Description
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker No DNA check requiredan immediate familial link to the 1998 Grange convincingly transcends both a decade and the transitional closure of a millennium.Not to forgetproactive fruit selection and fortunate Shiraz picking-dates by Penfolds in the Barossa escaping the impact of the well-documented 16-day 2008 South Australian heatwave.Grange is arguably Australias most celebrated wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia. Penfolds Grange utilises fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the worlds great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district, blending philosophy.COLOURImpenetrable dark core.NOSESomewhat intimidating? Yes. Brazen? Never. An immediate and powerful lift of cola/soy/hoisin/red licorice, propelled by tea-smoke and ferric influences. Less obvious nut-husk/tan-bark notes align with lush aromas of ripe jamon-wrapped figs and a panaforte plushness. With air, blueberry fruits and mocha arise, the oak 100% new! remaining concealedtoo much aromatic background chatter to register!PALATEA muscular push/wave/affront across the entire palatefrom start to finish. Never oppressive nor ungainly, yet captivatingly forceful. i.e. a vinous lava flow of dark licorice and maltmolten, with a self-saucing chocolate pudding richness and blackberry, elderberry fruits. Pronounced tannins are unleashed, and the Clare component makes its 9% presence felt, adding to both flavour pool and extract. Power and density naturally respectful of balance and structure.VINTAGE CONDITIONSDeclared a vintage of two distinct halves, with well-balanced fruit at optimum baume levels achievable with an early harvest. A seamless growing season with steady, early season growth and healthy canopy development. Cool and dry conditions during the start of summer meant that vines were poised for a textbook harvest and conditions were conducive to excellent flavour, colour and phenolic development. New Year temperatures would eventually crescendo in ensuing months, dry conditions would persevere and March the 3rd served as a pivot pointcleaving the vintage into the two well defined halves resulting in a profound difference in quality of fruit picked. Old vines with balanced canopies capitalised on the perfect growing conditions preceding the heat spell. Weighted-average vintage charts may not do justice to the South Australian harvest in 2008. Penfolds reds will.MATURATIONMatured for 19 months in new American oak hogsheads.FOOD MATCHPlum pudding pork rack, swede, quandong and desert raisin – Penfolds
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.