Taking Australian wine to the Max
Australia is well known as a producer of good, easy drinking wines – at least in this country (tell that to a Frenchman!) – some of which are of exceptional quality.
Among the many wellknown brands and producers, there is one that stands out from the crowd.
Penfolds. A company that was named the most admired wine brand worldwide by Drinks International in March this year.
Founded way back in 1844, not long after the first Europeans started to colonise the ‘new’ continent, the first wines were fortified imitations of port and Sherry, but normal table wines soon followed, with several different grape varieties being planted.
By 1907, Penfold’s had become South Australia’s largest winery, and is now one of the continent’s most famed and respected wine producers.
The range of wines produced is extensive, with many different grape varieties used, grapes sourced from different regions of Australia, different wine-making techniques and a host of different quality levels. Prices can start from around £10 per bottle for the easy-drinking Koonunga Hill range, named after one of their vineyards in the Barossa Valley and peak at the extraordinary price of over £500 per bottle, depending on vintage, for Penfold’s Grange.
Back in 1948, just after the Second World War, Max Schubert became the chief winemaker for the company. A true innovator and visionary, after much experimentation he was responsible for producing the top-quality Grange in the 1950s – Australia’s most revered red wine, which has propelled the brand onto the global stage and established a worldwide reputation for the company. In 1988 Schubert was named Decanter Magazine’s Man of the Year, and on the 50th anniversary of its birth, Penfolds Grange was given a heritage listing in South Australia.
With every new generation of Penfolds winemakers, Max Schubert’s remarkable vision is nurtured and strengthened. He single-handedly revolutionized Australian wine-making and is quoted as saying: “You only get one chance at opportunity. I was never one to refuse it.”
As a tribute to his extraordinary passion and spirit, a range of wines has been developed called ‘Max’s’. Two of these have been recently released and are fine examples of the Penfold’s style.
Penfolds Max’s Chardonnay 2017, from the Adelaide Hills, is a fresh and finely structured, contemporary style wine, which has vibrant, pure fruit flavours, balanced expertly with crisp acidity and judicious, light oak ageing to give complexity and lift. Notes of stone-fruit and pear on the palate, with some minerality, reminiscent of a Premier Cru Chablis. Some ripe melon flavours, with a touch of citrus. £19.99 from Waitrose.
Penfolds Max’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is a deep, rich, generous red wine, with vibrant black fruit flavours and supple, ripe tannins. A touch of liquorice and cedar on the nose, with deep, ripe blackcurranty fruit flavours and a slight savory character on the long finish. £19.75 from Sainsburys.
Richard Esling BSc DipWSET is an experienced wine consultant, agent, writer and educator. An erstwhile wine importer, he runs a wine agency and consultancy company called WineWyse, is founder and principal of the Sussex Wine Academy, chairman of Arundel Wine Society and is an International Wine Judge. Follow him on Twitter @richardwje.