Our Story

To run, discover and play. To be brought to life.
We are the wines with carefree souls;
the wines for now and the wines for later.
We are the vibrancy of the terroir,
celebrating the fruit and honouring the vine.

Winemaking


Passion. Spontaneity. Soul. Just a few words that come to mind when we get ready to introduce our winemaker, Kate Goodman.​

Kate is one of Australia's best contemporary winemakers. Wineries such as Wirra Wirra ( McLaren Vale), Tim Kanppstein (Clare Valley), Seppelt (Great Western), Punt Road (Yarra Valley) have all benifitted from Kate's brilliance. There is no denial of talent and absolute harmony when it comes to Kate and the winery which we have witnessed each uear since she started in 2016.​

Her investment in us is what has fed our evolution into creating some spectacular contemporary varietals. And with the addition of winemaker, Lauren Hansen, it's as though we have taken an almighty breath of fresh Coonawarra air and we are totally inspired.

"It's not about being afraid of failure, that's the only way that you're actually going to make better wine- trying new techniques or working with a variety that's foreign to you. If it doesn't quite work, you can fine tune for next time.

As for the brand, the ideals that we have about becoming really contemporary and progressive... I think we're moving in the right direction. With our Mythology range (home to Phoenix), I want the wines to be both contemporary, but recognisable as Penley. It's always in the back of your mind when winemaking - where is this grape destined to show up?

We need to always remember that the wines we make are the subject of the environment they're grown in, and that we really have to nourish these places. Always remember that wine is a living and breathing beverage. It's not a soft drink produced in a factory. These are really unique and special drinks."

History


Our wine-making history dates back to 1844, but it really began with a red sports car in 1945.

It was a collision of hearts and minds, a collision that had been 100 years in the making – refined and distilled from two pioneering winemaking families.

When Reginald Lester Tolley rolled up to a function in his red sports car, Judith Anne Penfold Hyland was suitably impressed by the car and rather taken by the man behind the wheel. Sparks flew, romance blossomed and Penley was conceived (as a business name) in 1947 after Reginald and Judith married.

However, it wasn’t until 1988 that the Penley name came to life, that it finally bore fruit, so to speak. That’s when we (the children of Reginald and Judith) decided to create our own wines – put our label on tradition.

We bought a plot of land in Coonawarra, planted cabernet grapes and called it Penley Estate. In 1989, our Phoenix Cabernet won a Gold Medal at the Adelaide Wine Show. As you can imagine, we were pretty pleased with that achievement.

In 1995, we built a winery at Penley Estate – a full on, all the bells and whistles, impress me with your red sports car winery. Our reputation had grown by then, and it made sense to have everything on site. We planted more vineyards, added some Shiraz to the Cabernet, and increased our range of wine, producing classic Coonawarra reds that were full-bodied, to be kept and savoured.

As the years rolled on, Coonawarra reds became a bit passe, not the flavour of the month, more of an old Roller than a red sports car. We still made some bloody good wines though!

In 2015, Kym (our brother, wine maker and bon vivant) retired. It left us sisters to consider our future. We could have sold Penley Estate, but that just went against the grain – it would have been disrespectful to the amazing Penfold women who had gone before us.

Our great, great (add a few greats) grandmother, Mary Penfold, was the driving force behind the establishment of Magill Estate in 1844, and is now regarded as one of the most outstanding pioneering women in South Australia.

Then there was Gladys Lethbridge, who married Frank Penfold Hyland in 1921. She was a flamboyant woman, the great granddaughter of Governor King and an enthusiastic collector of antiques. Yet, Gladys Penfold Hyland proved she could mix it with the best. Following Frank’s death, she oversaw the running of Penfolds (with the aid of Frank’s no-nonsense secretary, Miss Longhurst) and was Chairman of Board from 1948-61. She remained a director until 1964 – no mean feat when you consider the business world was pretty much run by men back then.

Our mother was also a most remarkable woman and regarded as one of South Australia’s most well-dressed women (this was in the fifties by the way). She filled the social pages and looked immaculate everywhere she went. Judith was the epitome of elegance and style, and achieved just as much (if not more) for the Tolley name as our father.

So instead of selling, we decided to revitalise, reinvigorate and refresh the wine – make it true to itself, gossiped about and socially celebrated at any occasion… for everyone to enjoy.

Our history is a rich mix of endeavour, passion and vision with a touch of scandal and madness thrown in for good measure. We could write a book about it. Instead, we’ll leave you with the words of our glamorous mother; words that we hope you’ll taste in every bottle of our contemporary Coonawarra wine… “Grow up and be fascinating.”


Ang and Bec Tolley

Viticulture


Hans is a natural in the Vineyard!

He’s a Viticulturist and a Geologist who has always been keen to understand the interaction between the vine and its own local geology. A visit to Portugal’s Douro Valley helped him realise his two fields of knowledge were a perfect match and since then Hans has been busy applying his geological mapping skills to the mapping of vineyards.

Our small parcel winemaking journey starts in the Vineyard through Hans’ intimate knowledge of the Penley Estate Vineyards. “My aim always is to identify the small parcels of fruit in each vintage that will enable Kate and Lauren to bring the season to your glass, the smallest of tweaks in the vineyard making for something a little better in the bottle!”

Vineyards are something that has been a part of his earliest memories, “I had a great mentor in my dad, Max Loder, a Viticulturist of very high regard himself. I often recall dinner table talk with my father focusing on understanding the seasonal difference. I reflect on those conversations as a better way of understanding the challenges and variances of each and every vintage. Letting the vineyard shape itself, with me there just to best understand it”

“My inspiration comes from my knowledge, experience and the potential that I see in the Penley vineyards. From dinner table conversations to visiting the Birthplace of Wine in the Republic of Georgia, I draw on my experience to help bring a little piece of Coonawarra to you.”

Our vineyards are in good Hans. (pun intended)


WINERY & CELLAR DOOR

Address: McLeans Road

Coonawarra, SA 5263

Phone: +61 (0)8 8736 3211

Email: cellardoor@penley.com.au


WINE ROOM & HEAD OFFICE

Address: 194 Main Road

McLaren Vale, SA 5171

Phone: +61 (0)8 8323 8659

Email: marketing@penley.com.au

OPENING HOURS

 


SUBSCRIBE

Thank you!

DISTRIBUTION ENQUIRIES

 


HELP