Grape
Shiraz
Ratings
*Penfolds – Icon & Luxury Range
Exceptional – by Langton’s Classification Australian Wine
Robert Parker 98
Jeremy Oliver 97
James Halliday 97
Wine Spectator 95
Tasting Notes
Colour : As a five year old at the time of writing, and just
before its annual release, the wine is deep, dark
and impenetrable.
Nose : At once Grange…oh, and the aromatics just
happen to be compatible with that of Shiraz. As
is its want, the aromas transform and complex
across many planes, with air and over time in the
glass. At first, a rich mix of dark chocolate infused
with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents
of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive. Is
it oak, or a hybrid, ‘barrel ferment’ character that
can be captured as it oscillates in and out of this
beguiling aromatic offering.
Palate : The palate is expansive, and yet finessed,
balanced, highly defined, sleek. A continuum, an
amalgam of dark berried flavours and textural
sensations – deceptively accessible, yet a hidden
largesse, untapped flavour and structural
precursors threaten to ingress. 100% new oak is
completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins,
completing a palate of impressive.
-by Official Website
Last but not least is Australia?ˉs most famous wine, the 2002 Shiraz
?°Grange?±. The 2002 version was sourced from 77.5% Barossa Valley and
22.5% from McLaren Vale. Included in the blend is 1.5% Cabernet
Sauvignon. It spent 17 months in 100% new American oak. Opaque purple,
it gives off an ethereal bouquet of violets, saddle leather, blueberry,
blackberry, pencil lead, and chocolate. This is followed by a
full-bodied wine with tremendous concentration, multiple layers of
flavor, ripe tannins, and great balance. Thick and rich, with a
60-second finish, it will slowly blossom over the next 15-20 years and
provide pleasure through 2050. It is a legend in the making!
-by Robert Parker
As hoped and expected; beautiful colour; a wonderful bouquet, with black
fruits of various kinds the engine, oak in tow. Impeccable texture and
balance in the mouth; again, a wonderful array of seamless blackberry,
licorice and high-quality oak; destined to become recognised as one of
the great Granges.
-by James Halliday
Lithe, almost subtle, this is a dense, powerful wine that plays its plum
and currant fruit against deft nuances of pepper, coffee and sassafras.
Finishes with vibrant acidity that elevates the fruit and spice. A
graceful wine that needs cellaring to grow into itself. Best from 2010
through 2020. 1,095 cases imported.
-by Wine Spectator