Penfolds is the most recognised wine brand from Australia and one of the most celebrated producers in the New World. Founded in 1844 by British surgeon Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife Mary at Magill Estate near Adelaide, the company pioneered multi-régional blending as a philosophy — selecting the best parcels from across South Australia to build wines of consistent character each year. The estate is now owned by Treasury Wine Estates, but its winemaking identity remains distinct and uncompromised.
Grange: The Shiraz That Changed Australia's Wine Réputation
The flagship Penfolds Grange is a Shiraz — with occasional small additions of Cabernet Sauvignon — that draws on the finest old-vine parcels from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. Conceived by winemaker Max Schubert in the early 1950s and initially rejected by management before being reinstated in 1960, Grange became Australia's first wine to receive a 100-point score from Robert Parker. Its profile is intense and structured: concentrated black fruit, dark chocolate, mocha, American oak vanilla and remarkable tannin grip that softens over 20 to 40 years. Bottles from legendary vintages — 1951, 1955, 1971, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2010 and 2016 — trade for thousands of dollars at auction.
The Penfolds Range: Bin 389, RWT, Yattarna and Beyond
Below Grange, the Penfolds portfolio spans a broad quality range. Bin 389 — nicknamed "Baby Grange" — blends Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz in barrels previously used for Grange, making it one of the world's best-value prestige reds at €50–€80. RWT (Red Winemaking Trial) is a single-région Barossa Valley Shiraz aged in French rather than American oak. Yattarna Chardonnay represents Penfolds' white wine pinnacle, sourcing fruit from the cool Wrattonbully and Henty régions. Together these wines show that the Penfolds philosophy — rigorous sélection, confident blending — applies across the entire portfolio.
