Dourthe Bordeaux | Penfolds French Wine Collaboration

DOURTHE BORDEAUX

Penfolds launch inaugural French wine with Dourthe Bordeaux.

In 2022, Penfolds first partnered with Dourthe, one of the most respected players in the world of Bordeaux. This reigned our love affair with the region, a special place for Penfolds, where our first chief winemaker Max Schubert was inspired to create Grange.

Combining the creativity, direction and vision of Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and Dourthe Chief Winemaker Frédéric Bonnaffous, the two houses have collaborated to craft wines that span Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Penfolds II

Blurring the notions of old and new world, the first release from the 2019 vintage, blended French cabernet sauvignon with South Australian shiraz. The second release in 2023, was a multi-vintage blend of 2020 vintage merlot from the soils of Bordeaux with 2021 vintage cabernet sauvignon from distant vineyards in South Australia.

The name “Penfolds II” represents two winemakers coming together. The final wine was blended and bottled in South Australia by Penfolds winemakers.

About Dourthe

Crafting Bordeaux wines since 1840 Dourthe are one of the best and most successful wine producers in Bordeaux. They own a number of leading chateaux throughout Bordeaux including the Bordeaux Superieur, Chateau Pey La Tour, Classed Growth Ch. Belgrave, and La Garde in Pessac-Léognan.

Dourthe has been passionate about the vineyards of Bordeaux since 1840; Passionate about a type of viticulture in tune with the soil and microclimate, about winemaking that harnesses the typical character of each terroir and each one of the region’s iconic grape varieties, and ever committed to a creative, honest and daring blending philosophy.

"To push the boundaries and craft such a blend was an unexpected and utterly fascinating concept. Collaborating and cultivating firm friendships with the Penfolds winemaking team in blending such an exceptional wine was a dream come true."

Patrick Jestin

Dourthe CEO

1931

In a sign of Max Schubert’s determination to make his mark on Australia’s wine industry, he did whatever he could to get his foot in the door at Penfolds, joining the company as a messenger boy in 1931. By 1948, at the age of 33, Max Schubert became Penfolds first Chief Winemaker.

1950

In the latter part of 1950, Schubert was sent to Europe to investigate winemaking practices in Spain & Portugal. On a side trip to Bordeaux, Schubert was inspired and impressed by the French cellared-style wines and dreamed of making ‘something different and lasting’ of his own.

1951

Back in Adelaide, in time for the 1951 vintage, Max Schubert set about looking for appropriate ‘raw material’ and Shiraz was his grape of choice.

Combining traditional Australian techniques, inspiration from Europe and precision winemaking practices developed at Penfolds, Schubert made his ﬁrst experimental wine in 1951.