Deep Cover: MORE Grange?!

Well, it wasn’t easy, dear Ops. After the site got robbed of the 2019 in record time last week, we have been BEGGING the source for more. You know what they said on Friday? See ya, LONG WEEKEND, we’re done here, buh bye. And we though, womp womp, no mas Grange.

But then came Tuesday, and we’re like HELLO again. Must have been getting annoying there, cause they swore there was not another bottle of 2019 to be had, HOWEVAH… they said that they would honor the same deal on the 2020!!! Methinks they just wanted us to be gone, which is fine, because… here you go!

From a Sydney Times headline, “The record price of $103,000, for a 1951 Penfolds Grange, is the highest price ever paid for a bottle of Australian wine.”

Obviously, $100k+ is not what we’re asking for the from the library 2020 vintage today. Not even close! In fact, a bottle will cost you about 1/173rd of that.

Which makes it the BEST PRICE ANYWHERE, like by FAR, the few listings all in the $700-850 (G)range.

We’re reinviting you to make history with us again today. Grab a bottle to see what one of the most mythical wines on the planet hype’s about. You will become a believer. Or, if you’re already a Grange connoisseur with a black Amex (tried again last week and got rejected AGAIN?!), do clean us out!

Scores galore with this one, too!

Grange consistently hits the 95-100 range and goes up from there with age. This vintage earned FIVE 98 points from prominent Aussie critics like James Halliday and Andrew Caillard MW. But for those who say they don’t count on this side of the equator, there’s another 98 from Inside Bordeaux and an 18+/20 by Jancis Robinson MW. And how many other scores? Too many to list in one place.

Honestly, though, who cares? It’s THE Penfolds Grange we’re talking about here! Sharing only one below for space and time continuum and constraints…

Speaking of, per Wine Spectator a definitive Grange is “Highly distinctive, with its mix of new oak, dense dark berry, black licorice and ultimately graceful interplay of flavors and the tension created by acidity and tannins. It’s a remarkably enduring wine as well. The older vintages still thrill those who taste them. I keep coming back to the label, as it too has endured. I think of labels that have remained the same over time, the likes of Château Margaux or d’Yquem. In California, Heitz, Stony Hill and Diamond Creek are unchanged after decades. New classics - Harlan, Screaming Eagle, Marcassin and Schrader’s Old Sparky - will likely endure. The wines must remain exceptional to uphold the brand’s reputation, but when they are, the two go hand in hand.”

You know what else goes hand in hand? A small Grange allocation and selling out of it fast. Especially with the news that the price of the latest release hit $1,000 a bottle. GO!

98 Points – Inside Bordeaux “The 2019 Grange was released through the Place in March, and it is followed up just six months later by the 2020, reminding us all once again that this is just a great addition to the international wines coming out through the Bordeaux system. Seductive, smoky, pure distilled blackcurrant and crushed blueberries, dill, black tea, raspberry leaf, violet. Just a gorgeous wine, with presence and character, hard to argue with. Peter Gago chief winemaker. Tom King director. 100% new American oak for ageing.”

98 Points – Andrew Caillard MW “The classical and beautiful 2020 Grange, with its abundant dark berry fruits, massive concentration, oak maturation characters and well-integrated chocolaty tannins. possesses the detail and hallmarks of a First Growth Australian red. It has all the cadence and balance for long term aging. In years to come, it may be seen as one of the great vintages.”

97 Points, Cellar Selection – Wine Enthusiast “The 2020 vintage - harvested at the start of a global pandemic - was a difficult one. But the quality of Australia’s most collected wine hasn’t slipped. Tightly wound, it’s restrained, classic, comfy in its own skin without having to shout. Plump plum, cedar, ground pepper, vanilla, and the charred pan scrapings of a roast: it’s all there. It’s a powerful wine, thanks to a mouthful of hefty tannins, but they’re well-integrated, setting this up for a very long life ahead.”

97 Points – James Suckling “Blackberry, blueberry, graphite and terra cotta aromas. Medium-bodied with clarity, focus and very fine tannins that are polished and caressing. One of the most refined and textural Granges I have had in a long time. The tannins are very resolved. This is mostly Barossa and McLaren Vale with some Claire Valley. Very drinkable now, but will age beautifully.”

96 Points – The Wine Independent “The 2020 Grange is a blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit sources are 48% McLaren Vale, 40% Barossa Valley, and the rest from Clare Valley. It was aged for 20 months in American oak hogsheads, 100% new. Opaque purple-black color, it opens with a flash of exuberant Morello cherries and prunes notes, leading to an undercurrent of Chinese five spice, tilled soil, black olives, and peppercorns, plus a touch of dried roses. The full-bodied palate is rich and expressive, delivering the classic Grange rock-solid foundation of super-firm tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and spicy. Drink 2029-2059.”

96 Points – Wine Spectator “This is dense, dark and brooding up front, showcasing gravel and hot cast iron flavors that show a hint of wintergreen. The second sip is much more revealing, with generous flavors of morello cherry, blackberry preserves, cassis and chocolate truffle cake, along with spice, pepper and earth notes that are complex, deep and long. The dense tannins have a firmness that suggests a long life in the cellar, as does the crescendo of complexity on the finish. 392 cases imported. Drink now through 2044.”