Winemaker Notes
Grange is an icon, being both Australia's and Penfolds' flagship wine. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climate of South Australia
Penfolds Grange displays fully ripe, intensely flavored and textured Shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognized as 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.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Only the third Grange to be produced from 100% Shiraz, the 1999 Grange is superb... A wine of great intensity, sweet tannin, voluptuous texture, and a spectacularly long finish.
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Wine Spectator
Not quite as broad and generous as riper vintages, but tremendously classy, offering smoky, earthy blackberry, plum and currant fruit that compete effectively against cedary oak on the long finish. The flavors gain with each sip, fanning out impressively. It's tight now, but it could age beautifully.
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Wine Enthusiast
An excellent wine as it always is, but this vintage of Grange is one that isn’t just built for aging, it requires it. Its flavors and aromas require a good 20 minutes in the glass to show themselves, but with time, pretty eucalyptus/mint and anise aromas come through. In the mouth, this vintage feels more feminine than other recent vintages. It’s very tightly wound, with tea, biscuit and plum notes peeking through; its tannins are powdery and pretty, and its finish long and juicy.
Cellar Selection
Since 1844, Penfolds has been grounded in experimentation, curiosity and uncompromising quality. Their success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers. It began with Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold, the pioneers who dreamed big, inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines made from grapes and Australian sunshine. It continued with celebrated winemaking legends including Max Schubert, who pushed the development to extraordinary, bold new heights. It is this pioneering spirit and curiosity that still rings true after nearly two centuries, it is what has helped Penfolds become one of the most celebrated winemakers in the world today.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
South Australia is the historic heart of Australian wine, a great wine capital of the world, and home to some of the most famous regions. It produces more than 80% of Australia’s premium wine from some of the oldest vines in the world. There is an abundance of varieties and wide spectrum of styles to explore. From the rogue to refined, discover Australian wines that are far from ordinary.