Penfolds : Grange 2013

The most celebrated of the great Australian wines, elevated in an exceptional cuvée

The estate
Named New World Winery of the Year in 2013 by the prestigious magazine Wine Enthusiast, the Penfolds estate had already established itself as an emblem of the great wines of Australia at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the extraordinary determination of Mary Penfold. Indeed, the co-founder of Penfolds Winery devoted herself body and soul to crafting exceptional wines. This lifelong endeavor is reflected in the estate's success in establishing itself as a benchmark in Southern Australia. When Max Schubert joined the Penfolds adventure in the 1950s, he infused the estate's wines with the elegance of the great Bordeaux wines that fascinated him so deeply. Success was not long in coming when the cellar master created his celebrated Grange cuvée, which crossed Australian borders to win over wine lovers around the world.

The vineyard
The Grange 2013 cuvée is crafted from several vineyards of the Penfolds estate: Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, Magill Estate, and McLaren Vale. The wine is therefore a reflection of a selection of Australia's finest terroirs, while remaining, above all, deeply marked by the Penfolds house style.

The vintage
In 2013, South Australia experienced an overly dry winter that exposed the vines to water stress very early on. Only the McLaren Vale vineyard benefited from exceptionally abundant winter rainfall. The rest of the year was also marked by heat waves, and harvest took place somewhat early. The hot, dry climate of 2013 reduced vine yields, but the wines of this vintage display a remarkable structure and an aromatic expression of great intensity.

Winemaking and aging
After the harvest and fermentation phase, the wine is aged for 20 months in American oak hogsheads (large barrels).

Blend
Syrah (96%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (4%).

Tasting notes
Appearance
The Grange 2013 cuvée boasts an opaque black color with dark red hues.
Nose
The explosive bouquet offers an incredible harmony between notes of soy and balsamic that nuance a dominant expression of kirsch and raspberry. This Grange 2013 pays homage to fruit and oak while embodying an elegant wine.
Palate
Grange 2013 is characterized by its formidable structure and balance. A wine of elegant darkness, it reveals on the palate its notes of black fruit, licorice, black pudding, black fig, and black cardamom.

Serving and cellaring
Grange 2013 is already a true pleasure to drink and will remain highly enjoyable until 2060.