Grange 2020
| 98+ Points - Colin Hay, The Drinks Business |
| 98 Points - Andrew Caillard MW |
| 98 Points - Jeni Port, Winepilot |
| 98 Points - Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion |
| 98 Points - Nick Ryan, The Australian |
Andrew Caillard MW
"The classical and beautiful 2020 Grange, with its abundant dark berry fruits, massive concentration, oak maturation characters and well-integrated chocolaty tannins. possesses the detail and hallmarks of a First Growth Australian red. It has all the cadence and balance for long term aging. In years to come, it may be seen as one of the great vintages. 98 points."
Jeni Port, Winepilot
"A warm-hearted Grange to be sure, rich and full of drive as might be expected, but with the warmth of 2020 comes some lovely, gentle aromatics which brings that touch of finesse. You could say 2020 is more opulent and slightly less muscular for Grange. Deep aromas of ripe dark, blue berries with plum cake, spice, dark chocolate, sweet oak spice, dried orange peel and mahogany with attractive, lifted star anise, sage, bay leaf. Combines the basic mechanics of plush, velvety tannins and vanillin, warm oak support, but the palate explores further the depth of some gorgeous fruits and spice, textures, layers and budding complexity. It’s all ready to go and will keep building over the years ahead. Maybe not a classic Grange, but one not to be under-estimated.. 98 points."
Tyson Stelzer
"McLaren Vale assumes the lead over the Barossa in the warm and dry 2020 season, creating a Grange of larger-than-life proportions. The depth and concentration of blackberry, blueberry and satsuma plum on display is unique to Grange, carrying all the complexity of coal steam and fresh liquorice, set to the high cocoa dark chocolate and char presence of new American oak. The gravitas of cascading classification of Penfolds sourcing is declared in a fruit integrity and definition upheld even in such a warm and dry season, a feat that this house achieves today with greater confidence than it did in decades past. This is a show-stopping Grange of impact and muscle. 97 points."
Grange will convincingly justify the dexterity of South Australian Shiraz in this 2020 vintage.
– Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker
Dense and impenetrable – deep red to the rim.
An instant proclamation of identity – formics and barrel-ferment notes propelling Shiraz spoils. Whilst these Shiraz markers highlight heady elutions of aniseed/liquorice/wintergreen/fennel, primal aromatics of squashed damson plum do prevail. And beneath, wafts of pan scrapings/pan juices support all that is entwined above. 100% new oak is all but totally absorbed, yet it does conspire to complex, weave and intrigue. In this aromatic tussle fruit remains the champion. Not unlike ‘Champagne character’, ‘Grange character’ aromatically “just is”. Immediately understood, immediately recognised.
The first sip seduces, the second reminds … Up front red fruits and maraschino cherry flavours quickly transition to the ‘Noir-ish’ – Black Forest cake, blackberry, black cherry, black … Sitting softens. A Christmas pudding mix of soaked fruits and rind offers a friendly hand. Similarly talc-like/velvety tannins are non-aggressive, politely acting as a conveyance. They almost appear coupled with cocoa/dark chocolate dust. Texturally woven, with all components well integrated and absorbed… inducing a sensory perception of roundness, of a lush film coated across the palate.
Vintage Conditions
South Australia experienced its second successive winter marked by drought, with the Barossa Valley recording its driest year on record and the Clare Valley experiencing its driest winter in over a century. These arid conditions persisted into spring, leading to delayed flowering and fruit set, underscoring irrigation's crucial role due to below-average root zone moisture levels. Both the Clare Valley and Barossa Valley regions were touched by September frosts, though losses were alleviated through frost fans. Summer commenced with an intense heatwave across the state, resulting in 26 days above 35°C in the Barossa Valley alone. However, a reprieve came with cooler weather in January and February. McLaren Vale was more fortunate, benefiting from higher-than-average rainfall in February which bolstered vine health for the rest of the growing season. Lower bunch weights and berry counts were recorded across all regions leading to significantly reduced yields. However, these testing conditions often culminate in exceptional quality fruit. Indeed, 2020 saw some remarkable Shiraz crops that have contributed to an opulent expression of Grange.
| GRAPE VARIETY
97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon
|
97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon |
|---|---|
| VINEYARD REGION
McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley
|
McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley |
| 葡萄酒分析
酒精浓度: 14.5%, pH: 3.6, Acidity: 7.0g/L
|
酒精浓度: 14.5%, pH: 3.6, Acidity: 7.0g/L |
| MATURATION
20 months in American oak hogsheads (100% new)
|
20 months in American oak hogsheads (100% new) |
The Story of Grange
The development of Max Schubert’s Grange is a modern tale of imagination, a battle against the odds and redemption. It began with a side trip to Bordeaux in 1949, where a wine ‘capable of staying alive for a minimum of twenty years’, first entered Schubert’s mind. His first experimental vintage in 1951 began a new way of thinking that would eventually lead to a signature wine style, but not before Grange was discredited and Max Schubert forced to make the wine in secrecy.
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