Penfold's Grange is Australia's most revered wine, and its creation represents a distillation of Max Schubert's ambition for Australian wine. Schubert joined Penfolds as a messenger boy in 1931 and by 1948, he became Penfolds' first Chief Winemaker. In the latter part of 1950, Schubert was sent to Europe to investigate winemaking practices in Spain and Portugal. On a side trip to Bordeaux, Schubert was inspired and impressed by the French cellared-style wines and dreamed of making 'something different and lasting' of his own. Combining traditional Australian techniques, inspiration from Europe and precision winemaking practices developed at Penfolds, Schubert made his first experimental wine in 1951. In 1957, Schubert was asked to show his efforts in Sydney to top management, invited wine identities and personal friends of the board. To his horror, the Grange experiment was universally disliked and Schubert was ordered to shut down the project. Max continued to craft his Grange vintages in secret, hiding three vintages '57, '58 and '59, in the depths of the cellars. Eventually, the Penfolds board ordered production of Grange to restart, just in time for the 1960 vintage. From then on, international acknowledgment and awards were bestowed on Grange, including the 1990 vintage of Grange, which was named Wine Spectator's Red Wine of the Year in 1995. Today, Grange's reputation as one of the world's most celebrated wines continues to grow. On its 50th birthday in 2001, Grange was listed as a South Australian heritage icon, while the 2008 Grange vintage achieved a perfect score of 100 points by two of the world's most influential wine magazines. With every new generation of Penfolds winemakers, Max Schubert's remarkable vision is nurtured and strengthened.
Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz is the benchmark by which all other reds in Australia and overseas are often measured. This wine has many reasons for its success, including concentration of flavour, complexity and longevity. Grange blossoms with 15 to 20 years of bottle age, when most other reds have passed their best and better vintages can live and continue developing for decades longer. The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 1994 represents over 40 years of winemaking excellence, first produced by Max Schubert in 1951. The grapes for this wine were sourced from the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra and McLaren Vale regions. The Barossa Valley experienced a drier than average growing season, with good sugar levels, alcohols and ripe flavours realized. McLaren Vale had good rainfall and mild temperatures, while Coonawarra had a warm, very dry autumn followed by a cool and sometimes wet summer. Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 1994 is made from 89% Shiraz and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged in 100% new American oak for 18 months. The result is a wine that has a concentration of dark fruit flavours, a complex aroma and a long finish.
The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 1983 is a wine that delivers on its promises. It has a dark plum colour with a brick red rim. The nose is rich and complex, with flashes of green tea leaf and truffle, interlocked with freshly tanned leather and savoury notes, prune and stewed blueberry fruits. The classy oak (cedar) is elevated, yet not overstated, by smoky barrel ferment character. On the palate, this wine is an opulent, intense, hedonistic experience. The layers of massive Shiraz fruit and expertly crafted oak manifest themselves into a seemingly endless variety of flavours - deep plum, liquorice, cedar, chocolate and more. The wine is full-bodied, with a velvety texture and a long, satisfying finish. The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 1983 is a wine that is sure to impress any wine enthusiast with its complexity, balance and depth. The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 1983 is a testament to the winemaking expertise and heritage of Penfolds, making it a must-try for any wine enthusiast.
Deep, brooding, timeless scents with a whopping slink of malt and licorice and blackberry – this is still a very youthful wine. Renowned for its inapproachability, this wine is finally starting to come around, now offering rich licorice and drying tannin, a cigar-box savouriness and oodles of concentrated, masculine power. Mint-doused leather, but sexily interwoven. Oak has largely taken its leave. A rugged champion of a wine. - Campbell Mattinson , 95 Points.
