Australia

Penfolds

Penfolds Grange Hermitage Bin 95 South Australia

South Australia

A blend of 97% Shiraz with a 3% splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 Penfolds Grange was sourced with 82% of the fruit from Barossa Valley and the rest from McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, and Clare Valley. It was aged for 19 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads (slightly larger than the classic Bordeaux barriques) and is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a swirl or two to bring out fragrant scents of garrigue, tilled soil, black olives, and fallen leaves, over a core of blackberry preserves, baked plums, and boysenberries, with emerging wafts of cast-iron pan and star anise. The full-bodied palate is super-tight knit with a firm, grainy texture and a crisp backbone supporting the muscular black fruit and savory layers, finishing long and minerally with a touch of star anise.

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

First time on the Place for this knockout iconic wine. Expect layers upon layers of fragrant plum, raspberry, black cherry, sandalwood, red liqourice, raspberry leaf, cola, sandalwood, pomegranate, climbing slowly but surely through the palate. Intense and poised, so good, hard to resist, will cellar for decades if you can wait that long. Peter Gago winemaker, Tom King director. 100% new American oak for ageing.

Inside Bordeaux

The 2020 Grange is a blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit sources are 48% McLaren Vale, 40% Barossa Valley, and the rest from Clare Valley. It was aged for 20 months in American oak hogsheads, 100% new. Opaque purple-black color, it opens with a flash of exuberant Morello cherries and prunes notes, leading to an undercurrent of Chinese five spice, tilled soil, black olives, and peppercorns, plus a touch of dried roses. The full-bodied palate is rich and expressive, delivering the classic Grange rock-solid foundation of super-firm tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and spicy.

Vibrant and concentrated black cherry and damson flavours, still young, edges of cigar box and sandalwood. There would have been a difference in the way the team worked with the tannins from a decade earlier, with a little barrel ferment and softer extraction methods (components were made at Magill still in the old basket press for the part of Grange that comes from this site). Peter Gago chief winemaker.

The 1999 Penfolds Grange is 100% Shiraz and it has a deep garnet-brick color. It jumps from the glass with gregarious notions of Indian spices, cigar box, and iron ore, leading to a core of plum preserves, raisin cake, and clove oil, with a touch of dried herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate explodes with exotic spices and mineral-laced, dried berry flavors, framed by a racy backbone and a chewy texture, finishing long.

The 1989 Penfolds Grange included 9% of Cabernet Sauvignon and it has a medium brick color. Wow – it set off a fantastic firework display of dried roses, Chinese five spices, crushed rocks, and cigar boxes, giving way to a core of dried cherries and plum pudding, with a waft of rusty nails. The medium-bodied palate is so vibrant and refreshing, with a silky texture and loads of mineral and earthy flavors continuing into the long finish.

2020	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2019	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
2009	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
1999	No priceNot available	Extraordinary
1989	No priceNot available	Extraordinary

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Penfolds
Vintages	2019
Country	Australia, South Australia
Bottle	75 cl

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