Penny's Hill remain committed to producing the very finest fruit from their superlative estate vineyards, the superior Penny's Hill site, Goss Corner and Malpas Road properties. Penny's Hill are housed at Ingleburne, originally owned by Thomas Overton who farmed the land and established a Dernier school on the property in 1848. Ingleburne was established by Thomas Goss who leased and later purchased the property in 1854. Goss had the good fortune to return from the Victorian goldfields some fifteen hundred pounds for the better. No doubt this enabled him to build the double storied residence, so long a landmark on the way south from McLaren Vale to Willunga.
Ingleburne remained continuously in the hands of the Goss and Rowland families until it was bought in 1998 by Susie and Tony Parkinson as the new base for their Penny's Hill label. A major restoration and the development of a new cellars, gallery and function facility has been undertaken including the erection around the boundary of an impressive limestone wall by local artisan Tige McMillan. Ingleburne is able to host a wide variety of function activities. And will continue to graze sheep, feed chooks and grow nice green grass. Art is represented by Red Dot Gallery, a venture with artist David Dridan, which ensures the representation of a wide range of painters and sculptors.
Penny's Hill have a policy of minimal use of fertilizers on the vines. Pest and disease management is all about preventative measures and minimising the use of chemicals within the vineyards. The vineyard philosophy is simple; to maximise the quality of the Estate grown grapes. Penny's Hill keep crops to a minimum, and the vines are carefully hand maintained.
Close proximity to the winery aids ultimate quality while small batch winemaking enables us to isolate parcels to keep separate throughout the winemaking process, allowing further options for final selection and blending. Every step of the way, Penny's wines are gently guided to an ultimate balance of texture, complexity and interest.
One of the Shiraz Blocks on the Penny's Hill vineyard has shallow soils at the northern end of the vineyard, which produces tannic, deeply coloured wines. The soils become deeper, moving south, where the wine produced tends towards a more elegant and fruit-driven style. There are several picks across the vineyards over different days, so the winemakers can keep these parcels separate from the vineyard to the winery. The reds finish their fermentation in barrel. A small proportion of the Chardonnay is barrel fermented and matured in oak, and whilst the Semillon is a fresh fruit driven style, a tiny percentage spends a short time in oak to add texture. Penny's Hill gently guide their wines every step of the way through the winery, to make wines of complexity, texture and interest.
Whilst McLaren Vale is noted for consistent climatic conditions, the slightly higher elevation (approximately 140 metres above sea level) of the Penny's Hill vineyard reduces temperature extremes in summer, which means even ripening and higher fruit quality. Every step of the way, from tending the narrow planted, low yielding vineyards through to hands-on winemaking, a meticulous approach ensures wines under the Penny's Hill banner deliver an exceptional balance of texture, complexity and interest, with quality exceeding price, the ultimate objective. The internationally acclaimed, award winning estate wines of Penny’s Hill guarantee luscious flavour, elegance, balance and palate satisfaction.
