Now - 2023. Drinking well now, but will improve with time.

Colour
Vibrant bright crimson.

Nose
Youthful.
Reflecting a touch of Middle Eastern scented exotica – Moroccan spices, Turkish Delight, sliced dates, rose-water …
Additional fruits (damson plum) and wafts of cold roasted lamb remind of more local environs.
Oak? Just a hint.

Palate
Balanced and even throughout. Medium bodied.
Predominantly red fruits noted at this early stage – loganberry, mulberry & red-cherry. Tempting to speculate what they will morph into with time in bottle!
(‘Just right’) tannins, acidity & oak in unison conspire to afford both instant drinkability and the promise of longer-term delivery.
The above statement reinforced by the second sip being better than the first … always a good sign.

Origin: Multi-regional blend, South Australia. From Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Eden Valley, Langhorne Creek, Wrattonbully and Adelaide Hills.

Maturation: 10 months in new (10%) and seasoned American oak.

Wine Analysis: Alc/Vol: 14.5%, Acidity: 6.8 g/L, pH: 3.58.

Variety: 72% Shiraz and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Above-average rainfall offered the grapevines across South Australia healthy soil moisture profiles in the lead up to the growing season. Spring was quite cool, conditions that initially slowed down vine growth. Temperatures gradually warmed in October with vines producing large canopies, little by way of irrigation was required. It was a season that challenged grape growers, who had to work hard to control vigour and crop size.

Vintage was delayed by up to a month in some regions. Weather conditions during harvest were generally dry favouring fully ripened grapes with well-developed colours and flavours.

First vintaged in 2006. The Koonunga Hill Seventy-Six Shiraz Cabernet, with its retro packaging, was released as an homage wine to the famous 1976 Koonunga Hill ‘Claret’, a wine that captured the imagination of Penfolds wine enthusiasts.