Penfolds Grange Bin 95 2004

Spectacular shiraz. Perfect structure, depth and length. Clearly and categorically in the upper echelon of the world's red wine. Grange isn't always the best wine in the land in any given year, but with this year's release it is. Crushed ants, blood plums, espresso, earth, malt, Asian spice, bay leaf, black tea, pan juices. Tannins cut, crush and mould the wine in the most positive of manners. An incredible modern Grange, destined for greatness. Massive fragrance. Much like the fabulous 1996 model, though the oak on this one is better integrated than it was with the 1996 as a young wine. Subtle, smoky, barrel ferment characters, too. If you are ever going to buy a new-release Grange, this is the one. It's a fifty-year wine.

Vintage 2004 - The 2004 vintage was outstanding in Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Magill, the regions where the grapes were sourced for the marvelous 2004 Grange. It contains 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 16 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it displays a superb nose of wood smoke, Asian spices, incense, game, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied, satin textured, with deeply layered, succulent blackberry, plum, and chocolate flavors, it has the structure and complexity to merit extended cellaring of a decade and more. The winery estimates a drinking curve of 2016 to 2050; I'd be a bit more conservative on the long end of the range. It will ultimately be seen as one of the great vintages of Grange

Vintage 2004 - Saturated purple-crimson colour; has an amazing depth to the bouquet, oak and black fruits already seamlessly woven; the longer you spend inhaling the aromas, the more you learn about the wine within, in much the same way as a Grand Cru red burgundy. The palate delivers all that the bouquet promises, and then some; it has absolutely perfect proportions to the river of flavours running through blackberry, Satsuma plum, licorice and spice; the tannins are quite active, but totally balanced and ripe.

Vintage 2004 - This most anticipated Grange is on the one hand a truly exceptional shiraz, but on the other is a genuine departure from Grange’s typical style. It’s powerful, layered and bruising to be sure, but there’s nothing heavy, clunky or over the top about it. In fact, it’s remarkably elegant and balanced – a heady, deep and alluring wine whose deep violet-like aromas and wild, brambly flavours of cassis, blackberries, redcurrants and blueberries simply soak up its finely integrated sweet oak. Saturated with fruit, it’s long, velvet-like and sumptuous; underpinned by fine, tight and drying tannins before finishing long, savoury and mineral, with lingering nuances of licorice, cloves, bay leaf, anise and cola. Spectacular.