There have been cult-ed wineries, generational wineries, historic wineries, commercially successful wineries, wineries that everyone knows about, and wineries whose labels can be found the world over - all of which would be accurate of Australia's Penfolds. Whilst most wineries can only hope to gain one of these titles in their lifetime, Penfolds collects them like they're a kid in candy store - even more rarefied is that Penfolds has over the past several years taken a big leap in crossing a threshold that few winemakers can even imagine, that is to produce wines in multiple countries around the world!

What began in mid-1800's Adelaide as a desire by Christopher and Mary Penfold, who ran a medical practice and had thus wanted to produce wines, which were at the time believed to imbue medical benefits, would eventually become not just Australia's largest and most successful wine company, but would along the way finesse  - with the help of the legendary winemaker Max Schubert, of course - producing not just grail-worthy wines like the Penfolds Grange, but also balance on the other hand a full portfolio of wines that you'll find beloved around the world, known for this distinctive Australian richness and generosity, and very often a favourite for their incredible quality and value. Penfolds has pretty much done it all!

Penfolds' Chief Winemaker Peter Gago in China.

| Read: Breaking Bread With Penfolds' Chief Winemaker Peter Gago: We Talk The Legendary Wines That Inspired A Chemistry Teacher’s Career Pivot to a Life of Pioneering Boundary-Breaking Blends

Yet it wasn't till the late 2010's when Penfolds, under the helm of the incredibly masterful and soulful Peter Gago (Penfolds' Chief Winemaker) began to debut its global winemaking plans - now, granted these plans weren't all that surprising to insiders, given that the Penfolds team was already on the ground in California and France since as early as the 1980's - which came as what would have otherwise seemed as a rapidfire launch of its own French Champagne (in collaboration with Champagne Thienot in France) in 2019, a California Collection in 2021, and in the same year began making wines in Ningxia, China.

The lineup today.

Now whilst we might not so readily see some of these wines on shelves around the world till some years from now, some of these globally made wines have already begun to sit comfortably alongside the house's staple Aussie wines. Quite frankly, I cannot wait to try more of Penfolds' globally made wines!

And so as we get well underway into 2026, being situated here in Singapore, we have the Penfolds's Lunar New Year Horse Collection to crack at, where we'll get first taste of what the house that's done it all has to offer for the year to come! In this rundown, we'll get to taste a selection of French wines and of course Australian wines, with Penfolds winemaker Shavaughn Wells as our guide! Worth pointing out of course is that this selection of wines each come with a festive Year of the Horse packaging or label, which makes for a great gift or something to bring to your celebrations! But of course, we've got to make sure that the inside of the bottle is just as good, so we'll get to tasting in just a minute!

Penfolds Winemaker Shavaughn Wells.

For those familiar with the Australian wine scene, you might already be familiar with Wells, given that she's plentifully accredited - not that much unlike the house she makes wines for! - having been named Australian Winemaker of the Year in 2016 and then inducted as Baron of Barossa in 2017! Having gotten to speak with her, it was interesting to hear that whilst she's spent much of her career learning intimately the in's and out's of the Barossa, she actually really enjoys making wines in France, and counts amongst her favourite experiences, having gotten to learn and interact with winemakers in Spain too. She's also got a rather good sense of humor and even laughed at how much winemakers like herself fuss and obsess over the growing season, which ultimately comes down to paying an incredible amount of attention to what is in fact just fruit! When asked what her ideal profile of wine was, or the type of wine she'd like to make, Wells had described a wine that had great tannin structure, balanced yet without shaving off what could make it interesting, and finally an alluring nose that develops not just in the glass as it opens, but also one that continues to evolve with age.

And so with that said, let's get right into it!

Wine Review: Penfolds Champagne Cuvee Brut NV

Made in collaboration with Champagne Thienot (a formidable house that is behind brands such Canard Duchene and Joseph Perrier) in of course, Champagne, France (because you can make sparkling wine anywhere in the world, but only in the Champagne region can it be called as such!), this is a blend of classic Champenois varietals of 45% Pinot Noir, 35% Meunier and 20% Chardonnay. It's rested on lees in bottle for at least 15 months.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: Opens really toasty, with lots of toasted shokupan and almonds too! It's really aromatic and persistent, keeping that warm toastiness, and to great depth. With some time, as the toastiness lifts, it develops on to buttery dough.

Taste: Medium plus bodied, it feels more substantive and fuller, really firm and broad, with a really satisfying thickness. It's honeyed and doughy here, with more tart juiciness of sliced pears and green apples. The bubbles here are gentle and fine, yet firm and persistent. Amidst the juiciness, there's some salinity, with then an undercurrent of green apple juice. Still lightly toasty here, but really juicy. The acidity here is prominent yet firm and rounded, so as to not be streaky or sharp.

Finish: It gets more honeyed here, even as the salinity lingers, combining to give salted green guavas and gooseberries drizzled on with honey, along with an ongoing juicy tartness of the green pears and apples. Firm and crisp finish.

My Thoughts

Thoroughly impressive - and for that phenomenal value price tag, wow! - this really packs it in with that absolutely beautiful toasty, biscuity, and nutty aromas that are just so alluring! It's like walking by a bakery, you just can't help but stop! It's warm and comforting, with such a lovely depth and is so immersive! I also really loved how persistent that toastiness was - we're not talking whiffs here, it really stays - and when it finally lifts, you get these really delicious buttery doughiness too! The body lets go of that toastiness, which gives it a really nice transition into something fuller, that's got alittle more weight to it, making it really satisfying on the palate. It's first and broad, and then you get all that honeyed doughiness, and this really compact juiciness of gently tart green fruit. The acidity here is very well-developed, present so as to make it refreshing, yet rounded and firm so that it's not sharp, keeping it very approachable and very much a crowdpleaser. It then gets on to a rather long and well-integrated finish, with the honey, the salinity, the green fruits, all coming together really nicely, and then ending it off nice and firm, but also crisp. 

Honestly, I know we're here for the reds, but this was supremely impressive and I've been thinking about it long after! This punches so far above its price tag, it's quite a wonder!

Wine Review: Penfolds FWT 585 (French Winemaking Trial Bin FWT 585)

First kicked off in 2019, the Penfolds French Winemaking Trial (FWT) was taken on with the mission to create a Bordeaux-style wine yet in the Penfolds House Style - so French grapes, Penfolds technique; which is also why it's classified in the broader category of Vin de France (which by the way has become one of the most exciting categories as of late because of how permissive it is of being more experimental).

So the reality is that Penfolds has long sought out inspiration and insights from France, going as far back as the 1950's in fact when legendary Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert had been so illuminated by what he found that he ended up creating the now iconic Penfolds Grange! This went on through the decades, yet it wasn't till the late 2010's that Penfolds' Chief Winemaker Peter Gago would seal the deal and actually start making wines in France. Now, the reality is that this is an Australian winemaker - no matter how highly regarded - making wines in France, so there clearly was little sense in pretending to fit in, and thus the team made the really prescient choice of simply focusing on making wines that the French could or would not - and that's meant blending wines of different vintages and even going so far as to blend French wines with Penfolds' Australian wines, which goes under the Quantum series! 

In any case, with the Penfolds flag firmly planted in France, the FWT 585 would see its debut in 2019, and is now well into its fourth release! FWT 585 is made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot sourced from across Bordeaux, and so is Penfolds' take on the classic Bordeaux Left Bank blend. The Penfolds 2022 FWT 585 is 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, aged for 12 months in 35% new French Oak and 17% new American Oak barriques, with the rest aged in 1-2 year old French Oak barriques.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Dark Ruby

Aroma: Really deep, juicy raspberry and blackcurrant gummies, with also a touch of rose petals and eucalyptus. There's alittle bit of well balanced oak in there, giving it a sense of refinement, and whilst riper and richer, it's fresh and lifted, almost bright with a bounty of dark fruit. It's plushly robed.

Taste: Medium-plus bodied, fuller, richer and riper, yet with a degree of lifted-ness without being heavy. Plum and prune preserves, outlined by brighter notes of blackcurrants and raspberry gummies, and again a touch of eucalyptus and drops of cough syrup. There's some rose petal aromatics in the background, with the acidity here gentle and rounded, very generous too, with the tannins incredibly giving.

Finish: A nice chalkiness here to go with the rose petals, the tannins develop to a slight graininess before getting alittle powdery, which combines nicely with the floral aromatics. More on those raspberries, plums and prune gummies, still really juicy. Drops of cough syrup once again that is coaxed in with the ripe dark fruit. Lingering floral aromatics and powderiness.

My Thoughts

True to form, this certainly melds that classic Left Bank Bordeaux style with that Penfolds signature generosity and richness. We find that distinctive palette of rose petals, dark and red fruits, with even a touch of that eucalyptus, where here it's really juicy and rich, yet still teetering on the edge of being full on maximalist fruit. There's some liftedness and it's very fresh, with that acidity keeping that richness in check. It's fuller bodied, really rich and rounded, coupled with the really giving tannins that don't come with any strong onset of dryness or tightness, and therefore makes it incredibly approachable and with sufficient body to go well with to my mind something like a cherry crumble. This would make a great digestif into the night! Perhaps most intriguing to me is that I suspect this has great ageing potential and that if you give it a couple of years, the fruit might forgo some of that juiciness for what I think might actually be a very impressive structured wine that holds in all that chiselled richness.

Wine Review: Penfolds Bin 389

The Penfolds Bin 389 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz from McLaren Vale, Padthaway and Barossa Valley in Australia. The Penfolds 2023 Bin 389 as we taste here is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon and 49% Shiraz, that's matured for 12 months in American Oak hogsheads (larger barrels that don't impart so much woodiness).

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Dark Ruby

Aroma: Really fruity and absolutely fruit driven, this is giving lots of plush dark fruit, really juicy plums and prunes, throw in some raspberries as well, and garnish it with rose petals. It's intensely perfumed and with depth, also rich here, with this powdery chalkiness that lends well to the red florals. It's really sensual, leading with dark fruit that's tinged with the elegance of red fruit and rose petals. There's also a really good contrast where there's a slickness of wet clay that cusps the fruit core very seamlessly.

Taste: Medium-plus bodied, richer and fuller, also really rounded and plush, with an elegant and generously ripe body of fruit, of plums, prunes, a touch of raspberries, and sprinkled in with some rose petals, with then also more of an earthiness of tobacco, licorice, leather, and a tinge of herbal eucalyptus. It shows a good amount of restraint and more lift here, really sensual, with acidity that is gentle and broad, as well as tannins that are softened and giving, almost powdery.

Finish: Those earthy tones of tobacco and leather carry through, with here still that richer body of dark fruit of plums and prunes, those sensual rose petal aromatics, alittle bit herbal of eucalyptus. It then seamlessly recedes into this chalky powderiness, where the tannins are incredibly giving, with no grippyness or graininess.

My Thoughts

This is completely ready to uncork and enjoy right away, showing ready generosity and balance, with also that much more complexity here. With that signature Penfolds richness and boldness, this adds on that layer of earthiness to really make for a complete expression of sensual and evocative red florals, dark fruit and a depth of rugged earthiness, tinted with just some herbal notes and with some delicate chalkiness. The acidity and tannins here are present and play their part well, yet at the same time primed for enjoyment given how softened and giving they are. It's a really harmonious expression that has a nice fresh lift as well, and I think serves as a perfect all-encompassing table wine - whatever the pairing or occasion, this fits the bill just right.

Wine Review: Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon

We get on to some single varietal labels, with Penfolds classic Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon. First released in 1993 with the 1990 vintage, the Bin 407 is a more affordable entry point to the highly regarded Penfolds Bin 707. With fruit from Coonawarra, Padthaway, Wrattonbully, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, this has then been aged for 12 months in 25% new French Oak and 11% new American Oak Hogsheads.

This is the 2022 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Dark Ruby

Aroma: Fresher here, more svelte and lifted, leaner too, yet maintaining still a good sense of richness. Blackberries, raspberries, plums and prunes with also a garnish of tobacco and cupped by some slick clay, it's aromatic yet not quite perfumed or quite so herbal, with touches of potpourri and eucalyptus. Light air of chalkiness too.

Taste: Medium-plus bodied, like its aromas, it's again lifted and leaner here, with a more detailed sense of structure and that much more precision, it's still rounded and plushly rich, yet exercises more restraint, sidelining that heftiness. Light dash of cough syrup, with then robes of plums and prunes, as well as some eucalyptus, it's cleaner and less ripe, not quite so fuller bodied. The acidity is brighter and fresher to match, yet still rounded, tannins structured, polished, cleaner and more precise too.

Finish: Bit of cough syrup, with persistent body of plums and prunes, sprinkle of aromatic potpourri, and a line of chalkiness. It works through a seamless finish, tannins still polished and structured, with no grippyness or graininess.

My Thoughts

A really elegant Cab Sauv that delivers! It's fresh and lifted, still rich, yet without going over the top, keeping within that clean and precise, more svelte structure, with tannins that are polished and satin-y, and acidity that's bright and refreshing! There's still alittle bit of that characteristic Aussie herbal cough syrup that comes through, dotted on a more linear body of plums, prunes, blackberries and raspberries, with a sprinkle of potpourri. The aromas are also particularly vibrant and with good definition too, with some of that slick clay and chalkiness that gives it that much more complexity. This is absolutely ready to crack open, already showing great balance and integration, with no grippyness or graininess into the finish. Although a year or two more might just bring it up one more notch! Definitely punching above its weight and value price point! This is a classic daily drinker and would go just as well with grilled meats as it would a chocolate-y dessert.

Wine Review: Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon

Ah! The Penfolds Bin 707! This is the real if you know, you know pick of the Penfolds stable! Highly regarded, this sits in the upper echelons of what Penfolds has to offer, and just a step before the legendary Penfolds Grange. First debuted in 1964, it's 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale, Padthaway and the Barossa Valley, then aged for 18 months in 100% new American Oak hogsheads.

This is the 2023 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Dark Ruby

Aroma: Immediately more mineral, with an air of chalkiness and also a freshness of spring water. This envelopes then a core of raspberry preserves and crushed raspberries, and then a mid-tone of cocoa and chocolate, matched by darker, richer notes of cough syrup, herbal eucalyptus, along with plum and prune preserves. There's also a touch of savoury oiliness of olive tapenade and even shoe polish. This comes through brighter and sleeker, much more polished, satin-y and well-bounded.

Taste: Medium-plus bodied, rich and rounded, broader and more compact, the body here is leaner and more chiselled, yet maintaining good concentration and saturation, with a bright but rounded acidity. Plums and prune preserves, with also some eucalyptus and also alittle spiced of dried thyme. Drops of that cough syrup, with also that black olive savouriness. The tannins here are polished and structure.

Finish: Those herbal and savoury tones of cough syrup, eucalyptus and black olives carry through the finish, layered over that compact plum and prune preserves. Seamless and plushly rich throughout, with lingering herbal tones. The tannins remain giving and pliant yet maintaining its woven sturdiness.

My Thoughts

Showing more balance and elegance here, this comes through really polished and compact, veering away from that big, bold fruit core, to one that's more refined and compact, with the fruit serving more as a canvas that holds various tones of herbaceousness, earthiness and savouriness. Here you start to impressively find some of that distinct Aussie characteristics coming through, already quite expressive even at this more recent vintage. Although if I had to make a guess, given more age, this will certainly blossom and reveal more, that much is convincing! The acidity here is bright and rounded, the tannins polished and structured, with the fruit much more refined. I particularly enjoyed how this came across much sleeker and more svelte, with the body much more chiselled. It has a sense of cool confidence and charisma, very stylish in fact, in a rather understated manner. This would pair well with something cleaner, I daresay sashimi, and perhaps even more specifically, jack mackerel!

Wine Review: Penfolds Grange (Bin 95)

And finally we come to the Penfolds Grange. This is not only Australia's most renowned wine, it's often called the first grail of the New World! No legendary wine collection calls itself complete without the Penfolds Grange, and thus far, very few New World wines (outside of the US) have even come close to its level of repute. First created in 1951 by Max Schubert, having been inspired by his time Bordeaux, and having wanted to create an Australian wine that could rival that of the iconic French wine region, it was so named after Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold's original homestead in Magill Estate, South Australia. 

The Penfolds Grange is composed of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested from the McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley and Clare Valley, and then aged for 18 months in 100% new American Oak, followed by another 2.5 years of bottle maturation, before being released.

This is the 2021 vintage.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Dark Ruby

Aroma: It opens first more sensual and elegant, then more earthy and rugged, with immediately deep and toned, dark fruit preserves of plums, prunes and blackcurrant pastilles, alongside leather and tobacco, with wafts of eucalyptus and betel leaf, giving it an almost chewiness to its aromas. There's a brighter, more crystalline candied quality that delicately wraps around its bouquet, of candy floss, alongside a floor of slate. Getting in a layer deeper, there's an estery, almost bubblegum quality, incredibly vibrant and again candied, somewhat reminiscent of tanghulu candied fruits, and towards the base is that earthiness of licorice root, black licorice and sarsaparilla, layered on with a touch of burnt brown sugar. With time, a touch of fruity balsamic quality comes through, with also alittle bit of cocoa powder and more on dusty forest floors. It's layered and incredibly detailed, with such a level of precision to the composition.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, great richness and concentration, impeccable structure, it's plush and rich yet clean and precise. Chewy blackcurrant pastilles and black licorice at the core, with then drops of cough syrup and tobacco, it shows a svelte and chiselled, muscular structure; really clean around the outline. It's not over the top with the richness, lifted and elegant, even as it carries that incredibly deep, darker fruit and earthy, herbal tones, filled with blackberries, plums, prunes, as well as eucalyptus and burnt brown sugar. The acidity is bright and fresh, tannins polished and giving. With time, it develops on to red fruits of dark cherries and raspberries that join the blackcurrants. Really elegant and satin-y.

Finish: The combination of dark and red fruit bramble follows through, plums, prunes, raspberries, here perfumed with a touch of rose petals, that meld in with the bouquet of eucalyptus and tobacco, wrapped up around the fruited body. Light touches of cough syrup, with also that licorice and burnt brown sugar that persists as well, although here much more floral, even delivering some patchouli. There's a chalkiness that comes through as well, backing up the richness of the body. It's plush and rich through the finish, still really elegant and lifted; the tannins now alittle grainy and ending on a dry and clean note, balancing out the richness. The florals linger on, with a touch of cough syrup that stays.

My Thoughts

Incredibly detailed, generous, and complex, with all of the elegance and at the same time rugged character that makes it so multi-faceted. I could not help but think of the sort of Renaissance masterpiece, where whilst an artwork or painting could feature numerous characters of all shapes and forms, yet somehow everything is crystal clear, precise, and meticulously pieced together in such an intentional and masterful composition. The structure on the wine is sensual yet bold, the body concentrated without being over the top, delivering that rustic purity and rawness in a most refined manner. The acidity here gives it lift and keeps it pristinely balanced between the concentration and depth of the fruit, alongside the earthiness and everything else. This shows such an impressive complexity even as its still very much fresh and energetic! The Grange is a wine where you can't help but feel provoked into thought, and helplessly find yourself meditating on its nuances, broad and subtle, almost intellectually compelled to explore every nook, and to such great satisfaction! This would pair beautifully with a rack of lamb, matching that ruggedness and combining with that savouriness, or maybe a black forest gateau, going pound for pound with that dark richness, balancing out the dark and red fruits!

Kanpai!

@111hotpot