Product Information:
Grange is arguably Australia’s most celebrated wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. A powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy. It's crafted utilising fully ripe, intensely flavoured and structured 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. With an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951, Grange clearly demonstrates the synergy between shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia
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.
Maker:
Penfolds has been a pioneer in the world of winemaking since its establishment in 1844 by Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold. The company's success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers who have pushed the development of the company to extraordinary, bold new heights. Mary Penfold's reign at the helm of Penfolds saw years of determination and endeavour, experimenting with new methods in wine production. In 1948, Max Schubert became the company's first Chief Winemaker and he propelled Penfolds onto the global stage with his experimentation of long-lasting wines - the creation of Penfolds Grange in the 1950s. Soon, the medals began flowing, and Grange quickly became one of the most revered wines around the world. In 2012, Penfolds released its most innovative project to date - 12 handcrafted ampoules of the rare 2004 Kalimna Block Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Penfolds continues to hold dear the philosophies and legends that have driven the company's success since its establishment in 1844.
Vineyards:
The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 1989 is a medium crimson wine that exudes French plum and musky tea-like aromas, with a dash of liquorice. This lovely anytime drinking Grange offers redcurrant confit and blackcurrant pastille flavors that explode with fruity sweetness, complemented by underlying vanilla oak and chocolate. The dry silky tannins provide a perfect balance to the flavors, making this wine a truly exquisite experience. As Australia's most famous wine, Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz is known for its superb fruit complexity and flavor richness. This exquisitely perfumed and concentrated wine combines the intensely rich fruit and ripe tannins of Shiraz with the fragrance and complementary nuances of new, fine-grained American oak. In some years, a portion of Cabernet Sauvignon is added to enhance the aromatics and palate structure. The 1989 vintage marks the last vintage labelled as Grange Hermitage, with future vintages released as "Grange". This wine is at its peak drinking now until 2030.
On the palate, this wine offers fresh dark chocolate, dark cherry, plum and panforte aromas with herb garden and sage notes. The well-concentrated, luscious wine has deep-set fleshy raspberry, dark plum and dark cherry fruits, beautiful fine chocolaty/vigorous tannins, mocha coconut oak complexity notes, attractive sweet fruit viscosity and soft but persistent acidity. The wine finishes chocolaty firm with blackcurrant pastille leafy notes, out-performing its vintage reputation considerably.
