Penfolds Koonunga Hill 76 2021

Koonunga Hill is Penfolds' accessible everyday range, and the 76 bottling marks the year the first Koonunga Hill was released. It is a Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon blend sourced across South Australia, a pairing that has long defined the Australian style: Shiraz brings ripe dark fruit, pepper and a generous mid-palate, while Cabernet adds blackcurrant, structure and tannic grip. The warm, dry South Australian climate ripens both varieties fully, giving deep colour, rounded tannins and the soft, fruit-forward character the range is known for. The wine spends ten months in American oak, a shorter, gentler maturation than the top Penfolds reds, with the American wood contributing the vanilla, coconut and sweet spice that suit the ripe fruit. The slow oxygen exchange through barrel softens the tannins and rounds the texture. The result is deep red, with ripe plum, red berries and blackcurrant over vanilla, sweet spice and a hint of cocoa. The palate is medium to full bodied, smooth and easy, the tannins soft, the finish clean. It is made to drink young. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees in a standard glass with grilled meats, sausages or roast chicken.