2021 Penfolds Grange Shiraz

"Quite simply, a wow wine. Maroon/black in hue, one simply gets lost in the nose, just endlessly sniffing the most glorious cassis notes, along with black fruits, blueberries, coffee beans, aniseed, mulberries, delicatessen meats, tobacco leaves, plums and graphite. The wine is seamless, intense and immaculate with knife-edge balance. It simply dances with joy. There oak is there, undeniably, but it is so well handled that you almost have to think twice. So complex already, and yet so harmonious and decadent. Silky tannins, bright acidity, the intensity never wavers for an instant and there is incredible length – Rutherglen muscat length. This is as close to a perfect Grange as I can imagine. Fifty years, if you think you can last that long. A Lord-take-me-now wine, if ever there was one. 100 Points."

"This stellar 2021 vintage is composed of 94% Shiraz and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is quiet, whispering gentle whiffs of pure spearmint oil, wild black currant, blackberry, turned earth, new leather, blue violets, bay leaf, red liquorice and that unforgettable smell from inside your best butcher shop. The tannins were dense yet sophisticated and well-built for the long haul. A lot was happening in the centre until the wine decided to regroup, walking quietly, yet with the right amount of confidence, down the long length. It was an engaging wine that evolved slowly, revealing itself gradually rather than all at once. The palate wasn't getting fatigued; instead, it was refreshed and encouraged to continue. A masterful piece that displays its power and class with grace."