Penfolds Wine History

By Alexander James

The name Penfolds has been associated with wine since a young English doctor, Dr. Christopher Penfold, and his spouse Mary acquired 500 acres of land in 1884 in South Australia. This vineyard came to be known as Magill Estate; the first vineyard to carry the Penfolds name. Penfolds now operated 5 wineries in Southern Australia - Magill, Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra.



Producing all kinds of wine from all vintages, maybe their most famed wine is Penfolds Grange. It also happens to be one of the most costly wines in the world. In 2012, a bottle of Penfolds Grange 2004 vintage went on sale for $168,000, with the wine came in a special hand blown glass ampoules



Since the first vintage in 1976 of a Shiraz Cabernet, Penfolds Koonunga Hill has positioned itself in the upper levels of Australian premium wines. It's top quality and consistency, as well as it's value for money, has made sure that Koonunga Hill remains a favorite of wine connoisseurs all over. Produced from premium vineyards around South Australia, the center of this wine comes from the Barossa Valley. A grade fruit from Coonawarra and McLaren Vale can also be found in this wine, giving it glorious structure and length.



While this wine is ready for drinking immediately, the Koonunga Hill Shiraz will age gracefully and gain further qualities over the next couple of years. This is a rich Shiraz, with the flavour of blueberries, plums and layered with a touch of spice.



In our taste test, the Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz held up quite well to Penfolds own descriptions of the wine. Priced up at $9.99, it provides great value for money for a Shiraz. It has got a full bodied taste, with a definite berry like sweetness that comes straight out at you. There's also some hints of vanilla, though the after taste is a little green, with a bitterness that sits on the tongue. Nothing too major though, and actually not something to put the drinker off.

Overall, for taste and excellent value this is a solid Shiraz. If you like Shiraz's you might go worse than this.

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For more in-depth information on the wine mentioned in this article, tcheck out the full video review by Alexander James on our YouTube channel over here.