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 2010 is a wine that continues the legacy of Australia's most celebrated wine, Grange. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia. Grange utilizes fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes, resulting in a unique Australian style that is now recognized as one of the most consistent of the world's great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy. The vintage conditions for the Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2010 were healthy winter rains in the Barossa Valley, followed by a dry and mild-to-warm spring which aided budburst. Consistent and slower growth continued and overlaid flowering and fruit set. December temperatures were much cooler, offering vines ideal growing conditions leading to veraison in early January. Summer rainfall came early, which was followed by dry, warm weather, alleviating any disease concerns. Mild conditions followed during harvest, with yields in some vineyards below average due to the dry season overall. The fruit from these regions showcases excellent colour, concentrated flavour development and integrated tannins hallmarks of a stand-out 2010 vintage.
The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2010 is a wine that showcases the excellence of Australian winemaking. This wine is a blend of 96% Shiraz and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate vineyards in South Australia. The wine has been matured for 17 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads, which has added complexity and depth to the wine. The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2010 has a black core with a purple rim, indicating its depth and intensity. On the nose, the wine is intense, with an immediate barrel-ferment propulsion - sweet and candied, with a peaty, iodine, green olive base. Beneath this, a barely-concealed swirl of Vegemite yeast extract, concentrated salt-paste - laced with paprika, oregano flower and thyme. A slurry of cocoa powder, a scented waft of black pudding and a splash of nori-roll temporarily balance this aromatic equation. But then, a minute or two later all changes and the aromas become even more complex and captivating. On the palate, the wine has a dense, paste-like texture and weight with a balsamic lift that is unleashed. Tannins focus on the roof of the mouth, laden with an additional film of (85% cacao) dark chocolate mocha. A mix of quince and sesame-paste laden with basted meats and saturated stewed plum, boysenberry, blueberry. The wine is tightly bound and you need to wait for decompression to fully appreciate its complexity. The wine is complete, confident and convincing with a long satisfying finish. The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2010 is a wine that is sure to impress any wine enthusiast. It represents the best of Australian winemaking, with its complex flavours, balanced structure and powerful expression of the South Australian terroir. The wine is at its peak drinking between 2018 and 2060, indicating that it has a long life ahead of it. This is a wine that is not to be missed and is a must-try for anyone who appreciates a truly exceptional wine.
2010 holds a privileged position in the 60 year lineage of Penfolds Grange. In the context of recent tastings of many of the greatest vintages, 2010 attains new heights in its depth of black fruit presence and its structural assuredness. I adore 2008 Grange and, tasting them together, 2010 is even deeper and more vibrant, exuding another dimension of distinguished grace, precision, concentration, scaffolded structure and seamless, enduring persistence. There is a coiled reticence to the bouquet, skirting black plum, liquorice and dark chocolate, opening into breathtaking violet fragrance. The palate is unyielding, yet immensely structured. Magnificently voluptuous, yet elegantly coiled and bright. Silky and irresistible, yet untouchable and enduring. Tannins are a revelation, with a finesse and a chalk-fine texture impossible for such a resilient and powerful frame. Penfolds Grange 2010 is definitively on a plane of its own: the greatest young Australian wine I have ever tasted. - Tyson Seltzer 100 Points
