Penfolds white winemaking: an enduring legacy
How Penfolds white wines have perpetually led the charge for nearly 200 years
While Penfolds white wines are today enjoying the same level of appreciation as our reds, they have not always been in the limelight. During our earliest days, Penfolds was primarily known for fortified wines. In the 1950s, the release of Grange not only irrevocably changed the Australian wine landscape, but also made Penfolds synonymous with table red wine of the highest order.
Through most of our history, Penfolds white wines have sat in the shadow of our esteemed reds. Things changed dramatically following our 1990s ‘White Grange’ project, which gave birth to our flagship Yattarna Chardonnay, but many are often surprised to learn how far back our relationship with this style of wine goes.
Indeed, it is little known that founder Mary Penfold was, among many great things, an award-winning white winemaker. With varietals such as frontignac, verdelho and muscat, Mary’s wines were loved both locally and abroad, and she was even awarded a trophy in recognition of her pioneering white wines in 1890.
The rise of riesling
During the first half of the 20th century, table white wine production continued at Penfolds, but the focus remained on fortifieds. This all changed in the 1950s, when wine preferences shifted from sweet and to dry, thanks in large part to Max Schubert’s ground-breaking Grange release.
New technology was also introduced in the 1950s, allowing winemakers to craft vibrant styles of dry white wine. The door to a new world of high-quality riesling had been thrust open and we were one of its primary champions.
With new temperature-controlled fermentation tanks, Max Schubert was eager to craft a range of white wines that would equal the notoriety of Penfolds reds. One of the first wines released from these trials was named Autumn Riesling, which is still crafted today in homage to its inaugural 1972 vintage.
The quest for a wine that would stand in similar reverence to Grange, however, was still to be fulfilled. It would take Max’s apprentice and our Chief Winemaker from 1986 to 2002 to achieve this dream.
The White Grange Project
As we discuss here, by the late 20th century, the ambition to create a white wine to rival Grange had grown. Then Chief Winemaker John Duval set about to make this a reality, initiating a ‘premium white’ project, which was later dubbed the ‘White Grange’ project by the media.
The undertaking lasted more than six years and saw 144 trials. Every region, every varietal, and every possible combination and permutation of winemaking techniques was applied.
These efforts were rewarded in 1998 with the 1995 vintage release of Yattarna, which continues to be one of Australia’s most admired wines. Similarly to Grange, it is directed by the quality of fruit, rather than a specific region, and its composition is unique each release. It is simply the very best chardonnay we can make in a given vintage.
Not only did this famed project fulfil its objective but it also gave birth to a number of new Penfolds wines, Reserve Bin A Chardonnay being one of them. Even more than that though, a new standard was set for Australian white wines and a noticeable uplift in quality was experienced during the years that followed.
