Penfolds 1998 Grange Bottle

The most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy, Grange is one of the world's most celebrated wines and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia.

Crafted utilising fully ripe, intensely flavoured and structured shiraz grapes, Penfolds Grange is a unique Australian style shiraz that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world’s great red wines.

The story began with a side trip to Bordeaux in 1950, where a wine ‘capable of staying alive for a minimum of twenty years’, first entered Max Schubert’s mind. He crafted his first experimental Grange Hermitage in 1951 – named after ‘Grange Cottage’, the first Australian home of our founders, Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold. This wine began a new way of thinking that would eventually lead to a signature wine style, but not before Grange was discredited by the Penfolds board, forcing Max Schubert to continue making the wine in secrecy. It wasn’t until 1960 that the board recognised the value of quality aged red wines with Grange triumphantly reinstated.

The timeless appeal of Grange resides in its unwavering commitment to an unchanged style, from experimental vintages to the present. Grange is memorable for its aromatic complexity, intensely rich fruit, ripe tannins of shiraz and nuanced American oak. Partial barrel fermentation and 18 to 20 months of oak maturation enhance these qualities, while further ageing in the bottle allows the wine to evolve, with tannins softening and complexity building. With an unbroken line of vintages since 1951, this iconic red wine demonstrates the synergy between shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia.

Penfolds Grange has been awarded over 30 perfect scores from top wine critics around the world, including 100 points from both Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate for the 2008 vintage and eight perfect scores for the 2018 vintage.