Penfolds Grange 2022

The ’21 Grange was undoubtedly a hard act to follow, but here we see a ’22 that is up for the challenge. Yes, there is an underlying power, the kind you expect from sourcing fruit from the big three – Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra – in what was essentially a cool vintage. But there is also a subtle elegance and moments when the lilt and carry of fine spices brings notes more akin to syrah than shiraz. The rise of blue fruits amid blackberries, cassis, black cherry sits comfortably with savoury leather and woodsmoke, roasted coffee, black olive, liquorice, dark chocolate, pepperberry and a lifted and arresting, aromatic spiciness. The palate offers a deep richness and plenty of flesh framed in firm, fine tannins – sturdy but not aggressively so. Sustained power meets a rising complex elegance. 97% shiraz/3% cabernet sauvignon.
**The pre-release tasting of the 2022 Grange became a magnum versus bottle comparison. The tasting notes included here were taken from the bottle which is how the majority of consumers will be enjoying the wine.

by Ken Gargett

Single-region Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed with a portion fermented and matured on solids; eight months in French oak barriques (58% new, 31% one-year-old). Lovely depth from the outset with toasted nuts and stonefruit blossom tones sitting deep in the glass. The floral elements build into the perfume adding further prettiness. There’s a mineral element in the mix adding shape and intrigue, while the fruit emerges more with air in the form of white peach and nectarine. An underlay of flint adds to the array of complexity. It’s quite textural in the mouth — creamy and glossy — with nice concentration and structure to match. Cedar spice, green pear, toasted nuts, nectarine and a touch of preserved lemon salinity. The power through the finish is noteworthy, driving long with confidence and poise as saline-drenched acidity freshens and elongates. This is at once deep and driving, while also preserving a sense of levity and freshness. A classy wine. 2026 – 2066. 98 Points

by Lisa Cardelli

75 years of Grange: hard to believe this icon has reached such an important milestone and is still going strong. A blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads (300 L). Initially served from a magnum, it was extremely restrained on the nose, almost mysterious. We were then served the same wine from a standard 750 ml bottle for comparison. The 750 ml bottle proved just a little more forthcoming aromatically, while the magnum remained more reserved. Tightly packed wild mulberries, blueberries and blackcurrants, with a distinctive herbal note of freshly brewed Oolong tea leaves. The palates from both bottle formats ultimately revealed the same story: lively, fragrant fruit, with pomegranate, crunchy violet and beautifully polished yet mouth-watering tannins. The acidity cascades through the wine, the finish keeps unfolding, remaining fresh, lively, fine and enticing. The reward for patience will come with a few more years in bottle, especially for the magnum. 2028-2070. 98 Points

by Tom Kline

97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra; 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. This release marks 75 years of Grange, an unbroken line of vintages stretching back to the experimental 1951, and one officially recognised as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. The 2022 vintage leans heavily on Barossa Valley Shiraz (over 85% of the blend), complexed by McLaren Vale and Coonawarra fruit. Vibrant red plum, red and black cherry, blackberry, leather and black pepper lead to black olive, soot, violets and star anise. There’s some sweet shortbread and black liquorice in the mix. The palate has lovely texture with black olive, black cherry, blackberry, shortbread, vanilla, subtle leather and grilled meat juice tones. There’s some fruit tannin chew on the palate at this young age, putting up a frame around the fruit and savoury notes to very good length. Lively acidity lifts the finish, carrying a lovely melding of savoury and fruit characters, while cocoa powder adds a sprinkling of bitter tones. 97 Points

Jeni Port

Wine critic at Winepilot

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.

Wine writer and critic