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Penfolds to release its 2024 collection on 1 August

18 July 2024 By Colin Hay

Penfolds is marking its 180^th anniversary with the release of the 25-strong 2024 collection on 1 August. db’s Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay reviews the range.

The collection celebrates 180 years of winemaking and brings together red wines from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 vintages in South Australia, Tasmania, France, the Napa Valley and China along with whites from South Australia and Tasmania in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 vintages.

Although the release comprises the same number of wines as in 2023, they are not in fact the same wines. There is no Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and, as in the 2022 collection, no Quantum Bin 98 either, but we do have an exquisitely refined single-vineyard Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc (2021) and Bin 169, which is part of the September release on La place de Bordeaux, marks its return to the collection with the 2022 vintage.

There will also be a special commemorative release, Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz 2021, named to mark Penfolds’ 180^th anniversary, made from grapes sourced from some of the oldest and most symbolic plantings in the region (which have contributed to Grange, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon and Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon). Made from the outstanding 2021 Coonawarra vintage, the 2021 Bin 180 is a very classical expression and statement of Penfolds’ philosophy, displaying the structure of Cabernet and the richness of Shiraz.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Paris launch of the collection in a tiny restaurant near the Arc de Triumphe last month (24 June) and had the chance to talk through the portfolio with Peter Gago, Penfolds’ incomparable chief winemaker.

As Gago explained, the goal was to craft a landmark wine to acknowledge Penfolds 180th Anniversary, “Compellingly – the lure of outstanding parcels in barrel availed from the stellar 2021 Coonawarra harvest. Fatefully – testament to a pre-ordained and magical Australian varietal union – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Resultingly – Penfolds 2021 Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz.”

Penfolds Bin 180 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz will also be available globally from Thursday 1 August in three formats – bottle, magnum and jeroboam. Only 180 magnums and 8 jeroboams are available globally.

Penfolds partnered with South Australian artisan Andrew Bartlett to design the limited-edition artwork to enclose the rare 3L jeroboam Bin 180 wines as a natural extension of the fine wine within. It utilises barrel wood panels to represent 18 decades of Penfolds history, the cases painstakingly constructed from staves of Penfolds French oak barrels.

See here for tasting notes.

2024 Collection release dates & distribution in EMEA

Meanwhile, the new vintages of Penfold’s Australian Luxury & Icon range will be distributed exclusively across EMEA by a select group of Negociants in the La Place de Bordeaux network, managed by the courtier, Excellence Vins. The new Penfolds releases will launch on La Place de Bordeaux on 9 September and will be supported all year round by Penfolds marketing activation throughout the EMEA region.

The new vintage releases to be distributed exclusively across EMEA by La Place de Bordeaux include:

2020 Grange
2022 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
2022 Bin 144 Yattarna Chardonnay
2022 Bin 798 RWT Shiraz
2021 St Henri
2022 Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon

The remaining wines in the Penfolds 2024 Collection sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa will be available through Penfolds other distribution partners in the region from 1 August. Penfolds will continue to work closely with these partners with brand-building marketing activity taking place throughout the year across the entire Penfolds portfolio, including its popular Australian Bin wines, such as Bin 389, Bin 28 and Bin 311, as well as the French and Californian Collections.

See here for tasting notes.

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