Langton’s Selections Penley Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Penley Estate Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon, Penley Estate Hyland Shiraz Kym Tolley established the 166 hectare Penley Estate in 1988 following a tradition of winemaking on both sides of the family. Penley is a synthesis of the famous Penfold and Tolley winemaking families. The winery has approximately 111 hectares of vines planted predominantly to Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz with a smattering of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The vineyards are planted on the edge of classic terra rossa over limestone soils on various trellising systems, but mostly single wire. The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the flagship wine, is batch vinified using traditional heading down tanks, open pot and rotary fermenters. Towards dryness, the wine is drained and pressed and then barrel fermented. Maturation takes place in a combination of 80% new French and American oak for a period of around 24-30 months. Each aspect of winemaking is adjusted to suit the vagaries of vintage. The wine is a classic Cabernet-style with cedary, blackcurrant aromas, ripe, fine-grained tannins, fruit sweetness, concentration and length. The wine has never really captured the imagination of the secondary wine market, yet it is actually a bloody good wine. The Chertsey is the latest ultra-fine wine label and is based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It is a rich, powerful wine still with chocolaty fine tannins and underlying savoury oak. The Phoenix – named after the original distillation company purchased by Tolley’s forebears – is a second wine but is still more than half decent. The theme of grand birds extends to the Condor Cabernet Shiraz and the Gryphon Merlot. The Hyland and Special Select (a Reserve style) Shiraz are good examples of medium and concentrated Coonawarra styles. Penley Estate with Tim Abegg (Penley’s Swiss wine marketer) makes a joint venture wine called Ausvetia, an opulent Shiraz-based wine based on McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Coonawarra fruit. It is matured for 2 years in 100% new French and American oak. Earlier vintages were matured in American oak only. This wine is relatively rare in the Australian market, although it has been marketed and enjoyed by critics in Europe and the US. Penley Estate makes a few other commercial styles including an Over the Moon Rose, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Andrew Caillard MW, Langton's