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WINERY RATING |
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| James Halliday, |
Australian Wine Companion 2010 |
PENLEY ESTATE
In 1988, Penley Estate was established by Kym Tolley in Australia’s famous Cabernet Sauvignon region, Coonawarra. Kym has wine in his veins; he is a direct descendant of two of Australia’s most famous winemaking families, the Penfolds and Tolleys. The winery, completed for the 1999 vintage, is a combination of modern and traditional elements, including traditional heading down boards, ensuring the wine has constant contact with the skins. Penley Estate’s estate-grown wines have won a total of 44 trophies, 132 Gold medals and over 600 Silver and Bronze medals, and it is their philosophy to produce wines that emphasise not only quality, but the skill, enthusiasm and artistry of the winemaking team. Penley Estate produces full-bodied wines that show rich concentration of varietal and regional characters, best described by Robert Parker Jr (The Wine Advocate) as "Reminiscent of French Pauillac and European in style.”
Objective: To create a complex red wine style. To enhance the reputation of Coonawarra’s Australia’s pre-eminent red wine growing district. The wine should show varietal character of floral, rich and ripe Merlot with a refined palate of length and balance.
Merlot Characteristics: Merlot typically shows bright colours with luscious fruit and velvet like smoothness on the palate. While often regarded as lightweight in style, is capable of great richness depending on district and winemaking style.
Winemaking: Picked at maximum flavour development, but keeping the exquisite style that is a feature of Coonawarra and Merlot’s natural character. Barrel fermented using a mix of French oak producers and forests, to provide complexity, while maintaining Penley’s hallmark integration. Fermentation takes 7‐10 days at temperatures of 15‐18oC to maintain flavour profile. Circulation through traditional "heading down” tanks (open fermenters, with submerged caps) helps maximise colour, flavour and tannin extraction, achieving delicacy of fruit characters, great richness of palate, and softness of tannins.
The Wine: Deep ruby red in colour with a bright hue. The bouquet is rich and complex with hints of violets, plums, a touch of spice and savoury fruitcake elements. The French oak is restrained and well integrated. Medium bodied with a strong mid palate of mulberry and savoury forest underbrush flavours. The texture is soft with integrated smoky vanilla French oak, finishing with a refined smooth tannin structure.
Penley Style: The balance is a key in all Penley wines ‐ balance with power and grace. This ensures that our wines will mature successfully in the bottle. Each wine will reflect this, but will also display seasonal variations and the regional influence that Coonawarra will have on the overall style. Heading down tanks, barrel fermentation in 33% new French oak and regular racking for clarity ensures a refined style.
Maturation: Soft tannins and low acidity will provide the foundation for medium‐term bottle age of 1‐5 years. However, maturation is quite subjective and will vary from palate to palate. Experience has shown that bottle age, even small amounts on our Merlot, shows distinct improvement in balance and flavour development.
Awards: Awards are now generally given to wines already bottled and labelled. Hence any awards are more likely in the year of sale.
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