There is more to making great wine than
having the best winemaking and viticultural team, you need a great terrior.
Terrior is more than just regionality, it is a sense of place that
encompasses the entire regional and winemaking package.
Geology
The 'Terra Rossa' soil of Coonawarra is by far the most famous aspect of
our terrior. This soil which is a rich red earth with a small percentage of
clay is incredibly free draining making it perfect for vine growing,
producing unique wines. The wines of Coonawarra should show classic cassis
and blackberry flavours, with both these characteristics derived from the
soil.The limestone is the
second major factor in the uniqueness of Coonawarra wines. Created when the
sea receded millions of years ago the roots of the vines dig deep into the
limestone which gives the wines complex mineral and spice characters.
Climate
Coonawarra's climate is similar to
both Bordeaux and Margaret River, both renowned cabernet producing regions.
The cool climate and low annual and growing season rainfall of Coonawarra
means that the ripening period is longer and flavour development slower.
This results in the grapes being smaller and more flavourful as too rapid
maturation means that wines become jammy.
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The table below shows Coonawarra's
temperature, rainfall, humidity and sunshine hours as compared to other well
known winemaking regions.
|
AREA |
MEAN
TEMP WARMEST MONTH ˚C |
RAIN
– GROWING SEASON (mm) |
SUNSHINE HRS |
ANNUAL RAINFALL (mm) |
DEGREE DAYS |
RELATIVE HUMIDITY |
SUNSHINE HOURS Oct-April or April- Oct |
|
COONAWARRA |
19.6
|
257 |
7.8 |
628 |
1363 |
40% |
1593 |
|
MARGARET RIVER |
20 |
274 |
7.7 |
1192 |
1597 |
53% |
1626 |
|
BORDEAUX |
19.6 |
384 |
7.6 |
900 |
1320 |
26% |
1472 |
|
NAPA |
19.1 |
220 |
- |
650 |
1379 |
- |
2118 |
|
BAROSSA VALLEY |
20.8 |
204 |
8.6 |
506 |
1575 |
36% |
1472 |
|
McLAREN VALE |
21 |
182 |
8.6 |
656 |
1913 |
35% |
1765 |
Viticulture
To harness these unique natural
elements takes skill, and at Penley Estate our viticultural practices are
incredibly important to us. Among other methods we use deficit water
management practices, and each block is assessed on its own each year.
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