Grange is arguably Australia’s most celebrated wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia. Grange utilises fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world’s great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district, blending philosophy.

97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. A substantial Grange release, poised, creamy, saturated with dark berried flavour, vanillin but appropriately so. Rarely does tannin come, when it’s as robust as it is here, so saturated in flavour, start to finish, sun up to sun down. Pan juices flow, fruit commands, tannin blows the roof off things. This is a big release, bigger (in memory at least) than the previous few releases – it has a CMYK blacker-than-black density to it – but its quality is ballistic. Take the stereotype of new world red wine, push its quality to its outer limits and then push it out yet further again, and you have this wine. Grange for the true believers, maybe not, but one for the new believers, definitively. Tasted: Jul 2022; Alcohol: 14.5%; Price: $1000; Closure: Cork; Drink: 2028-2048+; Rated: 98 Points; Campbell Mattinson; The Wine Front

Deep colour. Beautiful and classic with intense blackberry, blackcurrant dark chocolate espresso aromas and wax polish, roasted chestnut, malt notes. Superbly concentrated wine with deep set inky blackberry, blackcurrant, dark plum, dark chocolate mocha flavours, fine chocolaty/ velvety tannins, underlying espresso, malt, oak notes and hints of aniseed. Finishes chocolaty firm with superbly integrated acidity and mineral length. A glorious year for Grange. This will last 50 years at least. Wonderful. One of the greatest vintages of all time highlighting a superb growing season, marvellous vineyard management, the fidelity of the Penfolds housemaking style and generations of imagination and effort. 97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. 18 months maturation in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Drink 2030-2060+; Alcohol: 14.5%; Rating: 100 Points; Andrew Caillard MW
 

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