Penfold's 1996 Koonunga Hill

[Mahmoud Ali]

1996 Penfold's Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet, South Australia (13.5%)

Many years ago, when I was overseas, an English gentleman who knew I was interested in wine, gave me a wine magazine. One of the feature articles was a 20 year tasting retrospective of Penfold's Koonunga Hill, 1976 to 1996. The initial vintage of Koonunga Hill was 1976, a year when there was a glut and Penfold's put a lot of high quality fruit into the blend. The result was an excellent 1976 Koonunga Hill that was still good twenty years on. The author of the article reckoned that the 1996 was as good as the 1976 if not better. Reading this I called my mother in Canada and asked her to buy me six bottles of the 1996 Koonunga Hill.

I've opened two bottles so far and they've both been on the youthful side. So here we are now, almost 24 years after the vintage and time to check on another bottle. I gave it about a 10 minute decant before dinner. What we have is a dark, but pretty, cherry-scented wine. The palate is dark fruited, mostly black cherry, mineral inflected, iron-edged, and softly tannic finish. I would say that there is still some time left in this wine, at least another five if not ten.

My better half guessed "new world cabernet", and when told it was indeed new world but a cabernet blend, she guessed Australian, a cabernet-shiraz, and perhaps a 2002. I have to give her full credit. She even opted for South Australia over Victoria. When I told her it wasn’t 2002 she said it probably is older and went 1998. Close enough. Kudos.

KoonungaHill1996.jpeg

What we have here is a bit of Australian history in a glass, and a good example of the iconic shiraz-cabernet blend.

Mahmoud.

[Rory]

Great story!

[George Krashos]

My wedding wine in 2001. Had about 18 bottles left over. Should have put them in a dark place and forgotten about them. They were bloody good!

[phillisc]

Yes Mahmoud a regular buy in the 80s and 90s
I found a case of 90 that had been buried in the cellar, docket showed $4:99 a bottle but $4 by the case ($48 for a dozen!) At 15 or so years of age, they were stunning. The Thomas Hyland 'experiment'...do Pennies still make that garbage and of course lesser Bins, ramped up production, newer vines have all killed KH and for that matter 28.
Thanks for the note, I often think of KH in the same breath as Kaiser Sthul Red Ribbon, Basedows Hermitage, Tollana TR16/222 and Wolf Blass Yellow label when it was as good back then as what Grey might be now.
Shame really

Cheers Craig

[Rory]

Ah... Tollana TR16/222.... i dream of them like Homer dreams of donuts.

[Mahmoud Ali]

Ah... Tollana TR16/222.... i dream of them like Homer dreams of donuts.

And Duff beer.

You know, I came close to buying either the TR 222 or the TR 16, it was the shiraz I think and the 1998 vintage if I recall, and bringing it back to Canada.

[WineRick]

1996 Penfold's Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet, South Australia (13.5%)

Many years ago, when I was overseas, an English gentleman who knew I was interested in wine, gave me a wine magazine. One of the feature articles was a 20 year tasting retrospective of Penfold's Koonunga Hill, 1976 to 1996. The initial vintage of Koonunga Hill was 1976, a year when there was a glut and Penfold's put a lot of high quality fruit into the blend. The result was an excellent 1976 Koonunga Hill that was still good twenty years on. The author of the article reckoned that the 1996 was as good as the 1976 if not better. Reading this I called my mother in Canada and asked her to buy me six bottles of the 1996 Koonunga Hill.

I've opened two bottles so far and they've both been on the youthful side. So here we are now, almost 24 years after the vintage and time to check on another bottle. I gave it about a 10 minute decant before dinner. What we have is a dark, but pretty, cherry-scented wine. The palate is dark fruited, mostly black cherry, mineral inflected, iron-edged, and softly tannic finish. I would say that there is still some time left in this wine, at least another five if not ten.

My better half guessed "new world cabernet", and when told it was indeed new world but a cabernet blend, she guessed Australian, a cabernet-shiraz, and perhaps a 2002. I have to give her full credit. She even opted for South Australia over Victoria. When I told her it wasn’t 2002 she said it probably is older and went 1998. Close enough. Kudos.

KoonungaHill1996.jpeg

What we have here is a bit of Australian history in a glass, and a good example of the iconic shiraz-cabernet blend.

Mahmoud.

Wow, 1976 Koonunga Hill - that brings back some memories! Released in 1978, it's rec. retail was $2.75 but most Adelaide retailers were charging $2.50 except one who charged $2.25/bot by the case. Wasn't hard to get some Roseworthy College Wine student mates together so we drank many bottles! It was a fabulous red for the price, superior to the Jacobs Creek red which was gaining traction at that time but a bit simple. Mind you if a special Aunt slipped a $10 bill in your birthday card, then the wine of choice was Penfolds Bin 2 Shiraz/Mataro - luxury for a whopping $4.50!