. All wines are spur pruned to a single cordon (bar some Merlot on Malpas Road) and are trellised using vertical shoot positioning. The Semillon and Merlot on the Goss Corner are hand thinned when necessary. There is minimal use of chemicals in the vineyard.
The winemaking and viticultural team of Riggs and Bekkers work towards the concept of what the team call a 'mini appellation' at Penny's Hill. Effectively this means isolating different parts of each vineyard that produce grapes with distinctive characteristics. These parcels are picked, fermented and barrel aged separately so that at blending time there is an array of components with which to create wine.
The Penny's Hill wines are made using grapes from two different sub regions within McLaren Vale. The Penny's Hill vineyard in the eastern foothills is a low vigour site with shallow soils, low yields and produces grapes that tend to make earthy, structural wines. The Malpas Road and Goss Corner vineyards are on flatter land with heavier soils that have better water holding capacity. The site is more vigorous and produces fruit-driven wines with greater fragrance.
The red dot on the label was inspired by looking at paintings in commercial art galleries where works sold were identified with a red dot and the visual power of the little red dot immediately appealed to the Parkinsons.
View Larger Map