Penfolds is a well respected Australian producer. Their Grange has cult status. Depending on the vintage, a bottle of Grange can go for upwards of $1,000. Just a little past my pocketbook. However, a Wine Witch truth – the lesser labels of great wine producers are usually great values. It works here with the Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet.
This wine is a blend of 75% Shiraz and 25% Cabernet. Each grape is contributing its signature style. The Shiraz gives you the inky purple color and the smokey spice notes in the nose and on the palate. The Cabernet is responsible for the restrained tannic backbone and the hint of cocoa on the finish. Together they produce a fruit profile of blackberries and dried cranberries. Altogether nicely layered and very tasty.
Here’s another plus. Most wine at this price point, event the reds, should be consumed within 2-3 years. The 2007 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet has enough guts to go the distance – maybe until 2017.
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About a year ago, I discovered a 1999 bottle of this wine in the back of my liquor cabinet at home. It had not been stored properly on it side, or kept chilled. I’d say it spent its life at an average of 78f.
It had started to turn tawny.
It was delicious once left to breathe for a bit. (Okay, there was a hint of maderization, but in such way that it actually made an interesting and subtle caramel note on the midpalate. )
So yeah, it can last a decade.