Penfolds turns to China in its newest adventure

Having ventured to France and California, Penfolds winemakers have now set their sights on creating wines in the ‘Penfolds House Style’ in China. db looks into the global wine icon’s endeavours in China’s emergent winemaking scene.

The slopes around Shangri-La in China’s Yunnan province are pretty extreme sites for viticulture, enough to put off many producers. Not Penfolds winemakers, however. Well-known for their curiosity and desire to push winemaking boundaries in pursuit of excellence, the challenge of learning about the terroir of the country’s wine regions and making wines in China is an opportunity this talented team has relished since it began making wines here in 2021.

A fascinating new frontier

The landscapes of Yunnan and Ningxia – the first high in the mountains, the other a dry region surrounded by deserts – could not be more distinct from each other and yet they are the regions in which Penfolds has begun its winemaking venture in China. Yunnan in particular is an exceptionally demanding environment that tests growers and winemakers alike. It sits further south than the vast majority of vineyards, at around the same latitude as Cairo. Its vineyards are only viable thanks to their extreme elevations – routinely between 2,000 and 3,000 metres – that cool them. They require extensive terraces to be workable, and access to machinery is very limited. Such diverse terrain and terroir offers an exciting new challenge for the Penfolds winemakers to experiment and craft wines of outstanding quality, with the same care and expertise as they do in other winemaking regions around the world. As ever, their multiregional sourcing and winemaking approach remains consistent, ensuring the ‘red stamp’ of ‘Penfolds House Style’ is ever-present, whilst always allowing room to showcase regional nuance. The first Penfolds Chinese wine, CWT (Chinese Trial Wine) 521 Cabernet Sauvignon Marselan 2021, released in 2023, embodies the Penfolds spirit of trial and experimentation, and also sees the continuation of a naming tradition evident within the Penfolds Collection, such as Yattarna Bin 144 and RWT Bin 798, also known as Red Winemaking Trial. With CWT 521, the ‘5’ refers to the five locations from which the grapes included in the wine are sourced, while the ‘21’ marks its inaugural 2021 vintage, first released in 2023.

This pioneering wine combines the essence of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Shangri-la region and Marselan from Ningxia, all through a Penfolds lens. The Shangri-la region is in the Yunnan province, one of the most beautiful locations in the far southwest of China, bordering Burma, Laos and Vietnam, where the high altitude of the mountainous vineyards makes ideal cool, dry conditions for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. Ningxia, a small autonomous region in north-central China, has been at the forefront of modern Chinese winemaking since 1982 and has attracted significant local and international investment in vineyards and production facilities. The region benefits from a south-north ridge called Helan Mountain which protects Ningxia from extreme weather from the west. The nearby Yellow River provides precious water for irrigation, delivered by highly efficient, sophisticated dripper systems. Due to exceptionally cold winters, the vines are buried underneath the soil by the end of November, and uncovered in April of the following year, a process that protects them from the elements. Made with around 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and around 20% Marselan, the wine uses time-honoured techniques to marry Chinese terroirs with Penfolds’ inimitable style. Rack and return, varied fermenters and several pressing techniques are all employed, with blending of course bringing the many components together. Penfolds is already well-known for Cabernet Sauvignon of outstanding quality but Marselan is a new favourite for the winemakers. Penfolds winemaker Matt Woo explains: “We have already found a love for the Marselan variety due to rich, bold flavours of red and dark fruits. Its profile lends itself to blending that speaks to the heart of Penfolds winemakers.”

Collaboration and commitment

As with all other regions around the world in which Penfolds makes wines, the team works hand in hand with local growers in China, but such is Penfolds belief and commitment to winemaking in the country, it has also recently acquired a majority stake in Ningxia Stone & Moon Winery Co. Ltd. “The future of Chinese winemaking is incredibly bright. We are very encouraged by the exceptional quality of grapes coming out of the regions and can see a huge amount of future potential,” explains Woo, who is heavily involved in the brand’s Chinese projects alongside chief winemaker Peter Gago. “With each vintage we continue to learn and adapt to regional nuances and winemaking practices and look forward to seeing where this journey takes us.” “Regardless of country or region, significant effort will always be made to ensure that Penfolds winemaking techniques, including a rigorous classification process, are sensitively incorporated into international settings – respectful of local fruit, tannins, terroir.”