2010 Penfolds, Grange, Bin 95, Australia

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Syrah
James Suckling
100/100
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
99/100
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Product: 20101004285
2010 Penfolds, Grange, Bin 95, Australia

Description

The 2010 Grange spent 17 months in new American oak barrels, but wears this draconian oak regime with ease. Very big and rich on the nose, surprisingly savoury with hints of tapenade, blueberry fruit, dark chocolate and coffee all competing for attention.

On swirling, the glass becomes entirely coated with this viscous, dark wine. Dense, rich and powerful on the palate, reminiscent of young vintage Port in its intensity, but without the high alcohol or sweetness, in fact it's very savoury on the palate too. Notes of very dark fruit and high cocoa solid chocolate abound, but are kept in check by perfectly judged acidity and meltingly fine tannins. Dry, but immensely long and satisfying on the finish, linear and fine. This is what the best Douro table wine should be like, but seldom is, powerful and complex, yet refined and dry. Very impressive. One of the best vintages ever? It certainly has a very long life ahead of it.
Chris Pollington - Private Account Manager
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2010
Alcohol % 14.5
Grape List Syrah
Body Full Bodied
Property Penfolds

Critics reviews

James Suckling 100/100
The 2010 Grange arrives with much expectation and does not disappoint. This is a powerhouse, structurally superior to both the 2009 and 2008 vintages and breathtakingly dense, long and precise. The nose has cola, blackberry, vanillin, hard brown spices of all kinds, coal smoke, meaty charcuterie elements and a strong tarry, savory note that speaks of the 85% Barossa Valley componentry. The palate has super deep tannins that fan out through flavorsome black fruits. These are purposeful tannins; they bristle on the palate, tantalizing and assertive yet playful, strong not aggressive. The power here is the thing; this has mouth-coating density and terrific drive, so tightly coiled, it gives enough away to suggest a very, very long cellaring wine is here. This is a classic Grange that will please the serious collectors. A wine of genuine pedigree. Better in 2026. james_suckling -jamessuckling_com - October 2014
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (Oct 2014)
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW 99/100
The 2010 Grange is a 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 96% Shiraz blend made from Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate fruit that was aged 17 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Very deep purple-black in color, this is classic Grange - amongst the finest produced - replete with fresh, vibrant and youthful black fruit notes showing some blueberry aromas and accents of camphor, anise and the slightest floral hint plus a whiff of oak in the background to lend a cedar-laced lift to this textbook Shiraz nose. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, it is very taut and finely constructed showing typically firm, grainy, uniform tannins, great concentration and wonderful persistence on the finish. If I have any very slight complaint of this near perfect wine it is that it seems a little too clinical and appears to speak less of the land and the heart of South Australia and more of the very skilled winemaking than did the Grange from the magical 2008 vintage.Lisa Perrotti-Brown - 31/10/2014
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, RobertParker.com (Oct 2014)

About this wine

Syrah/Shiraz

A noble black grape variety grown particularly in the Northern Rhône where it produces the great red wines of Hermitage, Cote Rôtie and Cornas, and in Australia where it produces wines of startling depth and intensity. Reasonably low yields are a crucial factor for quality as is picking at optimum ripeness. Its heartland, Hermitage and Côte Rôtie, consists of 270 hectares of steeply terraced vineyards producing wines that brim with pepper, spices, tar and black treacle when young. After 5-10 years they become smooth and velvety with pronounced fruit characteristics of damsons, raspberries, blackcurrants and loganberries. It is now grown extensively in the Southern Rhône where it is blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to produce the great red wines of Châteauneuf du Pape and Gigondas amongst others. Its spiritual home in Australia is the Barossa Valley, where there are plantings dating as far back as 1860. Australian Shiraz tends to be sweeter than its Northern Rhône counterpart and the best examples are redolent of new leather, dark chocolate, liquorice, and prunes and display a blackcurrant lusciousness. South African producers such as Eben Sadie are now producing world- class Shiraz wines that represent astonishing value for money.

Penfolds

Penfolds enjoys an iconic status that few New World producers have achieved. Established in 1844 at the Magill Estate near Adelaide, it laid the foundation for fine wine production in Australia. The winemaking team is led by the masterful Peter Gago; it has the herculean task of blending the best wines from a multitude of different plots, vineyards and regions to create a consistent and outstanding range of wines. Its flagship wine, Grange, is firmly established as one of the finest red wines in the world. Under Gago’s stewardship, the Penfolds range has evolved over time. Winemaking has moved away from New World heat and the sort of larger-than-life style that can mask individuality; the contemporary wines instead favour fine balance and typicity for the region or grape.

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