Petaluma may come off rather understated with its minimalist, really agricultural styled labels that rather straightforwardly carry stencils of bunches of grapes (as a winery does), along with its name and the vineyard from which the wine comes from - it's all really unassuming and rather ordinary, the sort of bottles you'd probably think you'll see at a farmer's market. Yet don't let its simplistic appearance fool you - Petaluma brought a revolution to Australia.

Let's talk about it!

How Petaluma Built Modern Australian Winemaking

Petaluma was established in 1976 by Brian Croser, a pioneer in many ways of Australia's modern winemaking. The 1960's were a very nascent time in Australia's wine industry, with the modern form of it still really just coming together (even though winemaking has existed in the country for a century by this point). It was therefore Brian Croser who had grown up on a sheep farm in Clare Valley (where Petaluma would eventually harvest its famous Rieslings from!) who had felt inspired to help build the industry up. He would study agriculture in both Adelaide and eventually California, where he would be exposed to Chardonnay proper, and when he returned he would rise to the rank of Head Winemaker for another Australian winemaking icon Hardy's.

Along the way Brian, with his passion in viticulture and grape growing, would set out to impart his own learnings to more folks in Australia, and thought that the best way to do that was to set up a university degree for it at the then Riverina College (today part of Charles Sturt University). He would partner up with Tony Jordan, a fellow pioneer who would later help create Chandon Australia, and together they would run the wine science program. Brian felt that in order for the course to be fruitful to its students, a practical component was necessary - he thus convinced the university to build a winery in an old olive oil press! Much to everyone's excitement the very first vintage made there would already bag several awards! This program eventually became a pivotal seed in helping spur modern winemaking in Australia, producing numerous notable winemakers in the country.

In many ways Petaluma built Australia's modern day winemaking industry. Pictured is the Charles Sturt University Winery.

It was therefore at Riverina College that Brian began to work on the idea of starting the Petaluma winery, which he so named after Petaluma, California, where he had spent time at during his postgraduate studies. And here's the kicker - the whole thesis behind Petaluma was to grow varietals in vineyard locations that best suited the specific varietal. This makes sense today, but back in the 1960's and 1970's, most Aussie wineries would simply grow a wide array of varietals in the same vineyard with the goal of simply producing the widest net of wine expressions that could cater to as many palates as possible. With Petaluma, Riesling was grown in Clare Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon in Wrattonbully and Chardonnay in Piccadilly Valley - the best spots for the right varietals! 

This was revolutionary at the time and Petaluma would hit the ground running - the brand became known for overdelivering in quality on their price. In particular their Rieslings would become a huge hit. 

It's All About Location, Location, Location!

Over the years Petaluma would continue to break new firsts, being amongst the first to produce a Champagne-style sparkling wine, and would expand in vineyard locations to Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills and Evans Vineyard in Coonawarra. Through Petaluma, Brian would help to raise the overall standards of the Australian winemaking scene with significant contributions on methods that ensured wines being produced were able to stay fresh, with the fruit flavours preserved and terroir was being expressed.

Petaluma's thesis: right location, right varietals.

Today the Petaluma thesis still stands - Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills (the coolest winegrowing region in South Australia, characterised by granite and schist soils) are specifically used for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with Mount Barker also in the Adelaide Hills used grow growing Rhone varietals of Viognier and Shiraz, whilst Clare Valley (slate and hard rock, with cool nights and sunny days) is dedicated to Riesling and Coonawarra (Terra Rossa red clay over limestone with a maritime climate) for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The winery today also finds itself as part of the Accolade Wines portfolio.

Today we'll be taste testing quite the range of Petaluma wines - going from the Rieslings to Chardonnay and Rose, and then to the Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz of Coonawarra.

Wine Review: Petaluma Yellow Label Hanlin Hill 2022 Riesling Clare Valley

This is arguably Petaluma's real calling card - the winery's Clare Valley Riesling! The Hanlin Hill vineyard was first planted in 1968 and has been part of Petaluma's harvest ever since. It is characterised by slate and sandy loam soils, with a Mediterranean climate, and thus follows the contours of the Clare Valley landscape.

Upon harvest, the fruit is chilled overnight before whole bunch pressing. The juice is then cold settled and then racked, with the clarified juice given two different yeast strains upon which it goes through cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks for up to five weeks. Once it reaches the ideal sugar dryness, the wines are then racked, blended and filtered.

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Light Straw

Aroma: Big muskiness, it shows good control over the richness, balancing it out with some brighter acidity. It's rustic and fresh with scents of hay, gooseberries, green pears, langsat, garnished by light white florals.

Taste: More richness comes through here, the acidity holds with a big ripeness here - equal measures of sweetness and acidity that comes together nicely. Green fruits of apples, pears, gooseberries, fresh and lightly jammy. It's more effervescent here, with a light spice undertone.

Finish: Some chalkiness comes through, more buttery and bready here with some brioche. A clean finish with lingering aromatics of green pears and apples.

My Thoughts 

This is a fuller bodied, riper take on a Riesling showcasing more depth and earthiness, where it quickly goes from fresh fruits to something more along the lines of fruit compote with a lightly spiced quality. It's not as bright or high toned, and is a little richer whilst still keeping good restraint on the sweetness. It's almost like a baked apple pie on the palate, whilst on the nose it keeps alittle more familiar with European Rieslings. I find this more gourmet and that richness goes better with heavier foods, and this has the presence to be a solid pick for a dinner wine without being overwhelmed by richer foods. It shows that ability to hold its own and keep its presence which is a really nice take on a Riesling. 

Wine Review: Petaluma Yellow Label 2023 Chardonnay Piccadilly Valley

Another Petaluma icon, this is the Chardonnay from Piccadilly Valley that is the coolest viticultural region in South Australia. Here we find a jigsaw of sub-valleys that have an underlying geology of up to 1,800 million years old - yes, that's no typo. The vines here are planted up rather steep slopes to take advantage of the warmer early mornings.

This is barrel fermented on the lees, with extended lees stirring that matches the extended ageing on the lees.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: Really rich, also quite mellow here, it's more rounded, filled in with fleshy white fruits of langsat, mangosteens, longans and some pears too. There's alittle bit of rustic barnyard hay, as well as some flint smoke.

Taste: Honeyed and rich here, the core is of sweet and concentrated pear compote and poached pears flanked by mangosteens too. It's got a light tartness and acidity around the outline, yet the core remains sweeter and denser. Medium-bodied here with a really satisfying richness.

Finish: The acidity and freshness carries through into the finish, bringing along with it pears, mangosteens, honey, elderflowers - really blossoming into the finish here. The tartness and acidity is more prominent here, yet it keeps with that richness and roundedness.

My Thoughts 

This is also a riper and more rounded take on a Chardonnay - it's not so much of that bright and high toned, lighter style, trading that up for more richness of honey, these more fleshy white fruits, all wrapped around a core of pear compote and poached pears. Yet even with that riper richness, it's not heavy or overly sweet, it's just got a more filled in body that's more supple and honeyed, offering up more depth and juiciness. I also like how into the finish we get this blooming effect where it opens up into a more floral set of elderflowers - that was a really nice touch. And all throughout, it's worth pointing out that the acidity remains, and it's not a pipsqueak - there is still that zestiness and tartness that keeps a sense of balance. I really do enjoy much more this richer style that I find more approachable and carries more presence, with a fuller body that I find incredibly satisfying on the palate.

Wine Review: Petaluma White Label 2024 Dry Rose 

The Dry Rose comes as a blend of Grenache and Sangiovese sourced from the Barossa Valley and Riverland. In some vintages this will be a Sangiovese and Nebbiolo blend that come from McLaren Vale and Coonawarra, so do look out for the mix in each vintage.

To produce the Rose, the two parcels of varietals are separately vinified - juices quickly separated from skins as is Rose making - where they tend to be held on the lees for several weeks prior to fermentation to bring out more of the fruit and give the body more weight. Juices are racked and fermented in stainless steel, still kept on some light lees until the final blend is combined.

Tasting Notes 

Colour: Light Pink

Aroma: It's brighter with more of this summertime quality, yet it does keep this confectionary richness of vanilla frosting. It's giving a bouquet of cherry, blackberries and Kyoho grapes. Gentle wafts of musk and hay that gives it a pure and rustic touch.

Taste: It leans sweeter here, giving big confectionary notes of strawberry pie topped with vanilla sauce, also strawberry frosted poptarts, vanilla cream, cherry pies. It's medium-bodied yet really lush and creamy, and at the same time whilst it feels fuller bodied with all that richness, it's also not heavy with a lifted and brighter profile.

Finish: That richness persists, continuing to give generously all that cherry and strawberry jams along with vanilla sauces. It recedes in a plush and velvety manner that's gentle and supple with a deep sweetness.

My Thoughts

Now this is my type of Rose! I have to concede, this isn't particularly dry - but I'm really not complaining! I must also concede that I've always found Roses too savoury, often times funky and thin - this is not that by a mile. This is really rounded, cohesive, it carries through the creamy and fruit tones with such richness without coming off too sweet! This is such a lovely Rose that I will bet anyone would love!

This is definitely a more confectionary style, really rounded and creamy, remarkably lush and velvety, bringing on waves of strawberry and cherry pies, poptarts, red fruit jams, carried across with a good serving of vanilla cream - it's definitely sweeter and fuller bodied, yet it's for that reason I find this so approachable and tasty. Now granted, this is not one of your really chiselled wines that showcase its structure and precision - this prizes approachability and drinkability. It is a fun summertime drink and that's all - but for me this is the perfect Rose I'd bring to any party.

Wine Review: Petaluma Yellow Label Coonawarra Evans Vineyard 2018

Now we head over to Coonawarra which is characterised by unique terra rossa red soils. This label in particular showcases Evans Vineyard and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. During fermentation, the must is drained and returned daily which is said to create a softer tannin profile here. Post ferment, the wine is pressed and filled into French oak barrels for a round of malolactic fermentation and ageing for 19 months.

Tasting Notes   

Colour: Ruby

Aroma: Clean and structured here, with firm and precise aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, dark cherries, also alittle bit of raspberries too. It's concentrated yet leans more austere and less ripe. Some hay, soil and dark chocolates here as well. Just a moderate richness here, much more restrained and lean. 

Taste: Still lean here, it carries over the same blackberries, blackcurrants, dark cherries and raspberries. There's alittle bit of tobacco and dark chocolate. It's clean around the outline, again much more precise and austere.

Finish: More cherries come through, little bit of blackberries and raspberries, as well as some of that earthiness of soil.

My Thoughts

This is rather set apart from the more characteristic ripeness that we tend to find with Aussie wines - here it's much more lean and austere, not nearly as jammy or rich. This definitely showcases more structure and precision, but I did find that this isn't as generous or approachable. This still comes off alittle closed off and tight, which perhaps might open up alittle more with time. I did enjoy the concentration it had but would've liked it more if it relaxed alittle. This would work well for food pairings if you're not looking to overload on the wine, and still allow the food to shine.

Wine Review: Petaluma White Label Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

We move on to the more regional White Label featuring Cabernet Sauvignon from the wider Coonawarra region. Worth noting here is that the wine aged in oak barrels for 16 months along the way.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby

Aroma: It's noticeably alittle more green here - green bell peppers and eucalyptus, joined by some cassis. It's again more austere and leaner here, more clean, without so much of the usual richness.

Taste: Surprisingly more richness comes through here - strawberries, raspberries and cassis. It's alittle more of those fruit cordials and jams. Soft and plush, really fruit forward with a more mixed berry bramble quality with tones of red and dark berries. Definitely more supple and juicy here.

Finish: It's back to the leafyness, green bell peppers, mulberry leaves, along with some blackcurrants, mulberries and raspberries. It's a fairly clean finish that is again leaner.

My Thoughts

On the nose it initially went down a familiar line to what we saw with the Evans Vineyard Cab Sauv/Merlot blend - more lean, cleaner, more crystalline sort of aromas, not the usual ripeness and richness we typically expect from Aussies. Yet on the palate to our surprise it came through with a good leap more of richness, with more on mixed berry jams and fruit cordials - that said, it doesn't overdo it, it's still medium-bodied and doesn't go full throttle, so don't worry this isn't one of those heavy, boozy wines. It's got a very nice supple quality to the body which I so enjoyed, and then begins to show restraint into the finish, with more of those green tones showing, leading into a clean and and lean finish. A balanced wine that doesn't overdo it!

Wine Review: Petaluma White Label Coonawarra Shiraz 2019

Last but not least we have the White Label Coonawarra Shiraz - our first Shiraz from Petaluma.    

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby

Aroma: This takes a darker tone with black cherries, dotted by some raspberries, along with some more raw, barnyard scents of animal hide, leather and hay. This feels alittle more radiant and open, with just a moderate amount of richness on the nose.

Taste: More richness comes through here, still showing restraint and moderation, it's plusher yet without that weightiness. Black cherry jams, tobacco, some coffee grounds and cocoa powder, soil. There's this soft earthiness about it. This strikes a good level of ripeness where it's approachable and giving yet not cloying.

Finish: Cleans up nicely here, really nice freshness too. Some of that richness carries through along with roses, raspberries, dark cherries and some soil.

My Thoughts

A nicely balanced Shiraz! This keeps all of those darker, richer tones but holds back on the ripeness - this has the effect of conveying that same depth that we love so much in Shiraz, whilst allowing it to maintain its approachability without getting cloying or overdoing it. The flavours still feel very much bold and deep, yet it's without the heaviness or booziness - the ripeness is struck incredibly well here, allowing more of that earthiness to come through as well. A very splendid showing!