Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 1999

Product Information: This is the first 100% shiraz Grange since 1963, 1998 vintage was a tough act to follow, but the ’99 season more than measures up with its hallmark fruit richness and ripe tannins. Beginning with an explosion of blackberry and blueberry aroma woven with perfectly tuned, malty, savoury oak, with liquorice and anise notes hovering above. The palate is covered with layers of fruit, with blackberry and blueberry. An underlying tarriness and new oak are seamlessly absorbed. A mass of fine grained tannins court a tremendous finish. All the essentials for a keeper. Combining traditional Australian techniques, inspiration from Europe and precision winemaking practices developed at Penfolds, Max Schubert made his first experimental wine in 1951. In 1957, Schubert was asked to show his efforts in Sydney to top management, invited wine identities and personal friends of the board. To his horror, the Grange experiment was universally disliked and Schubert was ordered to shut down the project. Max continued to craft his Grange vintages in secret, hiding three vintages ’57, ’58 and ’59, in the depths of the cellars. Eventually, the Penfolds board ordered production of Grange to restart, just in time for the 1960 vintage. From then on, international acknowledgment and awards were bestowed on Grange, including the 1990 vintage of Grange, which was named Wine Spectator’s Red Wine of the Year in 1995. Maker: Penfolds has been a pioneer in the world of winemaking since its establishment in 1844 by Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold. The company’s success has been driven by a lineage of visionary winemakers who have pushed the development of the company to extraordinary, bold new heights. Mary Penfold’s reign at the helm of Penfolds saw years of determination and endeavour, experimenting with new methods in wine production. In 1948, Max Schubert became the company’s first Chief Winemaker and he propelled Penfolds onto the global stage with his experimentation of long-lasting wines – the creation of Penfolds Grange in the 1950s. Soon, the medals began flowing, and Grange quickly became one of the most revered wines around the world. In 2012, Penfolds released its most innovative project to date – 12 handcrafted ampoules of the rare 2004 Kalimna Block Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Penfolds continues to hold dear the philosophies and legends that have driven the company’s success since its establishment in 1844. Vineyards: The 1999 vintage in South Australia was defined by generally dry and cool weather conditions during early summer, temporarily disrupted by a hot spell in late January before moderate conditions during vintage. Multi-regional sourcing and strong vineyard management resulted in parcels of fruit being harvested with hallmark fruit richness and ripe tannins. Nose – Dark Fruits, Cigarbox, Mocha Bouquet echoing with mature cigarbox and roasting-pan aromas of classic aged shiraz. Palate – Savoury, Plum, Leather The palate is still drying from tannin, very savoury and complex, mellow and long. Finish – Silky, Menthol, Long Tannins are still quite insistent, roasted chestnut, and traces of mocha. Deep brick-red colour of a mature red wine, the bouquet echoing this with mature cigarbox and roasting-pan aromas of classic aged shiraz. Roasted chestnut, traces of mocha, but it has developed through its fruit stage into a drier spectrum of aromas now. The palate is still drying from tannin, very savoury and complex, mellow and long. Tannins are still quite insistent, but it’s in its prime. – Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 97 Points. (Tasted 2023) This is a fabulously balanced Grange, the perfect follow-up to the extraordinary 1998. Full of luscious, elevated, malty oak and crawling with deliciously spiced, leather-like, licorice-laden, plum-infused, blackberried fruit, it’s gorgeously supple and gamey and long, with a magnificent silkiness and a sense of power, balance and finesse almost second to none. Given a good decant it drinks outstandingly well already, but it will live for a very long time. Given that time, this will become a top-shelf Grange. – Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, 95 Points. Gamey and heady on the nose. Some menthol and real drive with some tannins still very much in evidence. Still a work in progress but a bit less charming than the 1989. Tastes like how I imagine beetle juice would. Still quite demanding at this stage! – Jancis Robinson. The Finer Details Style – Red Wine Varietal – Shiraz Vintage – 1999 Country – Australia Region – South Australia Bottle Size – 750ml ABV – 14%