Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has announced a first for the Pepperjack brand, with the release of three new varietals – Malbec, Sangiovese and Chardonnay.
Before the announcement, the Pepperjack portfolio largely celebrated the qualities of the Barossa region with its Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals. However, the winemaking team had a desire to build on this to become more dynamic and innovative, to meet the changing needs of consumers and occasions.
In another first for the brand, Pepperjack has sourced international grapes for the Malbec, which they say make it a true standout. Winemaker, Richard Mattner, even travelled to Mendoza, Argentina personally to source the right grapes for the Pepperjack style.
“Argentinian Malbec is different to Australian Malbec in that it has a depth of rich dark fruit, but still displays fresh aromatics of spice and violets and a bold tannin profile,” Mattner said
“The Pepperjack philosophy is to create wines that are synonymous with the regions that they are from. Therefore as we expand beyond Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, there was a need to expand our sourcing from beyond the Barossa.
“This is a really exciting time for Pepperjack as we evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of consumers and occasions – especially the demand for lighter-bodied, more refreshing varietals as we head into the warmer months.”
The Sangiovese is quite fruit driven, but with a soft, round tannin profile and a small splash of Cabernet Sauvignon to keep it in the Pepperjack style of being modern and approachable.
It’s a similar philosophy with the Chardonnay, which features grapes from Adelaide Hills for dry crispness and from Padthaway bring full roundness and flavour.
Mattner added: “With Chardonnay seeing a real revival recently, we felt it was a good time to once again try our hand at making some white wines, beginning with a Chardonnay.”
Alongside the recently launched Pepperjack Grenache, all three wines are available nationally from TWE.