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Penfolds white winemaking overview and philosophy
In 1890 Mary Penfold & Co was awarded a trophy at The Adelaide Wine Show for "white wine of a light character.” During the 1950s and 1960s Penfolds experimented and released many new white wines . These included rieslings based on Eden Valley fruit and Hunter Valley Semillons. During the 1970s Max Schubert even planned a "Lady Grange Rhine Riesling". The wine never eventuated; components were blended away into Penfolds bottlings of "Autumn Rhine Riesling". White winemaking returned to Penfolds during the late 1980s.
The development of a contemporary white wine styles lead to ground-breaking practices including the identification of micro-climate specific fruit characters, new high altitude and southerly cool-climate vineyards in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and vinification techniques to preserve purity of fruit and accentuate minerality.
Research, experimentation and development of new and existing wine styles have always been an integral part of the Penfolds winemaking agenda. During the late 1980s/ early 1990s the white winemaking team worked on trails based on three main varietals; semillon, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. At a very early stage it was believed that Penfolds "White Grange" should be a relatively taught and linear wine with plenty of aging potential. The old Hunter Valley Semillons with low alcohol and fine lean acidities had plenty of history, but having sold one of the finest Semillon vineyards in the Hunter Valley during the late 1970s, it was felt that Penfolds should not return to this style as a flagship wine. Further it would have limited appeal. Sauvignon Blanc was always an option. Plenty of barrel fermentation trials showed that complexity could be achieved, but the overall structure did not allow for long term aging.
The expectations surrounding the release of 1995 Yattarna Chardonnay resulted in unprecedented blanket media bombardment in Australia. The quiet refinement of style over the following decade has taken this wine to a completely new level. James Halliday in Penfolds Rewards Of Patience (2008) said "The real development has been with Yattarna and Reserve Bin A Chardonnay, where, over a period of 10 years, the style has been consistently refined, with less oak and more subtle winemaker thumbprints. The introduction of the screwcap has also enormously aided the cause of these wines, and their future development."
The release of Bin 311 Chardonnay, a spin-off of Yattarna and Bin A Chardonnay, marks a coming of age of Tumbarumba vineyards. The highly aromatic, flinty, pear aromas, creamy flavours and mineral complexity are a common thread.
The recent introduction of Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling, released after five years bottle-age, would not have been possible without screw cap. This wine is all about "capturing varietal characters of the vineyard in the bottle." Kym Schroeter, senior white winemaker says "The aging process under screw cap is slow and graceful. Bin 51 Riesling will typically develop toast and lime nuances and palate richness while maintaining freshness, vivacity and minerality."
Penfolds white winemaking is strongly focussed on a varietal aesthetic. Vineyard character, regional nuance or winemaker's intuitive handling bring an extra dimension. Freshness and vinosity, the hallmarks of Penfolds white wines, are captured and protected by the use of screw cap seals.
Andrew Caillard MW
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