...And to drink?

A book devoted to one winery might seem to be a vanity project, but not so with Penfolds: The Rewards Of Patience by Andrew Caillard. This is a history of Australia’s most famous wine producer, founded in 1844. Consequently it works as a history of Penfolds and also of Australian wine. For the early years of the 20th century, most of Penfolds’s business was fortified wines but post-war table wines grew in importance. Penfolds sealed its place in wine history with the launch of Grange 1951, which by the 1960s was recognised as not only Australia’s but also one of the world’s finest wines. The quality has never dipped, despite it now being part of a drinks conglomerate. Grange is hugely expensive, but Penfolds also excels with some more affordable wines.

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2010, £11.62, Spirited Wines: www.spiritedwines.co.uk
It’s so nice to have an Australian Riesling with a bit of age on it. This has developed some lovely toastiness to go with the limey fruit.

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz 2011, £23, Spirited Wines: as before
A complex nose with leather, olives and floral notes. It has ripe fruit, ripe tannins and a hint of chocolate, all tied with a vein of acidity.

Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2012, £22, Majestic Wine: www.majestic.co.uk
Superb stuff, it’s quite light-bodied with some pepper, a little leather and something like Cola. It’s worth keeping, but hard not to.

Blind Spot Grampians Shiraz-Cabernet 2012, £7.95, The Wine Society: www.thewinesociety.com
Penfolds doesn’t have much under a tenner so this beauty shows that Australia can still turn out a bargain. It’s light, spicy and juicy.