Unlike Europe and even America, Australia does not have any native grape varieties. All the grapes growing there nowadays were brought from other parts of the world like Spain or France. It was the ancient settlers who knew how to find the best wine-growing areas, which are now divided into about 65 well-defined regions, the most significant being the south, where the climate is cooler. The English immigrants were responsible for beginning this winemaking process. Although they were not familiar with the cultivation and winemaking techniques, they used their experience as amateur wine tasters to make their first wines. This is what happened with Christopher Rawson Penfold, a doctor who arrived from the United Kingdom with his family in 1844 and was encouraged to grow and make his own wines when he saw the potential around his new country house in Adelaide. His work was successful and, after 170 years of work that has been faithful to its origins, this winery has established itself as one of the leading high quality Australian wineries.
Among its significant range, Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 is a leading wine that was first launched in 2006 as a tribute to a great wine that the winery produced in 1976. And that is where the name comes from. This is a refined wine to commemorate the style that used to be used in the winery to give the wine a long life in the bottle. The Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes used to make it come from vineyards located in different Australian wine-growing areas: Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Coonawarra, Padthaway, Langhorne Creek and Bordertown. The grapes are harvested and fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature in the winery. Then, in order to add complexity and elegance, the wine is aged for 10 months in used and new (10%) American oak barrels.
The truth is that the original 1976 vintage was a legendary wine that can still be enjoyed today. That is, if you are lucky enough to find a bottle and are able to pay for it. But if not, don’t worry, you can still enjoy Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76. The modern reference of Australian expertise with unbeatable value for money.