Wine Spectator: Penfolds Debuts California Collection

Australia’s Penfolds is perhaps best known for its Grange bottling, but the iconic winery doesn’t stand still. Under the direction of chief winemaker Peter Gago, it continues to release innovative new wines. The latest endeavor has just been unveiled, a lineup of four California-based wines from vineyard holdings in Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles, with prices ranging from $50 to $700. In a twist, two of the bottlings also include a small amount of Australian wine.

“This is not us marching into California to show people how to make wine,” Gago told Wine Spectator. “It’s made with respect.”

Following the Penfolds model, the California Collection wines are defined by bin numbers and have a hierarchy of quality, starting with the Bin 600 Cabernet-Shiraz ($50) and moving up through the Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon ($70) and Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon ($149) to the flagship Quantum Bin 98 Cabernet Sauvignon ($700 a bottle). All of the new releases are from the 2018 vintage. Wine Spectator has the full story.—MaryAnn Worobiec

Tagged : Penfolds, Wine Spectator

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