x
  • Country ranking ?

    85
  • Producer ranking ?

    53
  • Decanting time

    4h
  • When to drink

    2020-2035
  • Food Pairing

    Lamb

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Close

The Story

Grange is arguably Australia’s most celebrated wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia. Grange utilises fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most cons...

Close

Wine Information

Penfolds Grange Hermitage


It took 10 years from the time the first experimental Grange was made before the wine gained general acceptance and the prejudices were overcome.

In 1949 a young Australian wine maker from Penfolds, Max Schubert, was sent to Jerez, Spain to learn the art of making sherry. At the time the voyage between continents was made without haste by ocean liners. On his way back home, as the ship stopped in the harbor o...

Close

Vintage 2002

Australia 2002 was a cold year with plenty of winter and spring rain to support the vines for the year. Summer and fall were completely dry. The summer was the coldest on record. Fall had one of the warmest endings. All of this meant that we had very low yields of grapes and produced high quality wines. The grapes had a very good scent (nose and taste, more floral than usual), good concentration and good acidity. A great year for whites and ma...

Close

Tasting note

color

Deep, Ruby red and Clear

ending

Long, Smooth and Extensive

flavors

Blackcurrant, Vanilla, Toasty and New-oak

nose

Youthful, Pure and Fresh

taste

Average in Acidity, Warming, Medium tannin, Concentrated, Youthful, Full-bodied, Round, Harmonious, Rich, Dry and Sweet tannins

Written Notes

(According to Peter Gago, 1952 is still great – better than the original 1951 vintage.) 98.5% Shiraz, 1.5% Cabernet Sauvignon (in some years there is no Cabernet). 77.5% from Barossa, the rest from McLaren Vale. 17 months in 100% new US oak. As with all the wines blended from different regions, the blending is done on the basis of blind tasting alone. pH 3.58. ‘In the mould of 1996 and 1990 – not “brutish”.’
Closed but pretty exotic. Firm, dense and very fresh acidity. Hints of eucalyptus. Balanced and poised even in its extreme youth. Savoury, dense but very smooth tannins, which also contribute freshness. Not yet very expressive though it has bags of sweet black fruit in the mid palate; quite primary. Incredible savoury blackness. [I believe it has been launched at a truly brutish price though, £130 a bottle in bond and up

  • 95p
Deep crimson purple. Inky/ blackberry essence/ liquorice/ aniseed aromas with plenty of malt/cedar oak. An immensely concentrated silky textured wine with saturated and juicy blackberry/ meaty/ cedar/ mocha flavours and fine supple tannins. Finishes long and sinuous. A great Grange. 98.5% Shiraz 1.5% Cabernet Sauvignon 50% Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), 50% Barossa Valley. A long, cool summer with intermittent rains was followed by a cool dry summer and a warm, dry autumn. A great vintage.
  • 97p
As a five year old at the time of writing, and just before its annual release, the wine is deep, dark and impenetrable. At once Grange...oh, and the aromatics just happen to be compatible with that of Shiraz. As is its want, the aromas transform and complex across many planes, with air and over time in the glass. At first, a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive. Is it oak, or a hybrid, 'barrel ferment' character that can be captured as it oscillates in and out of this beguiling aromatic offering. The palate is expansive, and yet finessed, balanced, highly defined, sleek. A continuum, an amalgam of dark berried flavours and textural sensations - deceptively accessible, yet a hidden largesse, untapped flavour and structural precursors threaten to ingress. 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.
Load more notes

Information

Origin

Magill, South Australia

Other wines from this producer

50-Year-Old Rare Tawny Series 3

802-A Superblend

802-B Superblend

Bin 128 Shiraz

Bin 149 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley & South Australia

Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz

Bin 170 Kalimna Shiraz

Bin 19A Reserve Bin Chardonnay

Bin 20A Reserve Bin Chardonnay

Bin 21 Grenache

Bin 23 Pinot Noir

Bin 2 Shiraz Mourvedre

Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz

Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon

Bin 51 Riesling

Bin 62

Bin 620

Bin 798 RWT Shiraz

Bin 7 Coonawarra Cabernet Kalimna Shiraz

Bin 820

Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz

Bin 90 A

Bin 920 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz

Bin 98 Quantum Cabernet Sauvignon

Bin 9 Cabernet Sauvignon

Block 42 Kalimna Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Cellar Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Cellar Reserve Fiano

Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir

Cellar Reserve Sangiovese

Cellar Reserve Tempranillo

FWT 585 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Petit Verdot

g3

g4

g5

Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Koonunga Hill Cabernet Shiraz

Koonunga Hill Chardonnay

Magill Estate Shiraz

Max's Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 138 GMS

Penfolds Bin 138 Grenache Mourvèdre Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 169

Penfolds Bin 23 Pinot Noir

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 311

Penfolds Bin 407

Penfolds Bin 51 Riesling

Penfolds Bin 600 Cabernet Shiraz, California

Penfolds Bin 60A Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Penfolds Bin 704 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Penfolds Bin 707

Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfolds Bluestone Grand Tawny

Penfolds Grandfather's Tawny

Penfolds Great Grandfather's Tawny

Penfolds II Dourthe x Penfolds Cabernet Shiraz Merlot

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon

Penfolds Reserve Bin 09A Chardonnay

Penfolds RWT

Penfolds V

QoN

Rawson's Retreat

Rawson's Retreat Bin 202 Riesling

Rawson's Retreat Merlot

Rawson's Retreat Riesling

Rawson's Retreat Shiraz Cabernet

Reserve Bin 17A Chardonnay

Reserve Bin 5A

Reserve Bin A

Reserve Bin A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay

RWT Shiraz

Special BIN 111A Shiraz

St Henri Shiraz

Thienot x Penfolds Blanc de Blancs Lot 2-175

Thienot x Penfolds Blanc de Noirs Lot 3-175

Thienot x Penfolds Brut Vintage Lot 1-175

Thomas Hyland Adelaide Hills Chardonnay

Thomas Hyland Sauvignon Blanc

'V' Chardonnay

Vintage Fortified

Yattarna Chardonnay

Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 
Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register