Penfolds Grange 2018 (3 x 750ml)
(RRP $980 - $950 per bottle in a three pack)
COLOUR: Radiant deep red, on rim, black core
NOSE: Maybe it's freshness, brashness but it's so … well, it's so
definitively Grange-y! Instantly, an assault of piercing V.A. (seemingly
quite masterfully dialled-up!), a portal of pulsating formics …
tempered by relaxed barrel-ferment notes. Conveying what is then revealed
via waves of lingering and layered aromatics:
- First the fruit - ripe blackberries/blackcurrant reduction, laced with
spices - notably fennel and anise.
- Then a sprinkle of dark chocolate, cocoa-powder … and cola.
- Without prying, unabashed scents akin to charcoaled lamb fat, and raw
wagyu carpaccio (amid caper berries) arise to authenticate shiraz DNA.
- A modicum of modesty, attempting to conceal all beneath a blackened
veil of hydrocarbon shoe-polish/sootiness/coal dust and slate.
- Conceded, the presence of an ever-so-subtle yet complexing higher-tone
mahogany/piano-polish/ lacquer - no doubt derived from the earth, not
oak.
- A trepidant tension unfolds - youthful fruitiness wrestling an inky and
dense powerhouse.
PALATE: Balance and shape … classy and poised, YET Grange. Familial
flavours of a deconstructed Black Forest Cake/trifle - chocolate,
custard, bright wild raspberry; redcurrant. So many other less-obvious
flavour 'distractions' - mushroom pâté/duxelles, replete with a
beefy accompaniment. Notes of sarsaparilla whirled into the mix. Also, an
assortment of fresh red and black liquorice - 'straight out of the bag'.
A tactile overdose - omnipresent and even tannins. Mouthcoating - a
confluence of tannin/acidity/oak/fruit - all joyously meshed together. A
convex mid-palate (dare it be said, 'a strong core'!) that generously
supports upfront palate grip and a continuum of delight all the way to
lengthy, lingering finish. Truly 'alive', Upon sitting and with air, all
transforms.
Tasted May 2022
- Winery tasting notes
Other vintages of Penfolds Grange may be available, contact us
directly to find out.
Producer: | Penfolds |
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Size: | 750ml |