Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2015

Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2015Product Description: Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2015 is a powerful, elegant, and sophisticated red wine that continues the legendary legacy of one of Australias most iconic and prestigious wines. The 2015 vintage exemplifies the unique characteristics of South Australian Shiraz, benefiting from a warm and dry growing season that fostered an exceptional concentration of fruit flavours. This wine reflects the incredible purity and balance that

Product Description:

Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz 2015 is a powerful, elegant, and sophisticated red wine that continues the legendary legacy of one of Australia’s most iconic and prestigious wines. The 2015 vintage exemplifies the unique characteristics of South Australian Shiraz, benefiting from a warm and dry growing season that fostered an exceptional concentration of fruit flavours. This wine reflects the incredible purity and balance that defines Grange, blending richness and elegance in a seamless package. Aged in 100% new American oak hogsheads for 20 months, this wine’s depth and complexity are elevated by bold blackberry fruit, subtle tannins, and a lingering finish that promises great longevity.

The history of Grange dates back to 1951, when Max Schubert created his first experimental batch, a wine that would go on to revolutionise Australian winemaking. Since then, Grange has remained a symbol of Penfolds' commitment to quality and innovation. The 2015 vintage is no exception, earning perfect scores from top critics, and is regarded as a masterpiece that will age beautifully over the next few decades.

Maker | Penfolds: 

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.

Grange | Penfolds: 

Penfolds Grange began in 1951 when Chief Winemaker Max Schubert set out to create a full-bodied, age-worthy Shiraz after being inspired by Bordeaux’s long-lived wines. Despite initial rejection from Penfolds' management in 1957, Max continued making the wine in secret. His persistence paid off in 1960 when the board recognized Grange’s potential, and it was reinstated as a key product of Penfolds. Since then, Grange has become one of the world’s most iconic wines, renowned for its complexity, richness, and exceptional aging potential.

Max Schubert’s Dream

Max Schubert’s dream was simple but revolutionary: to craft a red wine that could stand the test of time. Blending traditional Australian techniques with inspiration from Bordeaux, he created Grange, a wine that pushed the boundaries of winemaking. His belief in innovation, combined with his ability to take risks, led to the creation of a wine that is now synonymous with excellence and a symbol of Australia’s wine industry.

The Grange Legacy

With its rich fruit flavours, complex aromas, and finely balanced tannins, Grange has consistently set the benchmark for premium Australian wines. Since its inception, it has earned countless accolades, including perfect scores from critics like Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Today, Grange remains a timeless expression of Australian craftsmanship, continually celebrated for its ability to evolve while staying true to its roots.

Tasting Notes:

Nose
Complex, Aromatic, Bold
An eruption of dark coffee grind, malt, and tapenade greets the nose, intertwined with black earth, peat, and fresh berry fruits. A layer of dark liquorice and soy adds depth, while the oak is seamlessly integrated and almost entirely absorbed, leaving room for the wine's primary fruit and structural elements to shine.

Palate
Full-Bodied, Rich, Silky
Rich dark fruit reminiscent of a Christmas pudding, balanced by impressions of ironstone, graphite, and a black pudding viscosity. A powerful and velvety mid-palate, meshed with formidable yet honeycombed tannins, gives way to a mouth-filling texture and smooth, integrated oak influence. The wine is both intense and refined, showcasing the exceptional quality of the 2015 vintage.

Finish
Long, Structured, Seamless
A tightly wound finish that lingers with finesse, this wine is marked by a seamless and persistent structure. The deep fruit flavours continue to evolve, leaving a lasting impression with its firm yet velvety tannins and balanced acidity, making it clear that this is a wine built to age.

Much anticipated vintage for Grange and it is a powerhouse of concentration and complexity. Aromas of orange and lemon peel to start, then graphite, blackberries, plum paste, black cherries, boundless sweet oak spice, fresh cedar, tar, mahogany, roasted coffee and chocolate - the list goes on. Such complexity. Classic Grange, offering such deep, dark intensity. The palate has immense richness and depth with a super succulent and very long, fleshy, deeply weighted array of dense, velvet-wrapped tannins that run so long. The fruit flavors sit in the blackberry, blood-plum and blueberry zone with succulent, long and assertive structure, carrying through in an utterly seamless mode. The finish is tightly wrenched, in spectacularly powerful style, locking this wine in for a very long haul. Best from 2030. - Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com - 100 Points

The flagship 2015 Grange is a monster of wine and one of those rare wines that blends power and elegance perfectly. Revealing a saturated purple color, it’s seemingly more forward and seductive than past great vintages, which I suspect is due to the incredible purity of fruit as well as the wine’s flawless balance than any change in winemaking or stylistic shifts. I also think the acidity is healthy, and the 2015 tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, which is certainly in the sweet spot, if not tame, for beautifully ripe Syrah these days. A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in new American oak hogsheads, it offers an extraordinary perfume of sweet crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, camphor, Asian spices, liquorice, and wildflowers. This is followed by a full-bodied, powerful yet incredibly seamless and elegant Shiraz that has no hard edges, a big, dense mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Coming close to rivalling the 1986, which has always been a benchmark vintage of Grange for me, the 2015 offers a more polished, elegant, approachable style. Vintage comparisons aside, this is a legendary example of Grange in the making. The savvy wine lovers out there will give this 7-8 years of bottle age (I’ll probably be out of bottles by then) and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.."
- Jeb Dunnuck, November 2019 - 99 Points

The nose of the 2015 Grange features the wine's characteristic lifted aromas, joined by pronounced American oak influence and bold blackberry fruit, plus hints of red meat, raspberries, asphalt and vanilla. It's dense and concentrated on the palate, full-bodied yet balanced and firm, with a rich, velvety texture and long, plush finish. Don't expect great complexity at this stage—it's much too young to show much more than the primary fruit and oak elements—but this is a Grange that should easily go three or four decades. - Joe Cerzinski, Robert Parkers Wine Advocate, August 2019 - 98 Points

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal -  Shiraz 98%, Cabernet Sauvignon 2%
Country - Australia
Region - South Australia
Vintage - 2015
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.9%
Closure - Cork
Cellaring Potential - 2030 to 2080