PENFOLDS GRANGE BIN 95 SHIRAZ 2019

Wine Description
The most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy, Grange is arguably Australia’s most celebrated wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. 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 soils and climates of South Australia. This release in 2021 commemorates the 70th anniversary.

COLOUR: Dense and deep, bright and lively crimson-red

NOSE:
Rampant scents derived from kitchen (winery) and garden (vineyard)…
A wine-loving forensic sniff or two, rather than an imagined spectrophotometric analyis reveals:
Venison carpaccio with a sweet balsamic reduction and freshly-presed olive oil. Or, uncured pastrami
A salsa verde type-emulsion with an emphasis on the parsley and extra virgin olive oil. Add tomato, omit lemon.
Enough of the savoury – wafts of sticky rice pudding, apricot pip, vanillin pod and coconut husk.
Subtle sweet and spiced sandalwood, ground cumin and wintergreen notes remind of an eighteen-month sabbatical in oak.
Verified: 2017 Grange

PALATE:
Where to start?! An advancing wave of flavours, understated power and charm. The swell builds and a more persuasive wave follows… and then more, with each sip.
In an attempted to unravel and articulate this ‘ingestoion’…
The Flavour
Laden with shiraz fruits from the Barossa to the North and McLaren to the South – ‘maritme’ and ‘continental’ climate/varietal diversity. Red and black liquorice, soy and malt, burnt vanilla marshmallow…
Dark Chocolate, wrapped in a satiny copha/beeswax candle-like coating.
Supple oak nuances – dexterously intergrated, no doubt compliments of barrel ferment (and our valued long Barossa cooper.)
The Texture
Mouthfeel is creamy/velvety, rather than blocky/chunky at this youthful stage in bottle.
Tannins are tight, creating a dense coating with a ‘rusty’ edge.
Ebullient acidity, whilst lively and racy, is well-managed and protective. To borrow a recently read descriptor – “cherry stone minerality”…
The impression
Swamped by a Barossa ferrous dustiness… regionally captured so persuasively with this 2017 vintage. Demands air.