180 years of brand history is nothing to sniff at, and Australian wine producer Penfolds is marking the special occasion with a stellar 2024 collection.
Aptly named the Penfolds 2024 Collection, the anniversary release comprises the fruits of Australia, China, the US, and France’s labours, featuring 25 wines made from the greatest vineyards around the world, sourced and produced under the multi-regional Penfolds house style. Under the guidance of Penfolds senior winemaker Steph Dutton, we at Robb Report Hong Kong had the opportunity to sample some of the finest reds from the collection, including the Grange, Bin 704, FWT 585, CWT 521, and Bin 389—a personal favourite—certifying our long-held belief that Penfolds is indubitably Australia’s premier vintner.
Multi-regional winemaking is not just a Penfolds signature—it’s the inherent philosophy of the enterprise. Introducing the producer’s unique viniculture, Dutton says that “the strength of the different vintages in the Penfolds 2024 Collection feels especially fitting as we celebrate our 180th anniversary. Witnessing the consistent quality and style across five distinct vintages in such a milestone year makes this achievement even more significant, and underscores Penfolds unwavering commitment to excellence.”
Paired with excellent cuisine from Ocean Table, each dish complimented the taste and tannins of the red wines, and it was love at first blush as a fabulous flight of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and even Merlot (yes, it is indeed time to drink Merlot again) was generously poured. Each tasting informed the other, an elevation of spirits that tickled our taste buds. All in company mimicked a fine nose, jotting down notes from their powers of observation, penning thoughts on aroma, acidity, tannins, sweetness, and alcohol, and rooting for that harmonious, magical alchemy, which many found in different numbered glasses. At the wine-tasting luncheon, there was no rank and file; we were all oenophiles.
Many a wine critic worthy of the pen has often stated that an exceptional wine need not necessarily have a great price tag. On that note, our favourite wine happened to be the humble 2022 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz that displayed a remarkable array of aromas and flavours on an elegant palate structure. Perhaps the most anticipated drink was the commemorative Bin 180—Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz 2021. Released in honour of the winemaker’s 180th anniversary, a milestone year, the exquisite red was made from the 2021 Coonawarra vintage, and became an instant classic. “Our goal was to craft a landmark wine to acknowledge [our] 180th anniversary,” said Penfolds chief winemaker, Peter Gago, who has been in Beijing since early August, creating a VIP gala dinner, art exhibition, and bespoke wine experiences with Penfolds at a 600-year-old former Dongjingyuan temple. “Compellingly—the lure of outstanding parcels in barrel availed from the stellar 2021 Coonawarra harvest. Fatefully—testament to a pre-ordained and magical Australian varietal union—a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Resultingly—Penfolds 2021 Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz.”
Penfolds prides itself in the powerful balance between the structure brought by the Cabernet and the richness that comes from the Shiraz. As we’re told, the grapes were picked from blocks five and 10, some of the oldest and most symbolic plantings in the Coonawarra region, and the source of some of Penfolds’s best wines—think Grange, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, just to name a few.
Many tipped their hats to the 2020 Grange Shiraz and the 2022 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon. For the connoisseurs, the Grange is now considered a heritage icon by the National Trust Heritage of South Australia, where the winery’s founder, Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold, lived in the 19th century, on the 500-acre Magill Estate vineyard. In fact, the wine has been referred to as the “flagship of the Penfolds wine portfolio,” and is even considered Australia’s answer to the best Bordeaux.
For those with a penchant for American Shiraz, there is the charming 2021 Bin 600 Cabernet Shiraz, and the once cinematically maligned Merlot made one heck of a comeback with the French 2021 FWT 585 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Petit Verdot.
The Penfolds 2024 Collection also welcomes the second release of Chinese Winemaking Trial (CWT) 521 Cabernet Sauvignon Marselan. According to the official launch, the 2022 vintage trial wine blends Cabernet Sauvignon from Shangri-La and Marselan from Ningxia. “In the spirit of trial and experimentation, Penfolds has married two varieties, sourced from two viticultural regions, on a continent far from home,” says Matt Woo, Penfolds red winemaker responsible for crafting CWT alongside the company’s China-based winemaking team. Although the approach sounds unusual, “the structural framework from the Cabernet Sauvignon melded with the rich, generous palate of Marselan in a harmonious synergy. [It’s a] wonderful follow up to the inaugural 2021 release.”
Among all the releases (French, Australian, American, and so on), this release from China certainly piqued our interests one of the highlights of the anniversary collection, and a new attainment in the rise of Chinese fine wines.
Penfolds Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz is available in Hong Kong now. Grab it quick—there are only 180 magnums and eight jeroboams are available globally. Visit the Penfolds website.
All images courtesy of Penfolds.
