Penfolds’ new luxury label augments confidence in Coonawarra

Penfolds addition of a 100% Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon to its high-priced range of luxury labels augments a growing international respect for wines from this Australian wine region.

Speaking to the drinks business at Vinexpo Asia-Pacific in late May, Sue Hodder, winemaker at Wynns Coonawarra Estate said, “Penfolds’ launch of a Coonawarra Cabernet is a sign of confidence in the region.”

Both Penfolds and Wynns are owned by Treasury Wine Estates, the demerged Foster’s global wine business which was given a separate stock market listing in May 2011.

Penfolds latest label, the Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 was unveiled to the UK market for the first time at the London International Wine Fair (LIWF) last month.

Peter Gago, Penfolds’ winemaker, compared the new wine to the company’s Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, which has been made annually since 1964, and also sits in Penfolds’ “Icon and Luxury” range along with Grange Shiraz, St Henri Shiraz, RWT Shiraz and Yattarna Chardonnay.

“The 707 and 169 are 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and both use 100% French oak, but one is multiregional and the other is regional,” he said.

As the wines were shown to a crowded room at the LIWF, he commented, referring to the 707’s distinctive style, “When you get to the 707 it says I’m 707 and by the way I’m a Cabernet.”

On the other hand, he said of the 169, stressing its strong regional character, “This one says I’m from Coonawarra and I’m a Cabernet.”

Explaining the reason for the launch, Gago said he would have introduced the wine 10 years ago had he been able to get hold of the grapes.

He also emphasised that the 169 would not detract from the 707. “The 707 is the quickest of Penfolds’ wines to sell out in every market so we are not going to change the wine.”

However, as a further suggestion of Penfolds’ confidence in the quality of Coonawarra Cabernet, the 169 will retail for £165 per bottle, the same as the multi-regional 707 Cabernet, which uses grapes from Barossa, Wrattonbully and Coonawarra.

“We have priced the 169 the same as the 707 because the fruit quality is the same,” said Gago.

“The criticism of pricing 169 at the same price as 707 is that 707 is proven across half a century and this has just been released,” he admitted.

A 2009 and 2010 vintage of 169 will follow the 2008, although Gago added that there will be no 169 – or 707 – made in the difficult 2011 vintage.

There will be a 2012 however, and he described the just-completed vintage as “an excellent year” and “fantastic right across south Australia”.