2022 Penfolds Grange

Other Reviews…..
The ’21 Grange was undoubtedly a hard act to follow, but here we see a ’22 that is up for the challenge. Yes, there is an underlying power, the kind you expect from sourcing fruit from the big three – Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra – in what was essentially a cool vintage. But there is also a subtle elegance and moments when the lilt and carry of fine spices brings notes more akin to syrah than shiraz. The rise of blue fruits amid blackberries, cassis, black cherry sits comfortably with savoury leather and woodsmoke, roasted coffee, black olive, liquorice, dark chocolate, pepperberry and a lifted and arresting, aromatic spiciness. The palate offers a deep richness and plenty of flesh framed in firm, fine tannins – sturdy but not aggressively so. Sustained power meets a rising complex elegance. 97% shiraz/3% cabernet sauvignon. Drink 2032-2060.
99 Points
Jeni Port – WinePilot.com

97/3% shiraz/cabernet sauvignon matured for 18 months in new American oak hogsheads. A deeply fruited, powerful Grange release from vintage conditions that play into the hands of those who respect the wine's impeccable pedigree of longevity. Impenetrably dark in colour, with ripe satsuma plum, blackberry, blueberry and black cherry fruits at the base, with hints of ginger spice, black pudding, dark chocolate, pan drippings, purple flowers, barrel spice, licorice, soot, graphite, a light formic lift and a suggestion of something ferrous akin to the tang of a blacksmith's anvil. It's deep and resonant; the tannins are fine and sinewy, rising up through the dense fruit, tending to chocolatey as they coalesce. Acidity is fine and sympatico with the fruit weight, providing line and length as those powerful flavours stretch out fully. Tuck it away for a decade and have a peek, then perhaps make it two. Drink by 2076.
97+ Points
Dave Brookes - James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion

The 2022 Grange comprises 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. As always the wine matured for 18 months in American oak hogsheads (100% new). The 2022 vintage in South Australia was magnificent. I've loved the wines. It will always live in the shadow of the exceptional 2021 vintage. The season for Grange growers was shaped by a cool, measured growing season across South Australia. Good winter rainfall supported early vine growth, while unsettled spring weather, including hail, reduced yields, particularly for Barossa Valley Shiraz. A mild summer with few extreme heat events allowed slow, even ripening across key regions. Low yields, healthy canopies and extended hang time produced small berries, firm tannins, retained freshness and controlled power. Aromatically, the wine leads with licorice and blackberry, raspberry seed, cold tea and civet paste too. This is intensely concentrated (almost boring to mention that, given it is definitely the house style), powerful and black in character. Grange is made from fully ripe, structured Shiraz grapes sourced from South Australian regions. First produced experimentally in 1951, it has been made in every vintage since and is associated with the relationship between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia. The tannins are primal and arrive with a snarl; they linger once the wine has gone and show immense dominance over all but the fruit. It's a great Grange. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under natural cork. Drink 2026-2062.
98 Points
Erin Larkin – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate