Passed by Penfolds today and decided to pop in to try out their current cellar door selections.
Wines Tasted:
2009 Autumn Riesling
2009 Bin 311 Tumbarumba Chardonnay
2008 'Seventy-Six' Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet
2003 Bin 128 Shiraz
2003 Bin 28 Shiraz
2004 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Cellar Release Viognier (375ml)
2009 Autumn Riesling - $18.99 CD only
A tribute to the 'old days', this off-dry riesling shows buckets of orange blossom and pineapple/grapefruit aromas, combining with lime cordial flavour on the palate. No surprise that about 10% gewurztraminer in included in this blend. Quite open and intense - probably not a keeper. Drink in the next 3-5 years.
2009 Bin 311 Tumbarumba Chardonnay - $39.99 CD
Very light on colour. Combines tropical peachy, melony fruit aromas with vanillin oak and nuttiness. Full flavoured, following the nose well but with a creaminess and a tight citrussy acid backbone that cleanses the finish. Probably needs another couple of years to marry together.
2008 'Seventy-Six' Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet - $18.99 CD only
The third vintage of the tribute to the first Koonunga Hill (1976 funnily enough!), this cellar door special punches well above its weight. Deep purple in colour, the nose houses abundant squashed black fruit, vanillin and aniseed. The palate is full, rich and balanced (as Penfolds reds usually are), with fine, powdery tannin and acidity that will see it through 10 years.
2003 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz - $49.77 CD
The elegant one of the shiraz bin-twins, the 03 is showing a bit of flame colour to the edge. The nose is more red than black fruit, with dark chocolate and everything is nicely integrated. Palate is medium bodied and (typically) elegant, with sweet red berries and background oak. This is an early-maturing Bin 128 and I reckon it's just about there. Drink Now to 2015
2003 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz - $49.77 CD
The beefier twin, from mainly Barossa fruit. Much darker in colour and the edge is still red. The nose shows blackberry, vanillin (American) oak now tucked away behind the fruit. The palate has power but is, again, nicely balanced, with blackberry jube and raspberry flavours lingering on the finish. Acid and tannin in plentiful supply, the wine is still a few years from its best. Drink 2012-2017.
2004 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon - $73.20 CD
Still deep red with a red hue, this is the dictionary definition of cabernet sauvignon. Blackcurrant, mint, licorice, spice, pencil shavings and a dusty earthiness to the complex nose. Palate is elegant and medium to full bodied, with more blackcurrant and cedar and firm tannin that still haven't fully unlocked yet. One for the cellar. Drink 2015-2025. The pick of the tasting for me.
2009 Cellar Reserve Viognier - $24.90 CD only
A bit of a curio, a sweet wine from viognier that is not cloyingly sticky. Plenty of typical viognier apricots on the nose, with blossom and melon. Palate balances sweetness with acidity and more apricot with dried pineapple. A pleasant drink but not one that I'd run through walls for.
It's always interesting to taste at the Magill Estate. The vintages change back and forth, as do the wines. The cellar door prices on the wines are rather prohibitive though, so you may want to taste there and buy at your local bottle shop. $73 for the Bin 407 is exceptionally expensive, even with a couple of years age.
I discussed the Penfolds Grange pricing with the guy behind the counter, particularly interested as to why Grange costs $650 in their cellar door, but equivalent to $300 at UK retail, but the response still left me of the opinion that the Australian punter provides the profit margins while the overseas markets get preferential rates as Penfolds competes for market share. The European and American markets had existing figureheads (Latour, Lafite, Petrus et al.) where Grange sits (almost) alone in Australia - so we pay for the reputation while the Europeans pay for the wine? Cheeky.
Great wines, no doubt, but a few dubious practices these days.
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