Description
Penfolds has been a pioneer in the world of winemaking since its establishment in 1844 by Dr.
Christopher and Mary Penfold.
The company’s success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers who have pushed the development of the company to extraordinary, bold new heights.
Mary Penfold’s reign at the helm of Penfolds saw years of determination and endeavour, experimenting with new methods in wine production.
In 1948, Max Schubert became the company’s first Chief Winemaker and he propelled Penfolds onto the global stage with his experimentation of long-lasting wines – the creation of Penfolds Grange in the 1950s.
Soon, the medals began flowing, and Grange quickly became one of the most revered wines around the world.
In 2012, Penfolds released its most innovative project to date – 12 handcrafted ampoules of the rare 2004 Kalimna Block Cabernet Sauvignon.
Today, Penfolds continues to hold dear the philosophies and legends that have driven the company’s success since its establishment in 1844.
Schubert joined Penfolds as a messenger boy in 1931 and by 1948, he became Penfolds’ first Chief Winemaker.
In the latter part of 1950, Schubert was sent to Europe to investigate winemaking practices in Spain and Portugal.
On a side trip to Bordeaux, Schubert was inspired and impressed by the French cellared-style wines and dreamed of making ‘something different and lasting’ of his own.
Combining traditional Australian techniques, inspiration from Europe and precision winemaking practices developed at Penfolds, Schubert made his first experimental wine in 1951.
In 1957, Schubert was asked to show his efforts in Sydney to top management, invited wine identities and personal friends of the board.
To his horror, the Grange experiment was universally disliked and Schubert was ordered to shut down the project.
Max continued to craft his Grange vintages in secret, hiding three vintages ’57, ’58 and ’59, in the depths of the cellars.
Eventually, the Penfolds board ordered production of Grange to restart, just in time for the 1960 vintage.
From then on, international acknowledgment and awards were bestowed on Grange, including the 1990 vintage of Grange, which was named Wine Spectator’s Red Wine of the Year in 1995.
Today, Grange’s reputation as one of the world’s most celebrated wines continues to grow.
On its 50th birthday in 2001, Grange was listed as a South Australian heritage icon, while the 2008 Grange vintage achieved a perfect score of 100 points by two of the world’s most influential wine magazines.
With every new generation of Penfolds winemakers, Max Schubert’s remarkable vision is nurtured and strengthened.
The Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2012 is a wine that truly embodies the reputation of Australia’s most famous wine.
With its deep color, this wine offers intense paneforte, dark chocolate and dark blackberry aromas, with lifted roasted chestnut, mocha, English-toffee aromas and notes of sweet tobacco, dried roses, shellac and frankincense.
The wine is superbly concentrated, with wonderful presence, structure and density.
It is plush in scale yet possessing lovely energy and structure, making it a truly transcendent and powerfully expressive Grange that harks back to Max Schubert’s original blueprint.
This wine is dense, expansive, rich and voluminous, with all elements in perfect symmetry.
Its aromatic complexity, generosity and suppleness are reminiscent of the early 1960s, making it a wine that has to be in the pantheon of all-time great vintages.
Unbelievably good to drink now, this wine is a great indication of its lasting quality, but it is recommended to leave it for a minimum of ten years if possible.
This wine has a drinking window of 2026-2080.
Very deep, dark red colour with a tinge of purple and a hint of black.
Black olive, creosote, savoury, vanilla, chocolate and mocha aromas, touches of smoked smallgoods.
The palate is full-bodied but it”s not a blockbuster.
Soft and fleshy, smooth and supple, already showing a glimpse of the excitement and fascination that will follow in its maturity.
The finish is all harmony, despite the flood of tannin: soft, savoury, powdery tannin.
The components are all in great harmony so that no one
