Grange 2021 Penfolds

Tasting Note Grange 2021

First impression: concentration. Grange 2021 opens with blackberry, dark plum and distinctive notes of American oak - vanilla, coconut and smoky cedar. Behind the fruit are flashes of soy, black olive, espresso and iron. The flavor is full but not heavy, with firm, fine-grained tannins and a long finish with dark chocolate and clove. Tight right now. Decant if it needs to be opened early, but this wine needs time.

Grape Varieties

The 2021 blend is dominated by shiraz with a little cabernet sauvignon thrown in:

• Shiraz is about 97%, harvested from several regions of South Australia.
• Cabernet Sauvignon makes up about 3%, possessing a powerful, dense tannin backbone.

Why Cabernet? Cabernet is scarce, but it lends structure to the edges. Shiraz gives flesh, dark fruit and warmth. Cabernet gives structure.

Cellaring Potential

Drinking sometime between 2030 and 2055. Concentrated fruit, strong acidity, tannins from 18-20 months in new American oak barrels. Store in the cellar at 12-14°C. After 15 years, the main fruit flavors transition to leather, truffle and dried herbs.

About Penfolds

The history of Penfolds began in 1844, when the English doctor Christopher Rowson Penfold settled in Magill, near Adelaide, bringing with him English and French vine cuttings, and built a stone cottage called ‘The Grange’ — a name that Max Schubert would adopt a century later. Believing that wine possessed medicinal properties, he mainly produced fortified wines, although clarets and Rieslings soon followed. His wife Mary was involved in winemaking and managed the estate, taking full charge following his death in 1870; by 1881, Penfolds accounted for a third of all wine produced in South Australia. The shift towards table wine production took place under Gladys Penfold Highland, who became chair of the board of directors in 1948 and, in 1950, sent Schubert to Europe, supporting both his research and his ambition to create a superb red wine. Schubert joined the company in 1931 as a messenger, became the first head winemaker in 1948 and, from 1951, created experimental ‘Grange’ vintages until management ordered him to stop – he continued in secret. Production of the ‘Bin’ series began separately in 1959 with ‘Kalimna Bin 28’, named after the storage bunkers at Magilla. The focus is on Shiraz, blended from grapes grown in the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra valleys, although ‘Bin 707 Cabernet’ and ‘Yattarna Chardonnay’ are also wines of note. Peter Gago has been in charge of the winery since 2002.

Terroir & Climate

Most iconic wines are made from a single vineyard. Grange is the opposite. It is a blend of multiple regions, including Shiraz from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Padthaway, Coonawarra, and McGill Estate vineyards, with the final blend determined each year by which parcels of grapes are received. Why mix different regions? Barossa brings intensity and dark fruit from ancient ironstone and red-brown earth, McLaren Vale adds Mediterranean exuberance and structure from sandy loam on limestone, and Coonawarra brings a savory finish from terra rossa. Schubert's idea is consistency, not place.

Winemaking

The wine is aged in 100% new American oak barrels for about 19 months. American oak gives the vanilla, coconut, and dill notes that are part of the Grange's DNA. French oak would be more subdued. Boldness is needed. Equally important is to complete fermentation in barrel, the method pioneered by Max Schubert. This allows the oak and fruit to integrate early on, so that the oak is felt as part of the wine, rather than superimposed on top of it.

Food Pairing

Grunge needs authentic protein and flavor. Some ideas:

• Grilled rested ribeye with pepper
• Shoulder of lamb with rosemary
• Grilled kangaroo filet, rare, with local pepperberries
• Aged cheddar cheese or hard sheep's milk cheese

Served at 17-18°C. Decant for at least 2 hours, longer if served young. The fat content is necessary to soften the tannins.