Region: Barossa Valley, Magill & Clare Valley

Grape varieties: 91% Shiraz & 9% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 13.5% Total acids: 5.3 grams per litre pH: 3.71

Growing season/vintage: Fairly cool season followed by mild conditions at vintage. The 1977s are generally lighter, more elegant wines and not for long term cellaring.

Comments: The last Grange to be entered in Australian wine shows, winning silver medals in 1981 and 1982. By this time Grange was firmly established in Australia and had nothing further to gain from show success. The wine was also too easy to recognise. However, some more recent vintages of Grange have been entered in international competitions. The 1977 is considered a good but not outstanding Grange. However, Robert Parker gave it 95/100 points in 1990.

Tasting notes: size> Elegant wine, complex fruit/oak aroma. Lighter than 1976, needs years to soften. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

Good structure and balance. Big and rich, but becoming elegant and drinkable. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990)

Deep, dark hue but not as intense a colour as 1976. Truffle, undergrowth, earth and caramel in the bouquet. Another chewy, tannic wine with a very dry finish; savoury, chocolatey, with high extract. Not particularly complex and lacks the charm of the best years. Still plenty of life ahead. Drink 1995 to 2005. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

Complex bouquet reminiscent of truffles, "old earth" and caramel with a hint of spice. Finely structured palate showing dense, savoury, cedar and leather-like fruit and pronounced tannins. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

"Purple/red. Sweet, dark chocolate/biary aromas with hints of tar and roasted meat. Richly flavoured palate with dark chocolate/ berry fruit, looseknit but slightly bitter tannins and long finish. Good overall balance but is unlikely to improve. Will hold. Drink between now and 2007." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

Grape varieties: 93% Shiraz & 7% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Alcohol: 12.1% Total acids: 5.9 grams per litre. pH: 3.70

Growing season/vintage: A very difficult season with rainfall more than double the average. Vintage was also wet, with conditions made worse by an outbreak of downy mildew just prior to harvest. Low yields and generally lighter style wines.

Comments: Considered a good wine from one of the most difficult vintages in memory. Rigorous grape selection saw one of the smallest Grange makes on record -- 2300 cases. Future Chief Winemaker John Duval's first vintage with Penfolds, and a baptism of fire. First Grange to be made at Nuriootpa and fermented in stainless steel. All previous vintages were made in the open concrete fermenters at the Magill winery. Rated 91/100 points by Robert Parker in 1990, and winner of a trophy, four gold and three other medals at Australian wine shows from 1976 to 1989.

Tasting notes size> - Colour: slightly lighter than the '73 with a distinct touch of brown. Bouquet: rather chalky and flat and somewhat disappointing. Palate: shows similar flat/thin fruit flavour, distinctly on the light side although there are some redeeming features in the structure of the wine. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982) Lighter year. Firm tannin. Showing developed flavour. Drinking well. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985) Mature, "leathery" flavours. Demonstrates how good Grange is, even in difficult years. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990) A triumph from such a poor vintage... big, sweet, jammy, chocolatey, slightly porty wine with good depth of colour, plenty of character. Raunchy, mellow and round. Drink now. (Huon Hooke, 1992) Tight fruit selection policy has resulted in a wine with good structure and concentration and a good palate, given the year. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

"Medium brick red. Sweet, prune/dried fig/apricot aromas with complex cedar/cigar-box characters. Palate is still fresh, but compact, with dark chocolate/prune flavours, some earthiness and fine gripping tannins. Firm finish. A little disjointed and unlikely to improve, although should hold. Drink now." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

Penfolds’ renowned 2000 Grange is only the fifth vintage to be made from 100% Shiraz (the others being 1951, 1952, 1963, and 1999). It is also, atypically, 100% Barossa fruit. While it is not considered to be one of the great Granges, the 2000 exhibits outstanding potential, and is much more accessible than usual. One of the top wines I tasted from this vintage (which has had to take a back seat to subsequent years), its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a big, sweet nose of blackberries, cherries, chocolate, and earth. With decent acidity, ripe, silky tannin, superb intensity, wonderful equilibrium, and a more open-knit, softer, accessible style than usual, it can be drunk now or cellared for 15-16 years. While this is no wimpy wine, it is an ideal example for readers who are unwilling to invest the patience required for the big, blockbuster Granges.
93 Points
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate # 161 (Oct 2005)

Notes sourced from Southcorp

Grange is both Penfolds and arguably Australia's most famous 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 climate of South Australia.

Penfolds Grange displays fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world's great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.

The 2000 Penfolds Grange is an excellent example of the Grange style transcending a most challenging South Australian 2000 vintage. The 2000 vintage is sourced entirely from the Barossa Valley, (40% Kalimna) and is produced from 100% Shiraz. The wine was aged for 18 months in new American oak hogsheads.

Vintage Conditions: As in most south-eastern districts, some rain fell between Christmas and New Year, followed by very dry and very hot conditions until March. Crops were down by 20-40% producing parcels of 'Grange' quality in the Barossa.

Tasting Notes: Deep (bright) red crimson colour. On the nose smoky barrel fermented notes hover above a complex base of black liquorice, tobacco, black pepper, exotic spices and plummy, berried fruits. A mouthfilling, generous and expansive palate, as expected of this marque. Dark chocolate and plum fruits court a deceptive play of substantial ripe tannins and, at this relatively early stage, provide for a more powerful Grange stamp on the palate than on the nose. Oak plays a supportive role and is perfectly integrated and absorbed. This is a wine of admirable balance and poise, with trademark mid-palate richness.
14% Alc/vol.

Other reviews......

Good depth to the colour; seamless blackberry fruit and vanilla/cedar oak; abundant power and concentration; sultry blackberry, dark chocolate and spice; persistent but balanced tannins. Exceptional outcome for an ordinary vintage; obviously strict selection criteria used.

Rating 96

Drink 2025

"James Halliday - 2006 Australian Wine Companion"

The 2003 vintage was sourced from vineyards located in Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale and Magill. Made from a blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine was matured for 15 months in new American oak hogsheads.

The 2003 vintage was initially warm and dry, becoming milder later in the season. These conditions prompted an early start of harvest with the fruit reaching optimum ripeness evenly. The vintage produced Shiraz with dense colour, impressive varietal characters and soft tannins.

Deep red colour. The nose is captivating, complex and complete. Unravelling aromatics unfurl with air - blue fruit notes entwined with barrel ferment and maturation elements; nothing singular, always in tandem. Sweet soy, cola and quince paste high notes escape from an ethereal layer (aniseed, fennel and fresh treacle ginger pudding) wafting above. The palate displays dark and liqueur chocolate, laced with Moroccan spices. An underlying tar/graphite blackness is lifted by derived fruit/quince pie flavours - a few years earlier they may have been more brashly varietal and elemental. Pronounced tannins sweep across the palate, although they are certainly part of the wine, never obtrusive. Long, layered and compelling, this wine is at the spicier end of the Grange spectrum.
Drink 2012 to 2038
14.5% Alc

Other Reviews...
To be frank, I agonised over the inclusion of this wine, which is not in the same class as the 2002 or the forthcoming '04, '05 and '06 (a brilliant trio). But it is Australia's iconic red wine, and will improve out of sight over the next 20 years. Deep and bright colour; density and structure; the fruit is rich, but not spongy or dead. Ultra careful selection.
Drink 2015-2030 (leave it in the cellar)
95 Points
James Halliday – The Australian Top 100 – 2008

The 2012 Penfolds Grange is a blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon with maturation taking place in new American oak hogsheads for 18 months. Tasted from bottle no. DV677. Spectacular impenetrable inky black colour with an equally deep dark purple black hue. Heady aromatics immediately soar out of the glass delivering a complex bouquet of liquorice, ripe blackberries, dark plum and dark chocolate with ensuing vanillin oak infusions, mocha, confectionary and spicy new leather. Massively concentrated the palate is endowed with an enormous level of richness that’s almost overwhelming. Mouthfilling flavours of luscious blackberries, liquorice and dark plum explode across the palate in decadent fashion underpinned by toasty vanillin oak, dark chocolate, earth and spicy mocha. The firm, rigid tannin structure remarkably largely concealed by the incredible generosity and opulence of fruit. Magnificent power with an exceptionally long aftertaste of ripe blackberries, liquorice, dark chocolate, vanillin oak, subtle scorched earth and spicy mocha.
Cellar 15-20 years plus.
Alc 14.5%

Other Reviews…
Bottle no. AV697. This vintage was destined to be one of the greatest Granges. In the flesh it is majestically complex, superbly focused and intense, and wondrously balanced. It has every black fruit flavour known to man or woman, and will become more magical with each passing decade. Oh for a screwcap. Drink by 2062.
99 points
James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion
 

Powerful and impressive, this seamless expression offers chai tea, sandalwood, dark chocolate, gingerbread and tobacco notes that complement the juicy black cherry fruit flavors at the core. Gains momentum on the finish. Intense but polished, revealing an air of weightlessness that lingers. Drink now through 2035.
97 points
Wine Spectator

The 2012 Grange comes from just two sub-regions of South Australia this year: Barossa Valley (the majority) and McLaren Vale. This makes a lot of sense since 2012 was a cracking year in both of these areas, producing a number of extraordinary wines. As usual, this Grange contains a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, just 2%. Very deep purple-black in color, it opens on the nose with complex earthy/meaty/savory notes, soon giving way to baked blackberries, plum preserves, hoisin and Chinese five spice with dabs of sandalwood, licorice, menthol and vanilla. The palate reveals a surprisingly open, rich, full-bodied expression exuding a powerhouse of velvet-lined decadence. Still, it characteristically possesses that rock-solid “Grange” backbone of firm tannins and great freshness expressed in a real lively lift to the finish. And the finish is epically long. There are some stylistic similarities here to the opulent, gregarious 2008 vintage, perhaps just lacking ever so slightly in the same exhilarating abandonment of winemaking protocols for the celebration of the fruit and sites. That said, this is unquestionably a stonking great Grange! Drink 2019-2045.
99 points 
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines.

Grape Varieties: A blend of 87% Shiraz and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon the fruit was sourced from Adelaide Hills and Kalimna (Barossa Valley).

Total acids: 6.9 grams per litre. pH: 3.64 Alcohol: 12.2%

Vintage Conditions: Copybook season in the vineyard with ideal warm, fairly dry weather and a warm, dry vintage.

Tasting Notes: size> First Grange to be made predominantly from Kalimna (Barossa Valley) rather than Magill (Adelaide) fruit. Also the first and only Grange to use Adelaide Hills fruit. After the 1955, this is the second most successful Grange in Australian wine shows with four trophies and 20 gold, 10 silver and three bronze medals. Considered a top vintage from the start.

Considered one of the very best Granges. (Aust. Financial Review, Oct. 1981)

Colour: medium full red-brown, almost identical to the marvellous 1955. Bouquet: glorious, complex minty oak and fruit. Palate: a full and long flavour with persistent tannin on the finish and marvellous fruit on the mid-palate. Still full of life and beautifully structured. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982)

A classic Grange. Marvellous minty bouquet. Deep and rich palate. Outstanding wine, wonderful drinking. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

A great wine with power, length and concentration, a complexity assisted by new oak and a smooth, mellow palate that seemed to go on for ever. (Huon Hooke, 1992)

Fragrant, rich and complex. A Grange of the front rank. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

"Becoming rare. Often considered a classic Grange vintage. Can be quite cedary with plenty of sweet fruit and finely grained tannins. Bottles with good levels and appearance are invariably drinking well. Drink now." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

Originally tasted 2011
A stunning Shiraz that will no doubt evolve into one of the all time great vintages of Penfolds Grange.
Super saturated, totally impenetrable, black crimson colour with very deep, black dark crimson red hue. The nose displays great power, yet is still in it’s relative infant stages of development, with a superb kaleidoscope of aromas to unfurl themselves in the coming years. Super ripe blackberry and liquorice aromas are to the fore followed by a touch of violets, dark chocolate, mocha and vanilla. The intensity of the nose indicates that a wine of great power and concentration is to come and one is not let down. Dense, super concentrated and with power to burn, this Grange is destined for a long life of cellaring, although it’s not entirely unapproachable now. Layer upon layer of explosive, opulent fruit unravels itself on the palate in quite magnificent fashion. Dark chocolate, liquorice, blackberry and dark plum flavours, with an overlay of mocha and vanillin oak. Sublime depth and persistence and quite opulent in texture. Very fine grained, but firm tannins that are concealed by the sheer volume of fruit. Exceptionally long aftertaste of blackberry, dark chocolate, liquorice, vanillin oak and spice.
Cellar 10-20 years (2021-2031)
Alc 14.5%

Other Reviews….
Deep crimson; its bouquet has a strikingly complex array of black characters that run all the way from the first whiff to the finish and aftertaste: licorice, tar, bitter chocolate, blackberry, prune and plum. The tannins are prominent, and play their part with each successive sip of the steadily building impact on the very long palate, but they are in balance with the fruit and oak of an extremely powerful Grange.
98 points
James Halliday - Australian Wine Companion 2021

Made from fruit coming predominantly from the Barossa Valley this year (97%) and containing 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Grange has been added to my list of favorite recent vintages. Deep garnet-purple colored, it’s still a little youthfully mute, offering notes of warm cherries, black currants, anise, coffee and toast with underlying hints of soy, yeast extract, black olives and Indian spices. Tight-knit and solidly structured on the medium to full-bodied palate, the concentrated fruit is densely coiled around the firm grainy tannins and very crisp acidity at this stage, but promises something very special in the years to come. It finishes very long, complex and layered with the cedar poking through the fruit purity. Patience is required for this vintage; it should begin opening out around 2016 and drink to 2030+.
98+ points
Lisa Perrotti-Brown – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 2011

Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines.

Grape Varieties: A blend of 87% Shiraz & 13% Cabernet Sauvignon the fruit was sourced from Magill (Adelaide), McLaren Vale, Clare Valley & Kalimna (Barossa Valley).

Total Acids: 5.6 grams per litre. pH: 3.72 Alcohol: 13%

Vintage Conditions: An unusual season with a hotter than average summer followed by a mild but wet vintage.

Tasting Notes:size> "Not quite up to the mark", said Max Schubert in 1993. John Duval says the odd, hot-but-wet season resulted in a wine which lacks typical Grange structure and has developed relatively quickly. Rated 92/100 points by Robert Parker in 1990. Last vintage bottled using off-white foil capsules. First vintage to be bottled in magnums (1500ml) as well as standard 750ml bottles. Usually, 600 magnums are bottled each year.

Big, sweet, fruit/oak. Complex flavour. Lighter year. Cellar. (Rewards of Patience, 1st ed., 1985)

Developed, complex "leatheriness". Very good drinking as it softens over the next five to eight years. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990)

Beginning to show some maturity, this wine has turned into a heady cocktail of chocolate, coffee, honey and cherry. (Robert Joseph, WINE [UK], June 1992)

Deep, youthful colour. Strong cherry-stone, plummy nose, fairly youthful with a trace of tar and not showing much oak. A less punchy style after the blockbusters of 1975-77. Mild and perhaps even slightly short. Drink now till perhaps 2000. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

Intense dark cherry and plum-like aromas with some developed, meaty characters. Cherry and plum-like flavours, plus hints of tar, continue on to the palate, which is elegantly fruity. Although showing good sweetness of fruit, the wine is, arguably, lacking in length. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

Earthy, with integrated oak. Liquorice and dark cherry fruit but the tannin is very strong relative to the fruit. (Ultimate Grange Experience, Nov. 1994)

"Medium red/purple. Complex, developing aromas with plenty of soft, slightly lifted, tobacco/berry/gamey fruit. Palate is highly concentrated with rich, cedar/blackberry fruit, massive, firm, dry tannins and long flavoury finish. Tannins are too much at the fore at the moment, but could soften out over time. Drink between now and 2007." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

The 2008 Penfolds Grange is a blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon with ageing taking place in new American oak hogsheads for 19 months. Spectacular super saturated inky black purple colour showing impenetrable depth with very deep black purple hue. The aromas explode out the glass – perfumed scents of liquorice, dark chocolate, ripe blackberry and dark plum are overlaid by mocha and subtlety toasted vanillin oak nuances. A sniffer’s paradise!
Opulence, power and decadence grace the palate with super concentrated flavours of ripe blackberry, dark chocolate bullets and dark plum which interplay with mocha and spicy vanillin oak. Firm structured tannins are the order of the day, necessary to handle the power and richness of the fruit providing the wine with a somewhat chewy finish. Exceptional persistence with magnificently long aftertaste of ripe blackberry, dark chocolate, mocha and spicy vanillin oak.
Cellar 15-20 years plus.
Alc 14.5%

Other Reviews….
Very deep garnet-purple in color the 2008 Grange reveals a truly decadent nose with tons of spices, fruit cake and black & blue fruit compote notes along with nuances of chocolate and potpourri. The full and rich, multi-layered palate has a little oak still showing, it is going through a little bit of a structural stand-out stage, but it doesn't detract on the long and complex finish. It still needs a good few years to develop, though this very opulent, expressive Grange shows the very best of this vintage and the vineyards it hails from. Drink 2020 - 2035
100 points
Lisa Perrotti-Brown – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

An utterly majestic Shiraz, sleek and seamless, brimming with ripeness on a framework that allows for grace and expressive-ness in equal measure. The intensity of fresh blueberry and plum fruit holds attention until the nuances kick in, offering glints of exotic spice, coffee, cocoa, bay leaf and mint. Shows tremendous presence without a lot of weight, the tannins present but not even close to getting in the way. A great wine now, with plenty of room to grow. Drink now through 2040
100 points
Wine Spectator

The wine contains 98/2% shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, and spent 19 months in new American oak hogsheads in which it finished its fermentation. Densely coloured, it has an ultra-complex bouquet, with black fruits/anise/licorice, easily dealing with the oak; a remarkable wine in every way. The balance, texture and structure are faultless, so much so that the wine achieves elegance now, many years before you would expect that quality to be commented on.
98 points
Australian Wine Companion 2021

Regional sources: Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare & Modbury (Adelaide plains.)

Grape varieties: 99 per cent Shiraz & 1 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 13.1% Total acids: 6.1 grams per litre. pH: 3.47

Growing season/vintage: Cool to mild growing season followed by similarly good conditions at vintage, with late rain delaying picking.

Comments: Rated 90/100 points by Robert Parker in 1990. Elegant, cool-year wine.

Tasting notes:size> Beautifully balanced and structured wine with strong cassis/berry aromas and flavours set against oak with an unexpected touch of clove/spice. The tannins have been judged to perfection. (James Halliday, Weekend Australian, Dec. 1988)

Sweetly scented with coconut, cherry and plum, a hint of mint. Slightly plain and closed at first, then opening up with more fruit and mint. Quite full-bodied and firmly tannic, without the dense fleshiness of warmer vintages. A good wine; needs several years before drinking, say 2000-2015. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

Ripe plum and sweet berry fruit aromas, still youthful. Sweet, spicy, plum and cherry-like flavours combine with pronounced, gripping tannins on the palate. An elegant wine. Drink 1998-2015. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

"Medium-full red/purple. Restrained, with earthy/pruney/meaty aromas and leafy touches of. Tightly structured palate with blackberry, cedar, leafy/herbal flavours and a firm backbone of tannin. Great mouthfeel. May develop further in the bottle. Drink between now and 2010." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

Grape Variety: Shiraz

Oak Maturation: Fermentation finished in and matured in new American oak barrels for 18 months.

Alc/Vol: 13.5% Acidity: 7.0 grams per litre. pH: 3.32

Winemaker John Duval's Comments:size>

Colour: Deep, dense, dark brick-red with purple crimson hues.

Nose: The bouquet displays all the distinctive hallmarks of classic Grange abundant, sweet, ripe berried fruit coupled with balanced integrated oak. As it breathes, the wine reveals alluring tobacco, smoked roasted nuts and concentrated blackcurrant nuances.

Palate: The palate has intense, sweet, rich fruit with pronounced yet rounded ripe tannins. The wine has excellent structure and integration of spicy, earthy fruit and firm oak, finishing with great length of flavour.

The 1992 Grange has the structure to age well with careful, long-term cellaring. Grange inevitably throws a sediment after some years in the bottle and should be decanted. A wine to enjoy with rare roast beef, rich game dishes or matured cheeses.

"Medium-full purple/red. Bright and direct blackberry/cherry/cedar aromas with hints of mint and pepper. Palate is lightly textured with sweet, blackberry/raspberry fruit flavours and some spice and pepper, moderate concentration, pronounced, chewy tannins and a dry finish. In the Grange context quite a simple wine although it will develop more complexity with age. Almost certainly an early drinking style. Drink between 2002 and 2012." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

Notes Sourced from The Rewards of Patience - Fifth Edition (2004):
Drinking Window: Now – 2025
Deep crimson brick red. Liquorice/dried fig/baked red fruit aromas. A powerfully concentrated andmuscular wine with chocolate/raisin fruit, earthy nuances and a touch of American oak. The tannins are soupy and dense and build up very chalky and dry at the finish. Will it ever soften out?
89% Shiraz, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Magill Estate (Adelaide), Modbury Vineyard (Adelaide), Clare Valley and Coonawarra. A warm, hot, drought-affected summer followed by a warm, dry vintage.

Notes sourced from Southcorp Wines

Regional sources: Magill, Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Modbury (Adelaide Plains) & Coonawarra.

Grape varieties: 89% Shiraz & 11% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 12.7 per cent Total acids: 6.2 grams per litre. pH: 3.58

Growing season/vintage: A warm-to-hot, drought-affected summer, followed by a normal vintage.

Comments: According to John Duval, vintage conditions resulted in a "big", tannic Grange, typically savoury and robust. Rated 97/100 points by Robert Parker in 1990.

Other reviews... Good Grange that needs more time to soften. Powerful wine with great potential. (Rewards of Patience, 2nd ed., 1990)

Very full-bodied wine, youthful and still showing "smoked meats" barrel-fermented oak character, also vanilla and coffee overtones. Savoury and powerful in the mouth with good grip and balance, very long, with chewy, mouth-coating tannins. Long-term potential. (Huon Hooke, 1993)

Intensely complex and savoury wine with smoky/meaty/spicy aromas and some toasty oak characters. A combination of rich, fleshy, chocolatey and smoky flavours are balanced with pronounced tannins and length, resulting in a wine of immense concentration and powerful structure. Long-term cellaring potential. Drink 1995-2013. (Rewards of Patience, 3rd ed., 1994)

"Medium-full red/purple. Very complex, briary/earthy/cedar aromas. Restrained, structured palate with sweet, cedary/truffly/ earthy fruit, marked tannins and underlying oak. An austere vintage that will develop further. At the moment a little disjointed. Drink between now and 2010." (Southcorp Wines, The Rewards of Patience, Fourth Edition, March 2000)

Other reviews....
Penfolds’ renowned 2000 Grange is only the fifth vintage to be made from 100% Shiraz (the others being 1951, 1952, 1963, and 1999). It is also, atypically, 100% Barossa fruit. While it is not considered to be one of the great Granges, the 2000 exhibits outstanding potential, and is much more accessible than usual. One of the top wines I tasted from this vintage (which has had to take a back seat to subsequent years), its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a big, sweet nose of blackberries, cherries, chocolate, and earth. With decent acidity, ripe, silky tannin, superb intensity, wonderful equilibrium, and a more open-knit, softer, accessible style than usual, it can be drunk now or cellared for 15-16 years. While this is no wimpy wine, it is an ideal example for readers who are unwilling to invest the patience required for the big, blockbuster Granges.
93 Points
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate # 161 (Oct 2005)

Good depth to the colour; seamless blackberry fruit and vanilla/cedar oak; abundant power and concentration; sultry blackberry, dark chocolate and spice; persistent but balanced tannins. Exceptional outcome for an ordinary vintage; obviously strict selection criteria used. Drink 2025.
Rating 96
James Halliday - 2006 Australian Wine Companion

Notes sourced from Southcorp

Grange is both Penfolds and arguably Australia's most famous 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 climate of South Australia.

Penfolds Grange displays fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world's great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.

The 2000 Penfolds Grange is an excellent example of the Grange style transcending a most challenging South Australian 2000 vintage. The 2000 vintage is sourced entirely from the Barossa Valley, (40% Kalimna) and is produced from 100% Shiraz. The wine was aged for 18 months in new American oak hogsheads.

Vintage Conditions: As in most south-eastern districts, some rain fell between Christmas and New Year, followed by very dry and very hot conditions until March. Crops were down by 20-40% producing parcels of 'Grange' quality in the Barossa.

Tasting Notes: Deep (bright) red crimson colour. On the nose smoky barrel fermented notes hover above a complex base of black liquorice, tobacco, black pepper, exotic spices and plummy, berried fruits. A mouthfilling, generous and expansive palate, as expected of this marque. Dark chocolate and plum fruits court a deceptive play of substantial ripe tannins and, at this relatively early stage, provide for a more powerful Grange stamp on the palate than on the nose. Oak plays a supportive role and is perfectly integrated and absorbed. This is a wine of admirable balance and poise, with trademark mid-palate richness.
14% Alc/vol.

Grange is both Penfolds and arguably Australia's most famous 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 climate of South Australia.

Penfolds Grange displays fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured shiraz grapes in combination with new American oak. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world's great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.

Regional Source:
100% BarossaValley.

Vintage Conditions:
Good winter rains and soil moisture levels led to a very good early growing season. Growth was vigorous and flowering was successful however the onset of exceptional heat in January depleted soil moisture, and vineyards without water suffered. Rain in mid-March provided relief and vineyards produced shiraz with excellent, ripe fruit flavours.

Grape Variety:
Shiraz (Syrah)

Maturation:
This wine was aged for 17 months in new American oak hogsheads.

Tasting Notes:
Deep, dark and dense, retaining bright purple hues. The nose is immediately Grange, revealing barrel ferment complexities soaked in dark berried fruits. Vibrant, youthful and lifted, a mix of tightly packed liquorice, freshly tanned leather and dark spices create a poised, controlled and distinctive wine. A rich, full-flavoured and concentrated wine with complex rum/raisin dark chocolate, liquorice, quince paste and dried fruit notes. Prominent, well integrated tannins align with oak (all but soaked up by the fruits) to create a lingering continuum of flavours and tactile persistence. Beautifully balanced, this 100% Barossa wine delivers the expectations demanded of a Grange from this vintage.

Other Reviews….
Deep purple. Very elemental blackberry/raspberry/eau-de-vie aromas and sweet malt/savoury oak. A strikingly rich, concentrated wine with deep-set musky blackberry/dark chocolate fruit flavours, underlying savoury oak and ripe smooth tannins. Finishes long and sweet. Immaculately balanced wine. Almost certainly a great Grange. 14.5% alcohol
The Rewards of Patience (5^th Edition)

It is extraordinary how this wine has gained power, weight and complexity since first bottled; now majestic black fruits, licorice and chocolate / mocha notes run through the palate.  Great tannins sustain and support the back-palate and finish. 
Rating 96
Drink 2030
James Halliday - 2007 Australian Wine Companion

It is always a treat to taste Australia’s most famous wine, Penfolds’ Grange cuvee (the word Hermitage has been dropped because of legal issues). The 2001 Grange is one of the few vintages of this cuvee to be composed of 100% Shiraz (the others being 1951, 1952, 1963, 1999, and 2000). Aged 17 months in 100% American oak, and tipping the scales at 14.5% alcohol, the 2001 is undeniably one of the top examples of this wine. At this stage, it appears to eclipse the 1998 and 1996. Inky/blue/purple to the rim, with a stunning perfume of blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, graphite, and earth, it boasts good acidity, huge tannins, magnificent concentration, and a multilayered, textured mouthfeel. It is a big, but impeccably well-balanced Shiraz that should shed some of its structure and tannin over the next 4-5 years, and be at its best between 2010-2030+.
98 points
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate #167 (Oct 2006)

Regional sources: Kalimna (Barossa Valley), Barossa Valley & Coonawarra

Grape varieties: 90% Shiraz & 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 13.4% Total acids: 5.8 grams per litre. pH: 3.85

Growing season/vintage: Cool summer followed by a mild, dry vintage.

Comments: Considered a good but tannic Grange. Won two gold and five other medals at Australian wine shows between 1976 and 1981. The year Max Schubert retired from his post of Chief Winemaker, although he remained a consultant to Penfolds and kept an office at Magill until his death in 1994. He was succeeded as Chief Winemaker by Don Ditter, who had worked with Penfolds as a winemaker since 1946.

Tasting notes:size> Colour: dense purple-black. Bouquet: immense spicy hermitage with Rhúne-like structure. Palate: a giant black/tannic wine with astonishing spicy flavour and depth. Not totally balanced at this stage because of that tannin. (James Halliday, National Times, Nov. 1982)