Duel for best bottle of red in Australia

AFTER more than 50 years the supremacy of Penfolds Grange as Australia's leading wine is under threat.

Fellow South Australian winemaker Henschke's latest Hill of Grace, the 2005 vintage, is selling for $510 at the cellar door and for about $550 in liquor stores. The 2004 Grange release also sells for about $550 a bottle - leaving the two locked in combat as buyers seek out collectable wines as Christmas presents.

In the US the 2005 Hill of Grace sells for $US550 ($600), and the 2004 Grange fetches $US450.

Sommelier Stuart Knox, owner of Sydney restaurant Fix St James, said: ''Ask the general public and I'm sure that Grange is still No. 1 in terms of reputation but, for those in the industry and for knowledgeable collectors, Hill of Grace has the track record to prove it can challenge Grange.

''They are wines made in different styles but in a lot of years, given the choice, I'd plump for Hill of Grace ... It's made by a family winery from a small vineyard with a lot of history. Grange is a bit of an anomaly, being a multi-regional blend. Take Grange out of the equation and Hill of Grace would be the undisputed king.''

In the US Hill of Grace appears to have already taken over from Grange, with previous Hill of Grace releases fetching more, although this has a lot to do with rarity value to collectors. Only 25 cases of the 2005 Hill of Grace were shipped to the US, compared with 1000 cases of Grange.

British wine writer Jancis Robinson has described Hill of Grace as ''a serious rival to Penfolds Grange on the auction circuit'' and ''a much more subtle shiraz''.

Leading Australian wine critic James Halliday says: ''Hill of Grace is second only to Penfolds Grange as Australia's red icon.''

Influential US magazine Wine Spectator rates Hill of Grace and Grange among the finest in the world, giving both 98 out of 100 in the current issue - but the rivalry is a friendly one. Henschke winemaker Stephen Henschke said: "We are not trying to compete - they are very different wines."

Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago said: "Australia needs more wine flagships. After carrying the load for more than half a century, Grange actively welcomes more players to share this stage."

Whether buyers opt for Hill of Grace or Grange, they'll need to be quick to snap up a bottle for Christmas. Supplies of Hill of Grace are always limited because it is made from grapes from a single old-vine vineyard; the 2004 Grange is in short supply and on allocation.

Hill of Grace, the creation of the late Cyril Henschke, had its first vintage in 1958. It is sourced from the Hill of Grace vineyard at Keyneton in Eden Valley.

Penfolds Grange, whose first maker was the late Max Schubert, had its first vintage in 1951 and its first commercial release in 1952. It was called Grange Hermitage until 1990.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald