5 STAR WINERY RATING – WINE COMPANION
That the Penfolds story is essential to the story of Australian wine is a given, but it runs deeper than that. Grange has long been celebrated as this country’s most famous wine, but its genesis also speaks to the spirit of Australian winemaking. Max Schubert famously hid the production of the wine when it was cut from the roster by the Penfolds board. That doggedness, that belief, combined with the integral work of wine chemist Ray Beckwith, embody the essence of Australian wine in the second half of the 20th century: a maverick spirit allied with better tools and knowledge. It’s true that Penfolds has been the establishment for some time, but it is also essentially progressive, continually growing its collection of wines – including impressive co-labs in Champagne and the Napa Valley – while maintaining and refining its classic bottlings. Although a raft of iconic reds still dominate the portfolio, what the whites lack for in representation, they more than make up for in quality. WINE COMPANION
