2015 Penfolds Grange (750ml)

Syrah from South Australia, Australia

B-21 Top Recommendation
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Counted among a handful of iconic wines instantly recognizable by a single word, pioneering Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert began his secretive experiment in the 1950’s to craft a highly distinctive Shiraz blending grapes from across South Australia’s best vineyards with techniques considered unconventional at the time, initially calling it Grange Hermitage and eventually changing it simply to “Grange." Described as “unquestionably Australia’s benchmark wine” by Vinous critic Josh Raynolds, this selection of highly rated Penfolds Grange vintages available in a range of formats is being offered at special, one-time pricing that Aussie Shiraz fans and collectors of the world’s best wines will want to secure without hesitation.

Among the first to establish vineyards in South Australia’s Adelaide, Dr. Christopher Penfold and his wife Mary established Penfolds in 1844, naming their stone cottage situated among the vines The Grange and eventually growing to become one of the country’s largest wine producers. Now celebrating the 70th anniversary of its first release, continuity has played a big part in the overwhelming success of Penfolds Grange, with only three other winemakers after Schubert crafting its signature style. As Chief Winemaker for Penfolds since 1989, Peter Gago has carried on the Grange tradition of blending mainly Shiraz and usually (although not always as in 2017) a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon from multiple vineyards across multiple regions, a practice which minimizes the impact of vintage variations, and ages Grange in large casks of 100% new American oak with nearly four more years in the bottle, yielding elegant spiced dark fruit balanced with precise acidity and velvety, forceful tannins ensuring decades of evolution. Described as “a massive wine” by the Wine Spectator’s Harvey Steiman, the 97 pt. 1995 Penfolds Grange has enjoyed over two decades of impeccable aging and is ready to enjoy, “majestic in its proportions, combining power and grace in equal measure” with a finish that “echoes all day and night.” Available in magnums, the 99 pt. 2012 Penfolds Grange is “unquestionably a stonking great Grange!” according to the Wine Advocate’s Lisa Perrotti-Brown with a finish that’s “epically long.” Declaring the 100 pt. 2014 Grange “doesn’t disappoint,” Jeb Dunnuck describes it as “unquestionably the reference point wine for Australia,” while calling the 100 pt. 2015 Grange “a monster of wine and one of those rare wines that blends power and elegance perfectly.” Described by the Wine Spectator’s MaryAnn Worobiec as “memorable, complex, aromatic and explosively deep,” the 98 pt. 2017 Penfolds Grange is both elegant and muscular boasting “a stature and presence possessed only by Grange” according to Aussie expert Tyson Stelzer of the Halliday Wine Companion, only the seventh Grange ever made with 100% Shiraz.

Described as “Shiraz at its finest” by Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson, the mythical and highly collectible Penfolds Grange sets the standard for Australian Shiraz, these selections all top-rated vintages guaranteeing enjoyment for decades and certain to be a focal point in any collector’s cellar.

100JS

99JD

99AWC

98WA

Much anticipated vintage for Grange and it is a powerhouse of concentration and complexity. Aromas of orange and lemon peel to start, then graphite, blackberries, plum paste, black cherries, boundless sweet oak spice, fresh cedar, tar, mahogany, roasted coffee and chocolate - the list goes on. Such complexity. Classic Grange, offering such deep, dark intensity. The palate has immense richness and depth with a super succulent and very long, fleshy, deeply weighted array of dense, velvet-wrapped tannins that run so long. The fruit flavors sit in the blackberry, blood-plum and blueberry zone with succulent, long and assertive structure, carrying through in an utterly seamless mode. The finish is tightly wrenched, in spectacularly powerful style, locking this wine in for a very long haul. Best from 2030.

100 points, James Suckling (Nov 2019)

The flagship 2015 Grange is a monster of wine and one of those rare wines that blends power and elegance perfectly. Revealing a saturated purple color, it’s seemingly more forward and seductive than past great vintages, which I suspect is due to the incredible purity of fruit as well as the wine’s flawless balance than any change in winemaking or stylistic shifts. I also think the acidity is healthy, and the 2015 tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, which is certainly in the sweet spot, if not tame, for beautifully ripe Syrah these days. A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in new American oak hogsheads, it offers an extraordinary perfume of sweet crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, camphor, Asian spices, licorice, and wildflowers. This is followed by a full-bodied, powerful yet incredibly seamless and elegant Shiraz that has no hard edges, a big, dense mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Coming close to rivaling the 1986, which has always been a benchmark vintage of Grange for me, the 2015 offers a more polished, elegant, approachable style. Vintage comparisons aside, this is a legendary example of Grange in the making. The savvy wine lovers out there will give this 7-8 years of bottle age (I’ll probably be out of bottles by then) and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.

99 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Nov 2019)

Bang. The first whiff cries Grange. A lifted, fragrant, harmonious blend of fruit, oak (American, of course) and finely pitched tannins. Faultless. It's all relative, but this is starting to relax its grip. And the length is very, very special.

99 points, James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (Sep 2019)

The nose of the 2015 Grange features the wine's characteristic lifted aromas, joined by pronounced American oak influence and bold blackberry fruit, plus hints of red meat, raspberries, asphalt and vanilla. It's dense and concentrated on the palate, full-bodied yet balanced and firm, with a rich, velvety texture and long, plush finish. Don't expect great complexity at this stage—it's much too young to show much more than the primary fruit and oak elements—but this is a Grange that should easily go three or four decades.

98+ points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Issue # Interim - Aug 2019)

Alcohol By Volume: 14.5%

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$599.98

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