Koonunga Hill Chardonnay
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2023
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, creamy pasta dishes, or grilled white fish.
✨ Technical Specifications
First released in 1985, Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay established itself as a benchmark for accessible, high-quality Australian white wine. Named after one of Penfolds' historic vineyards in the Barossa Valley, this wine embodies the estate's signature multi-regional blending philosophy. Winemakers carefully select Chardonnay grapes from diverse premium wine-growing regions across South Australia, blending cooler-climate fruit for crisp acidity and citrus notes with warmer-climate parcels that contribute rich stone fruit flavors. A portion of the blend is typically fermented or aged in oak to add a subtle creaminess and structural complexity without overpowering the bright, fruit-forward character that defines the Koonunga Hill style.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1844 by Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold at Magill Estate in the Mount Lofty foothills, Penfolds represents one of the foundational cornerstones of Australian fine wine. Over nearly two centuries, the house evolved from crafting fortified tonics to pioneering modern multi-regional and multi-vineyard blending across South Australia's premier terroirs, including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra. Soils span from rich terra rossa over limestone to weathered ironstone and alluvial clays under warm Mediterranean climates tempered by maritime breezes. Under the long-term stewardship of Chief Winemaker Peter Gago, the house adheres to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia standards while preserving an unmistakable house style defined by meticulous fruit classification, submerged-cap fermentation, and structured maturation in American and French oak hogsheads. Benchmark bottlings such as Grange (Bin 95), Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, and Yattarna Chardonnay define the apex of collectible New World viticulture.
🍇 Grapes
Chardonnay
🍷 ABV
13.0% - 13.5%