Rhône Theme
Timed Online Auction, 2 - 12 February 2024
Rhône | International & South African offering
About the SessionThe first sale of the 2024 Strauss & Co Fine Wine Auction calendar is an exciting Rhône valley and Rhône-style offering and has fast-become one of the most popular at Strauss & Co Fine Wine Auctions.
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About this Item
Penfolds was founded by Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold in 1844, who arrived in Australia with their vine cuttings in hand. They had no prior history in winemaking but set about inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines. Mary took charge, blending the wines to her taste and enforcing the winemaking philosophies that Penfolds still follows today. Penfolds Grange was created in the 1950s and holds a high reputation worldwide.
Sublime, voluptuous, beguiling, inviting, opulent, layered. These are some of the words often used to describe Penfolds Grange. Unlike the most expensive wines of Europe, Grange is not a single vineyard production, but rather a carefully blended composition of high-quality grapes harvested from a wide region. The craft and expertise that goes into each vintage gives Penfolds Grange its prestige pedigree.
Grange is arguably Australia’s most celebrated wine and is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages from the experimental 1951 and clearly demonstrates the synergy between Shiraz and the soils and climates of South Australia. Penfolds Grange utilises fully-ripe, intensely-flavoured and textured Shiraz grapes. The result is a unique Australian style that is now recognised as one of the most consistent of the world’s great wines. The Grange style is the original and most powerful expression of Penfolds multi-vineyard, multi-district blending philosophy.
Critics Ratings
'Very dark crimson. Sweet and rich. Sweet fermented digestive-biscuit sort of flavours. Rich and spicy. Hint of animal. Lots of dustiness but masses of pleasure too. Very long. Lots of acidity.' - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 18.5/20 (Jun 2015)
'This is dark and concentrated, as you might expect from Australia's most heralded wine. Oaky scents of maple syrup and vanilla frame hints of mint and super intense dark fruit. On the palate, it's a huge, tannic behemoth that needs 10 years of cellaring, but it delivers plenty of pleasure now in its ultraclean flavors of blackberries, baking spices and vanilla.' - Joe Czerwinski, Wine Enthusiast, 97/100 (Feb 2014)
'The 2007 Penfolds Grange is comprised of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon coming predominately from Barossa vineyards with smaller proportions from Magill Estate and McLaren Vale. It was matured for 21 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Very deep garnet-purple in color, the nose is intensely scented of vibrant blueberry preserve, mulberry and kirsch aromas over hints of cedar, mocha, vanilla and anise. The full bodied palate is richly fruited with pure black berry and baking spice flavors offset by crisp acidity and a firm level of velvety tannins, finishing long. This is quite an opulent, forward Grange, which is very tempting to drink now, though of course will reward at least 5-10 years of cellaring and should keep to 2030+.' - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate, 95/100 (May 2012)
'Opaque ruby. A heady, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes cherry compote, cassis, violet, pipe tobacco and smoky, vanillin oak. Deeply pitched dark fruit flavors show liqueur-like power, with floral pastille, licorice and spicecake nuances building in the glass. Tannins come up with air but are quickly absorbed by this wine's lush fruit. Smoky and sweet on the finish, which lingers with outstanding persistence.' - Josh Reynolds, Vinous, 95/100 (Jul 2012)
'Ripe and inviting, with the richness and expansiveness to support the juicy plum, currant, blackberry, pepper and licorice flavors stylishly, lingering expressively on the focused finish. Best from 2015 through 2022.' - Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 94/100 (Nov 2012)
Provenance
Private Client
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