Barossa, Part 1

 

I spent the following two days in the Barossa. And what better way to start than at a private Penfolds tasting at the Kalimna Homestead. It is of course surrounded by the famous Kalimna vineyard, first planted around 1890 by the Fowler family. Vineyard and homestead was bought by Penfolds in 1945. Red winemaker Steph Dutton, who is likely to succeed Peter Gago when he retires (you read it here first), took me through the tasting, which consisted mostly of a mix from the 2021 and 2022 Penfolds Collection.

We started with the 2022 Bin 51 Riesling from Eden Valley. This was the first of a number of very positive surprises. Lime rind was the dominant flavour component. The wine has good volume and a fine texture. Minerality develops on the back palate before a long finish (95 points).

Next came the 2019 Yattarna. The fruit is 56% Tasmania, 34% Tumbarumba, 11% Adelaide Hills. The Tasmanian component has been increasing due to climate change and style refinement, while Tumbarumba fruit adds nerve, and Adelaide Hills generosity according to Steph. The wine is matured in 50% new oak barriques. Concentrated citrus fruit, nectarine, pear and smoky oak deliver a complex flavour profile. This is a stylish wine with some fruit weight, but matched with mineral acidity. The Yattarna is getting better with every release. This is a stunning wine (97 points).

The first red is the 2019 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz. This wine sees 100% French hogsheads, 20% new. Peppercorn and spice are the key features of this well structured wine. I detect a bit of alcoholic warmth on the finish (93 points). 

Then comes a special release wine, the 2018 Century Vines Barossa Valley Shiraz. Blending is in the DNA of Penfolds. This could have come from a single vineyard of 100 year old vines, but no, this is a blend from a number of grower owned old vineyards. What this does, it gives a certain layering of fruit flavours (more so in Grange). This wine is matured in old French hogsheads. This is a ripe wine. Mulberry, blackberry, figs and bacon on the palate, anchored by savoury, gravelly tannins - classic Barossa, classic Penfolds (96 points).

Then comes one of the big surprises of this tasting: the 2019 Bin 389 Cabernet/Shiraz. This wine always has more than just 50% Cabernet fruit. This one has 53%. Quite a bit comes from Langhorne Creek. The wine is matured in 100% American oak, 30% new. This wine has great complexity. The herbal notes of the Cabernet start you off, sweet plum from the Shiraz takes over, and it all ends in a mix of meatiness and mocca. The big surprise here is the sheer drinkability of the wine. I remember tasting older vintages at young age, and this was often not a pleasant experience. Oak and tannins were too strong. According to Steph, the introduction of cross-flow filtration has given this wine much more polish. I will in the summary talk about some other developments at Penfolds which make the young wines so exciting (96 points). 

The 2019 Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon is from the yet to be released 2022 Collection. The wine is aged in French hogsheads, 56% new. There is the expected blackcurrant, mulberry, tobacco leaf, and dark chocolate. I have always struggled a bit with Coonawarra Cabernet, often because of eucalypt flavours. There is a bit in this wine, but it is in the background. The structure of this wine is very tight. This wine needs time (94 points). 

Now we come to the star of the tasting, the 2018 St. Henri. The wine is aged in old French vats, which gives the fruit prime place. The wine is multi-regional, but predominantly Barossa Valley. This wine is so polished and elegant. Blackberry, plum and chocolate lead to an overall creamy like praline flavour. The tannins are super fine and silky (98 points).

Similarly to the  Bin 389, the main feature of the 2017 Grange for me is the sheer drinkability of this wine. The layering of the fruit comes from the blend of 14 blocks in this wine. It is a very dark and voluminous wine, a typical Grange in this way. Aromatic and meaty, big and drink now. How do they do it (97 points)?

The big revelation in this tasting was how approachable the wines were. Also, French oak is becoming ever more prominent, without giving up on the house style of the flagship American oak wines. This lead to a general discussion of what has changed at Penfolds. It turns out a lot. 

- Many trials with different oak barrels have been carried out over the years. The sourcing is now much smarter than it used to be. 

- The tannin management is much more detailed.

- In the vineyard, there is a lot of detailed mapping and technology is used for profiling moisture and ripeness. Grapes get picked by rows now, rather than vineyards.

- There is also an emphasis on root stock and clones management.

I was very impressed with these wines, and by early accounts, this will carry over into the 2022 Collection. I will have an opportunity to taste many of these in 10 days.