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Grenache has thrived in the soils of the Barossa Valley since the 1840s and has been a part of our winemaking story equally as long.
It first played an important role as a component of our fortified blends, including those crafted by Mary Penfold. In the 1990s, grenache was then used for our red table wines, notably added to shiraz and mataro to create the aromatic Bin 138. 2002 marked our first single varietal expression and in 2023 we reveal Bin 21 – numbered in honour of the years between these two remarkable Barossa Valley grenache wines.
A considerable journey
Before their journey to Australia, the Penfold family secured a number of vine cuttings from the south of France, including grenache. Carefully nurtured during the long sea voyage, these cuttings formed the first vineyard at The Grange homestead in Magill, which the Penfold family planted in 1844.
Grenache played an equally important role in both Christopher Penfold’s medicinal tonic wines and Mary Penfold’s award winning blends. And as winemaking pushed further into the regions surrounding Adelaide, the varietal too began to find new homes.
Barossa Valley is one of Penfolds most important wine regions and remains the heartland of Australia’s finest grenache today. The varietal flourished during the region’s earliest viticultural days, aided by the warm and dry Mediterranean-style climate. Even through hot summers, grenache is known to retain good levels of natural acidity.
The inaugural release
Bin 21 sees its inaugural release within The Penfolds Collection 2023, earning its stripes after many years of trials and exploration under our Cellar Reserve program.
The 2022 vintage of Bin 21 was sourced from low yielding old vines in the Barossa Valley, some planted as far back as the 1930s. It is a full circle wine, that retains an important link to Penfolds early days, while ardently striding into the future.
Our first Bin 21 Grenache signifies an important milestone in our quest to master this beguiling varietal.
- Shavaughn Wells, Penfolds Red Winemaker
The future of grenache
Grenache is a dynamic grape, that lends itself well to many unique styles and expressions.
We will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with this varietal – with each new vintage, comes new possibilities.
“With every trial and experiment, we have honed our understanding of grenache and its expression of place.”