Penfolds "Grange" Shiraz 2020
(South Australia) - [JS 97] [WE 97] [TWI 96] [WS 96] [WA 95] [VM 95] [DM 94]

About the Winery: 
Founded by a young English doctor in 1844, they are one of the oldest of New World wines and lay claim to some of the oldest ungrafted Cabernet vines in the world, as Australia's sandy soils repelled the phylloxera bug. Penfolds has indisputably led the development of Australian fine wine in the modern era. The introduction of Penfolds Grange in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine. Since then, a series of standout wines, both white and red, have been released under the Penfolds masthead. Under the direction of master winemaker, Peter Gago, Penfolds is now found in every major wine market in the world. Extraordinary wines such as Block 42 and Bin 60A have also been released during his tenure. Penfolds wines are now widely celebrated for their diversity and quality across many price-points. The strength of Penfolds is that the wine comes first. Penfolds' range of table wines is utterly Australian, evoking a generosity of spirit and the beauty of the Australian landscape.

Vintage Notes:
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.

Tasting Notes:
Color:
Dense and impenetrable – deep red to the rim.

Nose: 
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 recognized.

Palate:
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

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - James Suckling:
"Blackberry, blueberry, graphite and terra cotta aromas. Medium-bodied with clarity, focus and very fine tannins that are polished and caressing. One of the most refined and textural Granges I have had in a long time. The tannins are very resolved. This is mostly Barossa and McLaren Vale with some Claire Valley. 3% cabernet sauvignon. Very drinkable now, but will age beautifully."  (May 2024)

97 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"The 2020 vintage—harvested at the start of a global pandemic—was a difficult one. But the quality of Australia's most collected wine hasn't slipped. Tightly wound, it's restrained, classic, comfy in its own skin without having to shout. Plump plum, cedar, ground pepper, vanilla and the charred pan scrapings of a roast: it's all there. It's a powerful wine, thanks to a mouth-full of hefty tannins, but they're well-integrated, setting this up for a very long life ahead." - Christina Pickard (Mar 2025)

96 Points - The Wine Independent:
"The 2020 Grange is a blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit sources are 48% McLaren Vale, 40% Barossa Valley, and the rest from Clare Valley. It was aged for 20 months in American oak hogsheads, 100% new. Opaque purple-black color, it opens with a flash of exuberant Morello cherries and prunes notes, leading to an undercurrent of Chinese five spice, tilled soil, black olives, and peppercorns, plus a touch of dried roses. The full-bodied palate is rich and expressive, delivering the classic Grange rock-solid foundation of super-firm tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and spicy." - LPB (Oct 2024)

96 Points - Wine Spectator:
"This is dense, dark and brooding up front, showcasing gravel and hot cast iron flavors that show a hint of wintergreen. The second sip is much more revealing, with generous flavors of morello cherry, blackberry preserves, cassis and chocolate truffle cake, along with spice, pepper and earth notes that are complex, deep and long. The dense tannins have a firmness that suggests a long life in the cellar, as does the crescendo of complexity on the finish. Drink now through 2044." - MaryAnn Worobiec (Dec 2024)

95 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The 2020 Grange comprises 97% Shiraz and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon from McLaren Vale (48%), Barossa Valley (40%) and Clare Valley (12%), and it matured for 20 months in American oak hogsheads, 100% new. While the metric of regions changes each season and the proportion of Shiraz changes slightly, the élevage and style remain the same. Aromatically, the wine is black and savory, with crushed ant, black peppercorn, blueberry, blackberry and licorice/aniseed. In the mouth, the wine feels lighter than some other vintages on release. There is something like clarity and perhaps a little hole in the mid-palate—it sits like clarity or less density and also features as breathing space. A nice wine, it is lighter than the preceding 2019. Both vintages had their challenges, but this 2020 season has yielded an "easier" feeling wine." - Erin Larkin (Jul 2024)

95 Points - Vinous Media:
"This dense and brooding 2020 Shiraz Grange has all the elements for a long life with impressive levels of extract and tannins, but lacking the delicacy of a great vintage. It opens up with waves of tarry, licorice and cola aromas against a backdrop of firm, unyielding oak. Muscular, chalky tannins provide a strong frame to waves of blackberry flavor which build toward a drying finish. A couple more years in the cellar will bring all the pieces together before a two-decade drinking window. (Drink between 2030-2050)." - Angus Hughson  (Aug 2024)

94 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"The celebrated reputation of Grange places every new release under intense scrutiny, and this passes muster as sturdy and convincing, but without the stellar fireworks of 2019 or the instantaneous drink-now temptation of many from the past decade. Coming from the low-yielding 2020 vintage, a broad net was cast across McLaren Vale, Barossa and Clare to find the right mix of fruit parcels showing both concentration and complexity. With the modest addition of 3% Cabernet Sauvignon (noting that Penfolds did not release its elite Bin 707 and Bin 129 Cabernets from the 2020 vintage), this pulls tight focus on Shiraz’s primary allure – blackberry and black plum rinsed in rich mocha and dark chocolate, piqued by a dusting of cinnamon, pepper and vanilla. This is made to be cellared, and will tell a more exuberant story in another decade." - David Sly (Jul 2024)