From what makes Grange so unique to how much it's worth, Anthony Rose answers (about) 20 FAQ's about one of Australia's most prestigious red wines
What is Grange?
Grange has been hailed as Australia's greatest red wine. It has been described by Hugh Johnson as the 'one true first growth of the southern hemisphere'.
Why is it called Grange?
It was named after the original Grange Cottage built at Magill in the suburbs of Adelaide in 1845 by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold. Originally called Grange Hermitage to define it as a wine in the style of the great northern Rhône wines of Hermitage, it dropped the name Hermitage from the 1990 vintage in deference to European Union regulations. It has carried the bin number 95 since the 1968 vintage.
When was it first made?
It was first made, experimentally, by Max Schubert, Penfolds' chief winemaker, in 1951, after a trip to Europe inspired him to attempt to make an exceptional Australian red capable of matching the great wines of Bordeaux both in quality and longevity. The first commercial vintage of Grange was 1952.
What's in it?
The first Grange was made at Magill (pictured) from a blend of shiraz grapes from vineyards in Magill and Morphett Vale. Shiraz was the only quality red variety consistently available at the time. Since 1973 it has been made at Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley and the make-up now varies from 100 per cent shiraz to a blend which includes a proportion of cabernet sauvignon.
How is it made?
Grange was originally fermented for 12 days for maximum extraction of colour and flavour, finishing its primary fermentation in barrel, an idea Schubert picked up on his European travels. Today it is a multi-district blend with shiraz mainly from Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale and cabernet sauvignon from Coonawarra or McLaren Vale. It spends 18 - 20 months in American oak hogsheads before bottling.
What was the reaction to Grange when it first appeared?
The tasting of the first six vintages of Grange by the Penfolds board in 1956 was a disaster. The wine was universally derided with comments such as ' a dry port which no one in their right mind will buy - let alone drink' and ' a concoction of wild fruits and sundry berries with crushed ants predominating', the latter description believed to apply to the wine's slightly volatile aromas.
What happened then?
Schubert was formally ordered to stop production of Grange just before the 1957 vintage.
Was Max mad?
No, but he was so pained by the criticisms that he decided to get even and continued to make Grange in secret. The 1957, 1958 and 1959 vintages are the so-called 'hidden Granges', made without new oak, which Schubert couldn't buy without his secret getting out.
When was Grange first recognised as a great wine?
Penfolds re-assessed Grange in 1962, 11 years after the first wine was made, and decided to enter the 1955 vintage in the Sydney Show. It won a gold medal and the rest, as they say, is history.
How has it done since?
Grange is the most successful Australian show red of all time, despite the fact that since the early 1980s Penfolds ceased to enter it in Australian wine shows. It has won a total of 35 trophies and championships, 117 gold and 97 other medals. The 1971 won the Wine Olympiad in Paris against wines entered from all over the world.
What's the difference between Grange and other major Penfolds wines?
The Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon is Penfolds' flagship cabernet sauvignon, while the Magill, Estate, whose first vintage was 1983, is a shiraz-based wine without the new oak treatment. Other major Penfolds wines include Bin 389 Cabernet Sauvignon, St.Henri, Kalimna Bin 28 and Coonawarra Bin 128, the latter both shirazes.
How much Grange is actually made?
This is a closely guarded secret but production is believed to vary between 3000 and 10,000 cases; even the latter figure is only about a third to a half of the production of a Bordeaux First Growth like Château Latour.
Who makes Grange today?
The wine is made today by John Duval, who is currently Penfolds chief winemaker.
What are the Grange Clinics?
The Wine Clinic programme, which has been running in Australia for the last 10 years, is a facility for owners of Penfolds reds of 15 years and older to have their wines assessed, free of charge, by John Duval and winemaker Peter Gago. The wines are opened, tasted, topped up, recorked and recapsulated with a special label to certify the wine is sound. Since 1991, Penfolds has held more than 50 such clinics around Australia, examining nearly 40,000 bottles brought in by more than 7,000 owners. Penfolds call the clinics 'the ultimate in after-sales service'.
How can they top up an old wine with a new vintage?
If 12 bottles of the same vintage are brought in by one owner, and the ullage levels are deemed low enough to need topping up, it may be recommended that one bottle is sacrificed to top up the other bottles. If one bottle is brought in however, and the owner agrees, an amount of the current vintage will be added (due to limited resources it is impossible to replace with like vintages). Usually no more than 20 ml of the current vintage will be added and is barely perceptible, but Penfolds believe that, if anything, this 'refresher'improves rather than detracts from the quality of the wine.
Which are the best years ever for Grange?
1953: Only the 3rd vintage of this wine produced and still, after 48 years, in perfect condition. 1955: a fabulous Grange and Max Schubert's personal favourite. 1971: total lifespan of 40 years (10 to go). 1976: a 40 years lifespan still with 15 years cellaring potential. 1986: an excellent year. 1990: a text book vintage. 1991: underrated next to 1990 but a great year. 1996: the best vintage since 1990 - superb balance, wonderful concentration and according to John Duval, 'powerful berry fruit flavours, with blueberry at the core. Tight and structured, although the thick, ripe tannins are shrouded beneath a veil of opulent fruit. A very fine Grange that will confidently sit alongside the great 1990.'
What is the most expensive bottle of Grange ever?
- In December 1999, a bottle of the 1951 was sold for A$33,600 at an Oddbins auction in Adelaide.
- In October 1999, a world record of $124,000 was paid for a complete set of Grange (1951 to 1994).
What is Block 42?
Block 42 is a special, limited edition Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon made only in exceptional years and sourced from Block 42, aka the Golf Course Block, in Penfolds' Kalimna vineyard in the Barossa Valley. Famous precursors to the 1996 Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon, currently fetching well over £100 a bottle at auction, were the 1948 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon and the one-off experimental 1953 Grange Cabernet. The Rewards of Patience tells us that the section of Kalimna planted with Cabernet between 1886 and 1888 is in Penfolds' view the oldest, continuously-producing cabernet vineyard (ie unaffected by phylloxera) in the world.
Where can I buy Grange and for how much?
The retail price of the 1996 Grange, the current release, is £110. Stockists of the 1996 vintage include:
Majestic Wine Warehouses
Oddbins
Unwins
Independent specialist wine merchants
I've got a bottle of 1951 Grange - should I open it?
Yes, but make sure that you bring it round to me first so that I can check that all is in order. It would be a crying shame after all not to give a legendary 50-year old well-deserved attention (not to mention the Grange).
What is the Penfolds Wine Club?
A club for like-minded owners. For details, you can contact Samantha Hutchinson on +44 (0)208 917 4600. Additional information is available on the Penfolds website at www.penfolds.com.au
The first Grange was made at Magill (pictured) from a blend of shiraz grapes from vineyards in Magill and Morphett Vale. Shiraz was the only quality red variety consistently available at the time. Since 1973 it has been made at Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley and the make-up now varies from 100 per cent shiraz to a blend which includes a proportion of cabernet sauvignon.
The Wine Clinic programme, which has been running in Australia for the last 10 years, is a facility for owners of Penfolds reds of 15 years and older to have their wines assessed, free of charge, by John Duval and winemaker Peter Gago. The wines are opened, tasted, topped up, recorked and recapsulated with a special label to certify the wine is sound. Since 1991, Penfolds has held more than 50 such clinics around Australia, examining nearly 40,000 bottles brought in by more than 7,000 owners. Penfolds call the clinics 'the ultimate in after-sales service'.
