Penley Chertsey 2004
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Robert
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The Chertsey name was born out of inspiration from the Tolley family (Penley Estate); it is the village in which the Tolley family lived in the United Kingdom. In Australia, it is the name of the house in which Kym's father grew up in Adelaide. This wine honors the family's winemaking heritage.
Winter rains and spring temperatures were average and resulted in a late budburst, followed by warm conditions that produced ideal flowering. A very cool but dry January delayed veraison and a wet March delayed completion of harvest well into May, however this long cool maturation produced intense flavors, aromatics and colors.
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Wine Enthusiast
A top blend, Penley’s 2004 Chertsey combines 60% Cab Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 12% Cab Franc to make a wine that’s Bordeaux in conception but strongly Australian in actuality. The Merlot adds a rich mocha component, while the predominant notes are of cassis, mint and chocolate, framed by plenty of French oak. It’s a bit warm on the finish, but balanced by crisp acidity—a satisfying steakhouse red to drink now–2015.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2004 Chertsey is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc. Saturated purple-colored, it delivers a perfume of smoky oak, pencil lead, earth, clove, black currants and blackberry. This leads to an intense, layered wine with tons of sweet fruit, well-integrated tannins, and a long finish. It has enough stuffing to evolve for 4-6 years and should drink well through 2020.
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Robert
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Penley Estate is located in the center of Australia's most famous Cabernet region: Coonawarra. Continuing a family tradition that spans five generations, the winery was established in 1988 when the Tolley children continued the winemaking heritage of their pioneering families, Penfold and Tolley, both storied names in the Australian wine industry. In 1844, Mary Penfold defied stereotypes and was the driving force behind the establishment of McGill Estate. Similarly, from 1948-1961, Gladys Penfold Hyland was Penfold's Chairman of the Board. Their descendants, sisters Bec and Ang Tolley, run Penley Estate, proudly channeling the vim and might of their ancestors. Penley Estate's 240 acres of vineyards were planted atop Coonawarra's "terra rossa" soils with the aim of producing terroir-driven wines with distinctive regional character, and is now regarded as one of the region's leading Cabernet and Shiraz producers
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Distinguished by a thin, subterranean band of crumbled, red clay loam, Coonawarra is a fairly flat, otherwise unobtrusive region with a cool Mediterranean climate, actually not dissimilar to Bordeaux.
In Coonawarra, this unique layer of red clay is called, "terra rossa" and gets its color from iron oxide. The terra rossa soil overlies soft, penetrable limestone, in a continuous area that is part of the Limestone Coast zone of South Australia. This uncommon layering of soils creates a substrate that is both well draining and at the same time, offers good water retention to support vine roots through dry summers.
Not surprisingly, Coonawara experiences great success with the Bordeaux varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but also Shiraz. However Cabernet reigns superior and accounts for half of the Coonawarra harvest each year. Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon develops powerful, yet polished tannins, ripe, red berry fruit and often sweet herb or dried mint qualities. The region has an increased focus on the individual expressions of single vineyards.