I met Peter Gago, wine maker of Penfolds Grange, a few times when he was in Singapore. The first encounter was during the Grange re-corking clinic. This is a fun tradition of Penfolds. These clinics are hosted worldwide, offering collectors the chance to have their wines assessed, recorked, and certified by the winemaking team. The clinics are designed for Penfolds wines aged 15 years or older, providing a comprehensive “health check” while enhancing the wines’ provenance and authenticity.
The second encounter was during the inaugural wine event of 67 Pall Mall Singapore. Peter is a great ambassador for Penfolds, so it is not surprising that he is one of the first wine makers to turn up as soon as Covid travel restrictions finally got relaxed in Singapore in November 2021. He showcased Grange from vintages spanning 30 years. 1986-2016
Penfolds Grange needs no introduction. A legend that put Australian Wine on the map. I am not a fan of big Barossa Bruisers as that type of Shiraz was always a bit too much for my palate. Penfolds Grange is rich of course but it stays within a boundary that will also appeal to classic palates like mine. The great thing about Grange is its consistency. A wine that belongs in to any collector’s cellar.
Wines tasted at the 67 Pall Mall Singapore event
1986 Penfolds Grange, NR
Savory and earthy with unfortunately some oxidative maggi notes. Peter Gago commented that the bottle here is not pristine and the wine is usually not like this. Not rated
1990 Penfolds Grange, 95 Points
Very racy wine here, in good shape for 30 years, medium bodied, well balanced, excellent tertiary notes.
1996 Penfolds Grange, 97 Points
Expressive nose of blackberry, torrefaction, sweet spices and earthy elements. Very good showing of this again. I wish I had some food in front of me, so appetizing this wine.
2004 Penfolds Grange, 98 Points
WOTN of this tasting. This combined youthful racyness with excellent emerging tertiary aromas. Great energy and tension. A wonderful Grange.
2008 Penfolds Grange, 97 Points
Consistent with my previous note. Creme de cassis, grippy tannins still, impeccable balance. It is a 100 pointer with many critics and one can see why. Though I preferred the 2004 today
2010 Penfolds Grange, 94 Points
Did not fancy this as much as the other young vintages in this line up. It had a cooked fruit, slight oxidative streak to it. Is it the bottle or the vintage?
2016 Penfolds Grange, 96 Points
Very youthful, structured and primary. Cool blue fruit black tea, discrete spices. Medium bodied, polished palate. Well done, lots of promise here. I would earliest open this in 10 years from now. 96-97
Wines tasted on other recent occasions
2013 Penfolds Grange, 97 Points
Wonderfully ripe Shiraz with lots of generous dark fruit. What I liked was the energy and the freshness that gave it very good drinkability. No doubt, a grand Grange and grand Shiraz in general. 97+
1995 Penfolds Grange, 96 Points
Remarkable youthful aroma and structure, lots of live left. Dark fruit, well integrated tannins, classic SA terroir notes. A much stronger showing than the WA scores suggest.
1997 Penfolds Grange, 94 Points
During a tasting dinner. Classic Barossa. Nose of torrefaction, dark fruit, smoke, bacon. Full bodied, a sold but not among the best Grange I had.
2005 Penfolds Grange, 90 Points
Penfolds dinner. From a vintage that had a heatwave during the harvest time and it shows. Oxidative nose with overripe, cooked, pruney fruit. No pleasure to drink, feels like an Amarone or an over-extracted Merlot. The Penfolds representative thought this was a phase but I have rarely see oxidative wines recover. A question mark. 88-92?
2014 Penfolds Grange, 94 Points
Penfolds dinner. Ripe dark fruit, blackberry, some earthy notes and torrefaction, a bit of heat in the nose, very Barossa but not with a heavy hand, 14.5% alc., well balanced with good tannins and acidity. Medium+ finish. Youthful. 94+
1976 Penfolds Grange, 96 Points
Blind tasting dinner. Auction bottle that was in great shape here. I guessed Napa Cab Sav. Expressive nose with complex aromas of tobacco, rum pot, peat, smoke, plum. As ripe as this is, it is not oxidative or overpowering. Just very ripe and lush. Long finish. Every time you drink a Grange it awes you how far ahead of the curve these guys were back then in quality wine making than the res.
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
November 2021