Unfolding Penfolds Wines

Australian wine heritage embedded in the minds and hearts of Australians, then the world, since 1844, Penfolds has risen the ranks. In conversation with ambassador Samuel Stephens on the estate, its wines, its expansion and the Indian market

Text: Lyle Michael

A $168,000 tag was attached to the extravagant glass ampoule in a wooden case containing the richly aromatic and well-balanced 2004 Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Kalimna vineyard in the historic Barossa Valley of South Australia. From when we wrote of this limited edition "most expensive wine to be sold directly from a winery back in 2012, equipped with its very own exclusive opening ceremony for every buyer as it took a senior winemaker to do the honours', we have sipped on Penfolds along the way and speak today with the newest entrant to la famille grande, Samuel Stephens, winemaking ambassador at the estate since five years, currently holding the reins over the South East Asian markets, based in Singapore since 10 months now.
With the sweeping vista of the Race Course from The Club on the 34th floor of the Four Seasons Mumbai, we sit peacefully with a glass of the Grange, the star of the show here, with an entire menu subsequently created by Chef Joacuim Borenius of Four Seasons Sydney to complement the wines presented at the dinner hosted by La Cave's Madhulika and Aman Dhall with Sam and Yodi Mootoosamy, the Penfolds export director. On this Penfolds visit to Bombay, Bangalore and Delhi, Sam was on a running schedule with little time to explore the metros on his maiden tour, introducing the Grange and more to the uninitiated and surveying the markets for the cautious expansion of the brand. 35+ countries visited including Europe and Middle East earlier as ambassador for European markets, it's an exciting avenue for Sam as they work towards Africa and aim to reach a 100 countries in the near future. The market here, as he defines it, is lively with a host of young and local winemakers and an experimentation with wine profiles that denotes vino is the rage. Don't we know it!
Explains the unassuming Sam, "The demand in the Indian market for wine in general is high but there are limitations in the reach in terms of taxation – at a 170% high – which in turn enforces the wine to be even more premium. To unfasten more and more wine drinkers to the quality that the price affords, we have to pick the right distributors, experience the market ourselves and host collaborative events in select cities." Which iterates Penfolds' policy to take it slow and proffer quality that inadvertently exceeds quantity. You are left with value for money brands from a Treasury Wine Estates member that boasts of taking Australia to the world, wines from a range of grape varieties – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling – sourced from its five regions – the heritage-listed Magill, the large-scale Barossa, Eden Valley, McLaren and Coonawara, spread over 350 hectares!
With over 10 varietals in India, over 26 years now, Penfolds has broken into the emerging Australian wine arena and the Grange is here to sway. "The Grange has taken a while in India for to establish such a high value brand is no light task," states Sam. "This wine surprises me each time with its intense flavour and incredible balance." This, now, is a great opportunity to introduce the Shiraz wine that dates back to the 1950s when the first chief winemaker Max Schubert began the experimentation of long-lasting wines in secret which saw fruition and accolades pour in after its production in 1960." The Grange acquired a heritage wine listing and held Most Expensive Wine for a long time to come, read $38,420 for the Grange  Hermitage 1951 which sold at an auction in 2004 for a staggering AUD 50,200. No doubting the consistency of this collection that emphasises the vitality of ageing in the Penfolds wine production, with stellar vintages that go up to 50-60 years. Shares Sam, "Our reds are fruit driven with negligible aggressive tannins, which work well with foods that are spicy if you may," indicating the marriage of Australian heritage with Indian flavours. Pairing the Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon with a Rogan Josh is the quintessential meal while a trio of Indian desserts sits very well next to the Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling, we learn. Or the Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro with a chicken shawarma if you decide to go Levantine. The latter represents the lesser vintages that possess longevity, and there is no sacrificing the drinkability of young wines, with a special re-corking clinic in Singapore to assess them in depth. "Penfolds delivers a balance between fruit characteristics and tannins to offer longer-lasting wines. Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon carry a sweet core of dark fruit with the complexity to age well, as does the deceptively alluring Grenache Mataro. Whites, namely Chardonnay and Riesling are our pride," exclaims Sam.
History tells of Mary Penfolds, wife of founder Dr Christopher, creating a light wine of dry character that was award-winning after her husband's demise in 1870 – the Riesling and the Claret. For nearly 30 years after introducing South Australia to the early sherries and fortified wine cultures they had brought with them on their voyage from UK, Adelaide's winery was blooming into a figure of authority on the wine senate. By 1907, the winery was South Australia's largest and since then, the style has remained the same. Polished and unfailing, ensuring blind tasting stays intact and progressing in the employment of its technology to include satellite imaging of the vineyards. Max Schubert and the four winemakers that succeeded him constitute the strong family unit that is Penfolds, along with each member of the staff, Sam and Yodi, and each hand that goes into the production of Penfolds' legacies. Nothing short of legacy, for it propelled the nation to international wine standards and earned a reputation among the iconic estates. Collectors items are the wines that have captured space in the secondary market successfully with older vintages bid for at high tags – take the Grange yet again, at AUD 40,000, the St. Henri Shiraz and the RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz among others –by connoisseurs who want to savour it for truly special occasions, as a fitting reward.  
Wine be the elixir of life, so sip on the collection of Flagship Wines from the well-received Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro range to the Bin 311 Tumbarumba Chardonnay, Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz to Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz and the Grange. Or Max's varietals; perhaps the limited editions in the Cellar Reserve; and the Koonunga Hill leaving a lasting taste of quality and richness. Smiles Sam, "Give me the Bin 311 Chardonnay, fun and elegant at the same time, and I'm content. On another day, the Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro, not too oaky in mouth-feel with a 5-spice duck; and equally great, the Yattarna Chardonnay with garlic prawns." Now this is a wine to stand beside the Grange, of the finest Chardonnay selected from cool climate regions, its name derived from the Aboriginal language translating to "little by little', typifying Penfolds insistence on sensitive winemaking with an evolved sense of production.   
"1844 and evermore', the Australian great has captivated aficionados with its well-aged and perfectly balanced wines, producing 30 wines each vintage and continuing to represent a dedication to quality, style and excellence unsurpassed by most. When you bring that glass of Penfolds to your lips, take in the aroma, swirl the first taste on the palate and imbibe the vino, you know you have to drink responsibly, literally and figuratively, for this is Penfolds... sipping on heritage for generations beyond.