Ratings & Tasting Notes:

100 points James Suckling
Review Date: 08/2019
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.

99 points Jeb Dunnuck
Review Date: 11/2019
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 James Halliday
Review Date: 09/2019
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.

98 points Wine Advocate
Review Date: 08/2019
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. (JC) 98+

98 points Vinous
Review Date: 12/2021
Saturated ruby. Deeply pitched, spice-accented aromas of cassis, smoky minerals, incense and dark chocolate. Large-scaled and broad in the mouth, offering intense blackcurrant, cherry-vanilla, mocha and candied violet flavors that are supported by a core of juicy acidity. Shows superb density and vivacity as well, with no rough edges. Finishes extremely long and precise, with building tannins and resonating bitter chocolate, exotic spice and floral notes. (JR)

97 points Wine Enthusiast
Review Date: 06/2020
This vintage of the famed wine is perhaps its most approachable to date. The nose is open and expressive, with waves of aromas ranging from licorice, currant and plum to baking spice, furniture polish, freshly picked olive, mushroom and vanilla. The mouthfeel is satiny in texture, awash with fruit and spices of all shapes and sizes, all wound by fine tannins. *Cellar Selection* (CP)

97 points Wine Spectator
Review Date: N/A
Distinctive and powerful, yet still elegant, showing restraint despite the dense and generous flavors. Precise notes of dark chocolate, maraschino cherry, mahogany and toasted coconut complement the core of wild blackberry and blueberry fruit. The tannins are smooth and polished, delivering some tug on the finish, which persists as subtle hints of dried lavender and white pepper linger. Drink now through 2040. (MW)

Cult Wines International Notes:

Penfolds Grange is an Australian wine icon with a rich history, a benchmark for fine wine in the Southern Hemisphere. It was first created in 1951 by winemaker Max Schubert, who aimed to produce a world-class wine that could rival the great Bordeaux vintages. At the time, his style of winemaking was highly unconventional, but it ultimately proved to be revolutionary.

The story of the first vintage is one of defiance and vision. In the early 1950s, after a trip to Bordeaux, Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert returned to Australia with a new goal: to create an Australian red wine that could age for at least 20 years, just like the great wines of France. His first attempt was the 1951 Grange, an experimental Shiraz that he produced with new American oak barrels. When he presented the wine to the Penfolds board and other wine experts in 1957, the reception was universally negative. Critics believed the wine was too intense and not suited to Australian tastes at the time, which favored lighter-bodied wines. The board was so disappointed that they ordered him to immediately stop production.

However, Schubert was undeterred. Convinced that his wine would prove its value with age, he continued to make the next three vintages—1957, 1958, and 1959—in secret, hiding them in the depths of the Magill Estate cellars.

It wasn’t until 1960 that the board, now with a greater appreciation for the aging potential of the early Grange vintages, gave him the green light to officially resume production. Unbeknownst to them, Schubert had never stopped. This bold act of rebellion ensured that the Grange legacy remained unbroken, cementing its status as a wine of international repute.

Grange is considered a “multi-vineyard” and “multi-district” blend, which is a hallmark of its style. It is primarily made from Shiraz grapes, but a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is sometimes included. The grapes are sourced from a variety of vineyards across South Australia to ensure that the blend consistently expresses the Penfolds house style, regardless of vintage conditions in a single area.

The wine is renowned for its immense power, concentration, and incredible aging potential. On the nose, it is famously complex, with notes of dark plum, blackberry, licorice, and often, hints of warm spices and dark chocolate. On the palate, it is full-bodied and intense, with layers of rich fruit and firm, yet integrated, tannins. Despite its power, it maintains a remarkable elegance and balance. Penfolds Grange has achieved international acclaim and is one of the most collectible and highly sought-after wines in the world.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.

Outstanding condition.