Penfolds II Cabernet Merlot MV Gift Box
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| Varietal
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
|
Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot |
|---|---|
| Vintage
Non Vintage
|
Non Vintage |
| Country
France
|
France |
| Region
Bordeaux
|
Bordeaux |
| Volume
750 mL
|
750 mL |
| Closure
Cork
|
Cork |
| Alc/Vol
13.5%
|
13.5% |
| Peak Drinking
2025 – 2050
|
2025 – 2050 |
| 96 Points - Tyson Stelzer |
| 95 Points - Andrew Caillard MW |
| 95 Points - Dave Brookes |
| 17.5/20 Points - Matthew Jukes |
Tyson Stelzer
This is the star of Penfolds’ international release this year, thanks to a core of heroic 2021 Coonawarra cabernet. Peter Gago describes 2020 Bordeaux merlot as ‘wonderful’ and 2021 Coonawarra cabernet as ‘awesome’ so he scrapped the tradition of a single vintage wine and blended the two! The result is a tightly-entwined blend that captures the vibrant, crunchy blackcurrant definition of cabernet and builds mid-palate with the presence of Bordeaux merlot – not with the rounded, plush feel of South Australian merlot, but with the poise and tension of Bordeaux. I love this effect! 96 Points."
Andrew Caillard MW
"Medium crimson. Pure blackcurrant, praline, mocha aromas with hints of marzipan and spice. Generous and inky deep with ample cassis, dark plum, dark chocolate flavours, fine grainy, touch al dente/ chewy tannins and underlying cedar, spice notes. Builds up claret firm at the finish with a tannin plume. Compact and dense with lovely volume, richness and vigour. Should unravel with a few years of bottle age. 95 Points."
Dave Brookes
"Deep crimson with magenta flashes; resonant with fruit notes of blackberry, plum and dark cherry undercut with hints of fine spice, pencil case, sandalwood, forest floor, redcurrant jelly, pepper and cedar undertones. Quite sinewy with a gravelly tannin sway, pure blackberry and plum fruit notes and a nice, savoury palate shape, it's almost a touch austere on the finish, which is all part of its charm. A marriage of Gallic structure and antipodean fruit density. This should cellar very well indeed. 95 Points."
Sensitively blurring the notions of Old and New world into a thought-provoking new creation.
– Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker
Flashes of deep magenta/ruby/garnet. Bright.
Without wanting to be too forensic:
- Via France: savoury, lead pencil, forest floor, dry bracken.
- Via Australia: plum-stone/freshly-cut satsuma plum; dark cherry streusel cake.
- Via oak: sandalwood, cola.
- Via ??: chinotto, redcurrant, green/pink peppercorn, tomato gazpacho (tomato/cucumber).
Confidently, all combine to exude an irresistible red wine aromatic temptation.
Medium-bodied. A dusty mint impression prompts thoughts of source. Similarly subtle black and red-curranted fruits. Tannins – more of a palate conveyance, less of an attaque – grainy, elongated. Excellent weight. Fine, with width/depth. Acid and tannin, not alcohol and oak, are the backbone of this wine. Savoury/mouthwatering/complex – arrestingly draws you in. The measured palate profile is one of balance, not bigness; definition, not clutter. Worldly. Different.
Vintage Conditions
Overall, Bordeaux had a warm and mostly dry growing season, with the rain arriving in sporadic thunderstorms. The early ripening merlot fared very well. In South Australia, Coonawarra had a favourable start to the growing season. Spring was notably warm. The Barossa Valley growing season was also relatively mild with long dry spells. An outstanding vintage for South Australian cabernet sauvignon.
| GRAPE VARIETY
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
|
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot |
|---|---|
| VINEYARD REGION
South Australia, Bordeaux
|
South Australia, Bordeaux |
| wine analysis
Alc/Vol: 13.5%, pH: 3.63, Acidity: 5.7g/L
|
Alc/Vol: 13.5%, pH: 3.63, Acidity: 5.7g/L |
| MATURATION
New and seasoned French oak barriques and hogsheads
|
New and seasoned French oak barriques and hogsheads |
Our French Release
The inaugural French release in 2022 was led by a wine made in partnership with one of Bordeaux’s most respected winemaking Houses, Dourthe Bordeaux. The elegance of French cabernet meets the depth and power of South Australian shiraz. This first release included two wines; Dourthe x Penfolds II Cabernet Shiraz and FWT (French Winemaking Trial) 585 Cabernet Merlot Petit Verdot.
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