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Penfolds has been a name synonymous with excellence since its inception in 1844, when Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold arrived in Australia with a vine cutting and a dream. What started as an experimental vineyard soon became a cornerstone of the Australian wine industry. But the Grange, as we know it today, is the epitome of everything Penfolds stands for: bold, innovative, and timeless.

The real magic of Grange began in the 1950s, thanks to Max Schubert. Schubert, with a mind brimming with ideas and an unyielding passion for perfection, sought to create a wine that could age for decades. And boy, did he deliver. Despite being dismissed by his peers and forced to make the wine in secrecy for years, Schubert's vision ultimately changed the course of Australian winemaking. Grange was born, and it quickly grew into a wine that could rival the finest Bordeaux wines in terms of quality and aging potential.

Fast forward to today, and Penfolds Grange is one of the most acclaimed wines in the world. With over 30 perfect scores from critics, Grange has consistently stood the test of time. Its accolades read like a who's who of the wine world. From being named Wine Spectator's Red Wine of the Year in 1995 for the 1990 vintage, to securing 100-point scores from the likes of Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, and James Suckling, Grange has earned a reputation that’s hard to top. In fact, Penfolds Grange is the only Australian wine to receive perfect 100-point scores from both Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate for the same vintage—2008. That’s no small feat.

It doesn’t stop there. In 2017, Grange was classified as a First Growth in Liv-ex's recreation of the Bordeaux 1855 classification. Let that sink in: Grange, alongside the likes of Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Margaux. Penfolds, with its unwavering commitment to quality, had achieved something truly extraordinary. And with each vintage, the Grange story continues to be written—its legacy growing, its acclaim expanding, and its place in wine history solidified.

And, as always, Penfolds remains ahead of the curve. The Grange isn’t just a wine; it’s a statement of what happens when vision, tradition, and innovation collide. It’s a wine that carries with it the weight of generations of winemaking expertise, the spirit of pioneers like Schubert, and the unrelenting drive for greatness that Penfolds has come to represent.

Heralded by many in South Australia as a ‘vintage of a lifetime’, 2021 received 96 points by Wine Advocate, claiming: "2021 was a magnificent season in South Australia, one blessed with good yields... Vignerons could not have hoped for better conditions." 

Aging: 18 months in American oak, 100% new.

ABV: 14.5% 

94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep dark ruby colour. Notes of dried herb, blackberry fruit, dark cherry, subtle hints of mint and eucalyptus, hints of nougat, delicate floral nuances with more air, very multi-faceted bouquet. Full-bodied, complex, supporting tannins, mineral and long-lasting, subtle extract sweetness on the finish.

Confession: Grange has never been my favourite of the Penfolds portfolio (I am a St Henri girl) but I’ve been converted. And if ever a vintage were to turn me, 2021 was always going to be the one, heralded by many in South Australia as a ‘vintage of a lifetime’. Sourced from sites across the Barossa Valley (66%), McLaren Vale (26%) and Clare Valley (8%), it is a blend of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, which spends 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads, and has already integrated seamlessly into the opulent fruit. My initial impressions, hurriedly typed, start with a string of descriptors that detail just how seductive it is already: “Wow! Exotic, inky, generous, silky, ripe, velvety. Immense. Incredible. The whole package!” (My colleague Georgie Hindle wrote: “Classy and so sophisticated. Like looking at a gorgeous man in a tuxedo.”) The trademark Grange volatile acidity presents itself as macerated balsamic strawberries, tapenade and tarmac, joining mouthfilling silky tannins and sumptuous aromas and flavours of boysenberry, root beer, mocha, salted liquorice and crème caramel. If you can ignore its siren call from the cellar, it easily has three to five decades of life ahead. Released at £600. ~99 Decanter

Deep dark ruby colour, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate ochre rim brightening. Nuances of spices and precious wood, notes of dried herb, blackberry fruit, dark cherry, subtle hints of mint and eucalyptus, hints of nougat, delicate floral nuances with more air, very multi-faceted bouquet. Full-bodied, complex, red heart cherry, ripe, supporting tannins, mineral and long-lasting, subtle extract sweetness on the finish, fine saline nuances, has great length and secure development, certain ageing potential. ~99 Falstaff

We've been waiting patiently for the Grange release from the stellar '21 vintage and it certainly lives up to the hype. An impenetrable magenta/crimson in the glass, with the telltale aromatic clout and the light V.A. lift of an embryonic Grange clearly evident as you place your nose in the glass. There's an incredible depth of fruit here. Deep blackberry, blackcurrant and plum compote with hints of graphite, coal dust, violets, wood spice, olive tapenade, oak, blackforest cake, pan juices, panforte, Dutch licorice and earth. The tannins – strong yet powdery – provide ample structure to the wine as it finishes long and deep, resonating perfectly. There is no doubt that this will be considered one of the great Grange releases. ~99 Australian Wine Companion

~98 James Suckling 

2021 was a magnificent season in South Australia, one blessed with good yields (a change from the previous several years of low yields and drought conditions), healthy rainfall leading into the season and dry, mild conditions during ripening. Vignerons could not have hoped for better conditions. So here, the 2021 Grange is powerful, ripe, structural yet balanced, long and complex. There is a softness to the middle palate, which speaks to the mildness of the conditions, potentially positioning this as one of the best modern-era Granges. The fruit (94% Shiraz, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon) was sourced from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. For critics of this style, my only wish to assist with clarification could be teleportation, together, into a future 30 or 40 years from now. We would drink this wine, where it would still appear fresh and yet would have settled into its finesse and grace as well. It matured for 18 months in American oak, 100% new. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. ~98 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate

Grips you from the first instance. As ever with Grange, the concentration and power of is delivered with such a deft and joyful hand, walking from beginning to end of the palate accompanied by distilled black fruits, flowers and herb-strewn aromatics. Delicious, such purity of expression, and truly it is one of the world’s great wines. Tom King director, Peter Gago chief winemaker. 100% new American oak for ageing. ~98 Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux

Powerful yet silky and elegant, this wine offers so much to admire. Intense notes of both black and buttery green olive, tobacco leaf, cardamom syrup, blackberry, huckleberry, cassis and morello cherry in syrup lie at the core. Additional details of chocolate-covered espresso bean, cast iron and dried violet linger on the long, expressive finish alongside palo santo and sandalwood, plus a whiff of peppermint. Drink now through 2045. ~98 Wine Spectator

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