The innovative Australian producer Penfolds is pushing winemaking boundaries even further with its soon-to-be-released wine that is a blend of Bordeaux and Australian grapes.
‘Penfolds II Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2019’ blends Bordeaux-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes with Shiraz from South Australia. The project was brought to fruition through Penfold’s partnership with Thiénot, a Champagne house that owns Dourthe in Bordeaux.
Peter Gago, Penfolds’ chief winemaker, was delighted at a press conference in London with the imminent release of the new project, but highlighted the logistical problems in shipping a container of French wine to Australia where it was blended with the Shiraz. Both components were from the 2019 vintage, although the Shiraz was six months older due to its grapes having been harvested from vineyards located in the southern hemisphere.
Penfolds’ aim was to make wines sourced from around the world in its ‘house style’. Gago added that the key to making the wines was to have ‘ripe tannins from the start’.
The wine is being released this month under the label ‘FWT’ (French Winemaking Trial), along with another expression that’s a Bordeaux blend which also forms part of the ‘Collection’. The objective behind this activity is to expand the Penfolds range while keeping its signature character.
Gago commented on this new release, saying: ‘it is done through the Penfolds lens: we are not saying the wine is better, but done in the Penfolds way.’
This is just the beginning of the pioneering Australian brand breaking new ground. One interesting future project would be a blend of Australian Shiraz with Syrah grapes from the Northern Rhône, as the Rhône is the original heartland of Syrah, better known as Shiraz in the New World. Gago confirmed that we might not have too long to wait as a ‘project with the Rhône Valley’ is in the pipeline.
There’s certainly a lot going on at Penfolds and we’re excited to learn what the next new innovative launch looks like.
Read more about Penfolds’ recent made in China project here.
