Penfolds Bin 95 Grange 2021 (Gift Box)

Expert reviews

"Always the focus of the Collection, especially so when it hails from what has become a legendary vintage. The expectations for the 2021 Grange were simply that this had to be a great Grange. Anything short of that might even be deemed a failure and this is indeed an extraordinary Grange. Quite simply, a wow wine. As always, a variety of regions contributed – the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. As is usual, though not inevitable, there is a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, 6% for 2021, and the wine spent a year and a half maturing in new American hogsheads. No wonder Peter Gago’s response was a face-splitting smile and to confirm he was 'very, very pleased'. Maroon/black in hue, one simply gets lost in the nose, just endlessly sniffing the most glorious cassis notes, along with black fruits, blueberries, coffee beans, aniseed, mulberries, delicatessen meats, tobacco leaves, plums and graphite. The wine is seamless, intense and immaculate with knife-edge balance. It simply dances with joy. The oak is there, undeniably, but it is so well handled that you almost have to think twice. So complex already, and yet so harmonious and decadent. Silky tannins, bright acidity, the intensity never wavers for an instant and there is incredible length – Rutherglen muscat length. This is as close to a perfect Grange as I can imagine. Fifty years, if you think you can last that long (or want very grateful grandkids). A Lord-take-me-now wine, if ever there was one. Drink: 2025-2075."  Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot - 100 points

"This is a spectacular Grange.  If I were to jot down my dream recipe for this magnificent wine, it would be as near as dammit to the technical stats above.  The epic balance found here was born in this wine, and it shows sensational tenderness and mellifluous energy from the very first molecule that collides with your sensors.  Nothing is rushed, there are no raw edges, and there is more immediate control and synergy between the two constituent grapes than I have seen before in a fledgling Grange.  There is less malevolence, and more luxury; more velvetiness and sophistication; and a heavenly texture that casts an extraordinary spell on your senses.  The result is the most penetrative and resonant perfume I have seen on a young Grange, and it is derived from the sheer quality of fruit and skill employed in its creation.  Instead of this wine pushing, like a volcano, from its depths of its flavour chamber towards the open 'crater' of the wine glass, it appears to expand in an instant, like a heart-stopping supernova, showering your receptors in unmitigated indulgence.  This will go down as another landmark Grange, and yet, having tasted a sublime vertical, later last year, including some 47 vintages as far back as 1952, I have never tasted a Grange with this individuality and presence."  Matthew Jukes - 20+/20 points

"The dream combination of a cool spring, average summer and mild autumn furnished slow and even ripening. The wizardry of Peter Gago and his team have juggled this juxtaposition with masterful skill. A core of black fruits of all kinds reverberates with dramatic power, accented with liquorice straps, sarsaparilla and high cocoa dark chocolate. The signature volatile acidity of Grange has been impeccably judged. The tannin profile is a wonder to behold, a captivating splay of fine-grained fruit and oak structure that envelops the mouth, wonderfully elevated and interlocked with cool season acidity. This is a vintage that demands at least 30 years before approaching and will confidently continue to marvel for half a century and perhaps beyond."  Tyson Stelzer - 99 points

"From the get-go, you know you are in rarefied air. This is a spectacular statement of this great wine and will have to rank with the very best over more than 70 years. The striking features are the balance and poised integration, with its effortless and seamless long profile that builds relentlessly through to the sustained finish. It’s a blend of Barossa, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley fruit with about 6% cabernet. As is true to style, it is matured in 100% new American oak, in this case for 18 months. On the nose, dark chocolate, cocoa, and a slightly crushed ant character. The palate is sublime, almost elegant, which for a young Grange is hard to imagine. Loaded in there is a little graphite and oyster shell minerality. Quite simply, one of the five greatest."  Ray Jordan – 99 points

"We've been waiting patiently for the Grange release from the stellar '21 vintage and it certainly lives up to the hype. An impenetrable magenta/crimson in the glass, with the telltale aromatic clout and the light V.A. lift of an embryonic Grange clearly evident as you place your nose in the glass. There's an incredible depth of fruit here. Deep blackberry, blackcurrant and plum compote with hints of graphite, coal dust, violets, wood spice, olive tapenade, oak, blackforest cake, pan juices, panforte, Dutch licorice and earth. The tannins – strong yet powdery – provide ample structure to the wine as it finishes long and deep, resonating perfectly. There is no doubt that this will be considered one of the great Grange releases. Drink by 2067." Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion - 99 points

"When I was about to move to Australia in 2010, my mentor at the time exclaimed: 'Wow, you’re going to Australia! The land of Penfolds Grange!' Grange’s name and global fame preceded it as one of the most iconic multiregional blends the vinous world knows. This stellar 2021 vintage is composed of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Clare Valley. I deliberately waited over an hour before I even got near it with my nose. Yet, when the moment came, it was quiet, whispering gentle whiffs of pure spearmint oil, wild black currant, blackberry, turned earth, new leather, blue violets, bay leaf, red liquorice and that unforgettable smell from inside your best butcher shop. The tannins were dense yet sophisticated and well-built for the long haul. A lot was happening in the centre until the wine decided to regroup, walking quietly, yet with the right amount of confidence, down the long length. It was an engaging wine that evolved slowly, revealing itself gradually rather than all at once. The palate wasn’t getting fatigued; instead, it was refreshed and encouraged to continue. A masterful piece that can dose its power and class with grace."  Lisa Cardelli, Wine Pilot – 99 points

"No triumphalism or bombast here. Its greatness is evident, with composure and assuredness every step of the way. A staggeringly complex array of aromas: boysenberry, blueberry, mulberry, Dutch licorice, roasted quince, coriander seed; scorched beef fat, ristretto and panforte. Sculpted muscle, vertiginous depth, tannins tightened to travel across decades. A truly great Grange."  Nick Ryan, The Weekend Australian - 99 points

"There will be higher than usual expectations associated with the 2021 Grange. It was undoubtedly a stellar vintage across South Australia noted as exceptional by many producers, no more so than in Grange’s pick of fruit from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. Powerful yet elegant, finely structured but firm, the ’21 will particularly please those who prefer poise and style over brute force. Inky, dense, impenetrable.  Resolutely ripe in aromas of black fruits of every kind, dark bitter chocolate, liquorice blocks, ground coffee, dried earth, pan juices, tapenade and lifted violet aromatics. While it’s working on the kind of seamless harmony we come to expect with age, the richness of fruit and spices is joined by a layer of resinous oak and savoury notes of undergrowth, truffle. The addition of 6% Cabernet Sauvignon is slightly more (it’s a relative thing) than some previous Granges. Hard to tell its contribution but those tannins are impressively slatey and fine. Altogether, a Grange with less oomph and more fineness with an underlying power. Drink: 2025-2055."  Jeni Port, Wine Pilot – 98 points

"Wow. What a release of this famed Australian wine, made from 94% shiraz and 6% cabernet sauvignon. Aromas of blackcurrants, cured meat, cedar, iodine, blackberry compote and lilacs. The palate is full-bodied with seamlessly integrated tannins and a powerful yet silken mouthfeel that persists in a long-lasting finish. You can taste the prestige and history, tied in with the expression of the warm 2021 vintage. As always, a wine for aging but drinking well now. Drink or hold."  James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com - 98 points

"2021 was a magnificent season in South Australia, one blessed with good yields (a change from the previous several years of low yields and drought conditions), healthy rainfall leading into the season and dry, mild conditions during ripening. Vignerons could not have hoped for better conditions. So here, the 2021 Grange is powerful, ripe, structural yet balanced, long and complex. There is a softness to the middle palate, which speaks to the mildness of the conditions, potentially positioning this as one of the best modern-era Granges. The fruit (94% Shiraz, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon) was sourced from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. For critics of this style, my only wish to assist with clarification could be teleportation, together, into a future 30 or 40 years from now. We would drink this wine, where it would still appear fresh and yet would have settled into its finesse and grace as well. It matured for 18 months in American oak, 100% new. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink: 2025 - 2061."  Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate - 98 points

"Deep, dark dense colour; a classic Grange bouquet of mocha, dark chocolate, black fruits, tar/bitumen, espresso coffee and even a trace of licorice. A very concentrated and very tannic wine: Black Forest cake, rum-and-raisin chocolate. It has it all. Masses of mouth-coating tannins, drying the finish off cleanly. Long carry. A very good Grange indeed, and long term. (Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley. 6% cabernet sauvignon). Drink: 2028–2061." Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 98 points

"Deep crimson. Very expressive blackberry, praline, roasted hazelnut, espresso crème brulée aromas with lifted Indian spice/ balsamic notes. Deeply concentrated blackberry, dark chocolate flavours, lovely mid-palate volume, plentiful fine chalky/ al dente tannins and well-balanced roasted chestnut, mocha, roasted coffee notes. Finishes gravelly with superb choco-berry fruits. A beautifully modulated claret-style harking back to the original blueprint. Should develop into a classic Grange. Drink 2030 – 2060."  Andrew Caillard MW - 98 points 

"Marking 70 years since its first release, the 2021 Grange is a benchmark blend of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. Matured for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads, this wine carries the weight of its legacy with both power and precision. The bouquet is dense and brooding, unfolding layers of plum compote, prune, espresso and forest cake, complemented by blackberry pastille and a delicate waft of vanilla bean. With gentle aeration, more savoury notes emerge - earth, grilled meat and olive tapenade - bringing balance and complexity to the rich fruit core. On the palate, the wine is coiled and focused, delivering black cherry, dark chocolate and mocha flavors wrapped in a sinewy structure of finely grained tannins and refreshing acidity. This is a Grange of impressive power and poise, commanding attention with its structured depth and lingering finish. A magnificent expression of Australia’s most iconic Shiraz."  Tom Kline, Wine Pilot – 98 points

"Sometimes Grange fits in with its stablemate releases; sometimes it stands out. This release stands out – particularly on the nose – as quite different. It smells of sweet balsamic, chocolate-coated raisins, plums, meats, grates of citrus rind, a march of crushed ants, cigar smoke and toasted rye. It’s a dramatic introduction if ever there was one. The palate itself is defined by its tannin, which presents as a firm, solid sheet, pulled tight but ushering cushions of fruit along with it. There’s an element too on the palate of development, not a lot but it’s there, which – even though it’s released as a four-year-old – I don’t often note with Grange. There’s leather, and mint, and plum, and a toasty-toffeed note. This 2021 release lays down Grange law but it also piques your interest. It has quirks but it remains definitive of the 'fully ripe shiraz Heritage Icon' style. Grange always matures for eons and no doubt this release will too, but this 2021 Grange will enter its drinking peak slightly ahead of usual programming. It yet still presents as the most polished and powerful of wines. Drink 2029-2040+."  Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front - 97 points