Vineyard Notes: Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale Vintage Notes

The spring and summer preceding the 1994 vintage were cool and dry in most parts of Australia, a very welcome change from the difficult, wet 1992 spring that had created so many problems the previous year. The result, however, was a very late vintage which had vineyard managers in the cooler areas doubting whether the grapes could possibly ripen fully. Luckily, a long mild autumn allowed full ripeness to be achieved in most areas. Sporadic frosts caused minor damage in some inland regions, but the season was generally trouble-free and marked by unusually low loss from disease.

Ageing

Matured in new, one and two-year-old American oak barrels for 16 months, including all those that held the previous vintage of Penfolds Grange.

Producer Tasting Notes

COLOUR Deep red. NOSE Dark chocolate, plummy, loamy aromas with some demi-glace, mint notes. PALATE The palate is well focused with lovely strength and density of fruit. There are still some primary blackberry characters intertwined with evolved chocolaty, meaty demi-glace fruit and savoury, malty oak. It finished with pronounced sappy firmness. Very strong, muscular wine with plenty of fruit volume.