Grange, Penfolds 2010

The 2010 Grange is a 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 96% Shiraz blend made from Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate fruit that was aged 17 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Very deep purple-black in color, this is classic Grange - amongst the finest produced - replete with fresh, vibrant and youthful black fruit notes showing some blueberry aromas and accents of camphor, anise and the slightest floral hint plus a whiff of oak in the background to lend a cedar-laced lift to this textbook Shiraz nose. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, it is very taut and finely constructed showing typically firm, grainy, uniform tannins, great concentration and wonderful persistence on the finish. If I have any very slight complaint of this near perfect wine it is that it seems a little too clinical and appears to speak less of the land and the heart of South Australia and more of the very skilled winemaking than did the Grange from the magical 2008 vintage. Drink 2022-2040.

The 2010 Grange arrives with much expectation and does not disappoint. This is a powerhouse, structurally superior to both the 2009 and 2008 vintages and breathtakingly dense, long and precise. The nose has cola, blackberry, vanillin, hard brown spices of all kinds, coal smoke, meaty charcuterie elements and a strong tarry, savory note that speaks of the 85% Barossa Valley componentry. The palate has super deep tannins that fan out through flavorsome black fruits. These are purposeful tannins; they bristle on the palate, tantalizing and assertive yet playful, strong not aggressive. The power here is the thing; this has mouth-coating density and terrific drive, so tightly coiled, it gives enough away to suggest a very, very long cellaring wine is here. This is a classic Grange that will please the serious collectors. A wine of genuine pedigree. Better in 2026.

Focused, elegant, powerful and layered, exhibiting plum, currant, floral, spice and coffee flavors that come together seamlessly and persist on the long, complex finish. This has presence and deftness in equal measure, with well-integrated tannins. Best from 2018 through 2030. 371 cases imported.

96% Shiraz, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Magill Estate. 17 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. TA 6.9 g/l, pH 3.57.
Perfect vintage. Lustrous, dark blackish purple. Hint of putty and real interest. Nerve. High-toned note. Almost claret-like build with real tension. But huge complexity too. Very exciting. Distinctive. A bit like 2004? Muscular. Ambitious pricing though. 14.5%
Drink 2022-2050

This wine is utterly amazing in every way. It is also the finest Grange aroma I have ever had the pleasure of inhaling and this includes all of the older vintages I have tasted, too. This is a complete wine. Nothing more is needed and nothing here could be let go without detracting from the whole. It is perfect. It is also the essence of two very important and powerful entities – the legend that is Grange and also the mind-blowing vintage that is 2010. This means that it has Grange’s majesty tempered by the restraint, intensity, beauty and composure of 2010. It is very dark, intensely so, and yet this class of malevolence has never been so alluring. This is the finest wine I have tasted this year, not least because it meticulously hunts down out every single taste bud in your system urgently before hypnotising it for evermore rather than blasting it, senselessly, with a shotgun. Heavenly, enchanting, forthright and mesmerising it is a wine you simply must taste. Drink from 2020-2050. 20++