Penfolds Grange is produced using a majority of Shiraz (Syrah) grapes and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon. Produced from what many consider to be Australia’s ‘first growth’, Penfolds Grange is regarded to be Australia’s most collectible wine.
Without the passion and dedication of winemaker Max Schubert, Penfolds Grange might not exist today. Touring around Europe and spending a lot of time in Bordeaux, France, Max spent much of 1950 learning winemaking techniques. After returning and resuming work at Penfolds in 1951, Schubert produced his first batch of experimental Grange, a wine designed to rival French releases in aging potential and quality.
After its initial release in 1951, Penfolds Grange was not a big seller due to Fortified Wines being the latest trend in the wine world. As time went by, sales did not pick up, prompting Penfolds management to cancel production in 1957.
Schubert was not phased by management’s decision and continued to secretly manufacture Grange. It was in 1960 that the wines truly began to be appreciated for their quality and aging potential by the wine community. With increasing sales and popularity, Penfolds management ordered Schubert to resume producing Grange, oblivious to the fact that he actually hadn’t stopped in the first place.
It was first entered into wine competitions in 1962 and since has been collecting gold medals from numerous wine awards, including the Wine Olympics.
Older labels of Penfolds Grange still bear the name ‘Hermitage’ which was originally used in Australia as another term from Shiraz. In 1990, the name ‘Hermitage’ was excluded from the label after objections from the European Union for Penfolds using a recognized French region name.
Wine fans who are familiar with Penfolds Grange will also notice a large ‘Bin 95′ stamped on the label. This indicates that the wine has been stored in Bin 95, which has remain unchanged since 1964. Originally Grange was stored in Bin 1 and later, Bin 4. Following vintages were stored in various bins until it found a permanent place in Bin 95.
No other wine in Australia has such a rich and diverse history as Australia’s Penfold Grange.
Follow the link for more information on penfolds granges.
Mail this post
Posted under Wine
This post was written by wine on May 27, 2009
