Penfolds Grange is Australia’s most important wine, a multi-regional Shiraz conceived in 1951 by Max Schubert following his formative trip to Bordeaux and produced with unbroken continuity ever since. Designated Bin 95 and officially classified at the “Exceptional” level in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine, Grange is produced each year by blending Shiraz from sites across South Australia, always aged in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Chief winemaker Peter Gago has described the style as seeking “the engine of Grange,” the dark, concentrated fruit of Barossa Shiraz augmented by the freshness and structure of McLaren Vale and Clare Valley components.

The 2016 Grange is a blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawn from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and a small parcel from the historic Magill Estate in Adelaide’s suburbs. Peter Gago described it as “an old-fashioned Grange made modernly,” referencing a vintage characterised by an early, warm harvest that produced impenetrable dark fruit with terrific natural freshness and intensity. The wine spent 18 months in new American oak hogsheads, as is standard for every Grange vintage, and was released as part of the 2020 Penfolds Collection.

The 2016 Grange earned superlative acclaim: 99 points from the Wine Advocate, 98 from Decanter and 98 from James Suckling, the highest collective score for a Grange in several years. The Wine Advocate noted that the wine was “impressively concentrated and full-bodied, with an extraordinarily long, velvety finish,” while Decanter observed a “tempestuous opera with a big cast,” predicting decades of cellar evolution. James Suckling described it as “right at the top of its game.” With appropriate cellaring, the 2016 is expected to sit alongside vintages such as 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2012 as one of the most important recent Granges.