The Penfolds Grange and a Visit to the Magill Estate Cellar Door: Australiaâs Crown Jewel of Wine:

There are definite people, places, oregon products that are truthful acold beyond immoderate adjacent that their superiority is without question. They are, successful a word, undisputed. An illustration would beryllium Mike Tyson successful his prime, truthful ferocious that immoderate hostile was not expected to past much than a fewer rounds earlier inevitably being knocked out. Or possibly a Rolls Royce Phantom, the epitome of luxury cars truthful overmuch truthful that each different merchandise erstwhile considered the champion successful its class is referred to arsenic the Rolls Royce of ….., capable successful the blank. Well, erstwhile it comes to vino successful the onshore down under, 1 vino stands unsocial and without a peer. That vino is the Penfolds Grange. 

The Grand Dame of Australian Wine 

Without question, the astir acclaimed vino shaper successful Australia is Penfolds. The marque single-handedly enactment Australia connected the representation backmost successful the 50s arsenic a vino portion to beryllium reconned with and, arsenic they say, the remainder is history. Penfolds is truthful overmuch much than a one-trick pony and produces a scope of highly regarded wines successful summation to the Grange with a afloat postulation of products from Riesling to Grenache.

A indispensable for the vino enthusiast is simply a travel to Adelaide and to spot archetypal manus the Penfolds Cellar Door and the humanities location of Penfolds, The Magill Estate.  The Magill Estate is sat connected a vineyard surrounded by 12 acres with 168-year-old vines that inactive nutrient effect utilized successful the Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz. While determination oenophiles are immersed successful the company's affluent past and vino civilization successful an acquisition that includes a fascinating winery tour, an informative vino tasting, and culminates successful degustation eating astatine 1 of Australia’s astir highly regarded restaurants. After a time astatine Penfolds Magill Estate, the vino person volition afloat understand, appreciate, and inevitably turn deeper successful their emotion of Penfolds wines. If you’re looking for vino nirvana, you’ve conscionable recovered it. 

Dr. Penfolds, Max Shubert, and the History of Penfolds Wine

The Penfolds saga begins with Dr. Chris and his woman Mary Penfolds who emigrated to Australia from England successful 1844. The young mates landed successful Adelaide wherever they founded a wellness session and began producing fortified wines including larboard and sherry arsenic medicinal tonics for patients. In 1845 they built the Magill Estate, a tiny chromatic cottage, that inactive stands today. The Penfolds named it the Grange and astir the estate, they planted vine cuttings brought with them from France. Over the years, arsenic their wines became much popular, the mates began producing much than fortified wines and added array wines to their offering including Cabernet and Riesling. 

The 2nd astir salient fig successful Penfolds’ past is Max Schubert. His introduction into the vino manufacture began successful 1931 astatine the property of 16 arsenic an errand lad for Penfolds. By 1948, helium worked his mode up to main winemaker overseeing the accumulation of their palmy array wines.

After WWII helium visited a fig of wineries successful Bordeaux and became fascinated with their accumulation techniques and the qualities of their wines brought connected by aging them much than 10 years. Upon his return, helium began experimenting with shiraz blends and Bordeaux winemaking techniques to make the Grange Hermitage (now the Grange) which helium named aft the Penfold homestead.

However, the wine’s communicative was not without controversy. He began accumulation of his Shiraz varietal blend successful 1951 but the Australian palate was not accustomed to these types of analyzable aged wines. Local critics arsenic good arsenic the institution enactment were not funny successful the merchandise and helium was instructed to cease production. Nondeferred and definite helium was connected to thing with large potential, helium continued accumulation successful secret. In the end, it became wide that Max Schubert and the Grange were conscionable up of their time. 

The interaction of Penfolds, Max Shubert, and the Grange connected the Australian Wine Industry tin not beryllium understated. In 1960, helium entered the 1955 vintage of Grange into the contention which went connected to triumph much than 50 golden medals worldwide.

He virtually shocked the vino world, particularly the elitist old-world vino gentlemen’s nine from Spain, Italy, and France. They indispensable surely have thought “How connected Earth is it imaginable that this unheard-of vino marque from immoderate God-forsaken state connected the different broadside of the satellite is susceptible of producing specified astonishing wine?”  

The Impact of The Grange connected the Australian Wine Industry

And from there, on with the accolades and admiration, came a caller level of respect for the prime of wines produced successful Australia that reverberates to this day. The planetary vino satellite would past instrumentality enactment of different exceptional Australian vino producers specified arsenic Henschke and their Hill of Grace, the D'Arenberg Dead Arm, and different award-winning wines from Seppeltsfield, and Leeuwin Estate. Beyond the Barossa, Australia’s different wine-producing regions gained prominence arsenic good including Margaret River, Tasmania, Yarra Valley, Coonawarra, Claire Valley, and others.

One cannot accidental that Penfolds is the sole crushed for the occurrence of the Australian vino manufacture but it is without question that it was a large assistance on the way. Today the Australian vino manufacture is the 5th largest exporter of vino successful the satellite and produces 1.3 cardinal liters annually. It is 1 of the largest sectors of the Australian system contributing implicit 30 cardinal USD each year.

That is the interaction of Penfolds and the Grange and implicit the years it perennially performs arsenic 1 of the apical wines successful the world;a testament to Max Shubert’s innovation and imaginativeness implicit 70 years ago. 

The Penfolds Wine Portfolio

The institution has vineyards successful Australia’s apical increasing regions extracurricular the aged vines of the Barossa with vineyards successful Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, and from the Eden Valley, a shaper of world-class Riesling. These vineyards nutrient a scope of grapes from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and different varietals.

Although the Penfolds Grange is intelligibly 1 of the world’s champion wines, Penfolds has respective different wines that person garnered planetary acclaim and apical awards arsenic well. Most notably their Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, RWT Bin 798 Barossa Valley Shiraz, Magill Estate Shiraz, St Henri Shiraz, and Bin 170 Shiraz. Not lone has Penfolds achieved occurrence with reddish wines, but their Reserve Bin A Chardonnay has besides won galore awards arsenic well.  

The occurrence of Penfolds successful Australia has besides led the institution to grow beyond the onshore down nether and present produces wines successful Sonoma and Napa Valley, planted with vine cuttings from their South Australia vineyards. The endeavor has taken implicit 20 years and had led to their palmy California Collection with its ain flagship, the Quantum Bin 98 Cabernet Sauvignon.   

So What Makes the Penfolds Grange So Special

No 1 would ever reason that Australia’s Grand Dame of wines is the Grange. This is manifested successful presumption of not lone its prestige but besides its terms astatine astir $1000 a bottle. A collector precocious paid $157,000 for a vessel of 1951 Grange which holds the grounds for the astir paid-for an Australian wine. 

What makes the Grange truthful unsocial is simply a fig of factors. First, it does not root its effect from a azygous artifact oregon vineyard arsenic is the communal signifier with the champion old-world wines. It takes the champion fruits that tin beryllium sourced from the Barossa, Australia’s finest shiraz increasing region, and from different Penfolds’ estates. Another origin is that a tiny magnitude of cabernet sauvignon is blended with the shiraz indispensable earlier fermentation.  

The different cardinal quality is that the Grange is aged for 20 months successful American Oak vs French Oak, giving it different acceptable of antithetic flavors and characteristics. What Max Shubert created seventy years agone went against the Australian wine-making of the day. Back then, vino was made to beryllium consumed rapidly careless of if it reached its afloat imaginable oregon not. Typically the Grange is not released until 5 years aft vintage though precocious the vintages are present released aft 4 years. Experts volition stock this analyzable vino reaches its highest astatine 12 – 15 years aft vintage but tin property for 20 to up to 50 years.

The 2008 Penfolds, Grange, Bin 95 was 1 of their astir palmy vintages garnering a fig of prestigious awards and 100 points from renowned vino critics specified arsenic the Wine Advocate. So successful the end, what is it similar to sensation the Grange? Here is the Wine Advocate review.

Wine Advocate 2008 Penfolds Grange Review Rating: 100/100 

Very heavy garnet-purple successful colour the 2008 Grange reveals a genuinely decadent chemoreceptor with tons of spices, effect cake, and achromatic & bluish effect compote notes on with nuances of cocoa and potpourri. The afloat and rich, multi-layered palate has a small oak inactive showing, it is going done a small spot of a structural stand-out stage, but it doesn't detract connected the agelong and analyzable finish. It inactive needs a bully fewer years to develop, though this precise opulent, expressive Grange shows the precise champion of this vintage and the vineyards it hails from. Lisa Perrotti-Brown - 31/10/2014

Over the decades, the Grange has achieved cult vino presumption and has go Australia’s astir collectible wine. International vino critics consistently fertile the vino among the champion successful the satellite bestowing it with a treasure trove of golden metals, precocious scores, and accolades. The 1955 vintage has garnered much than 50 golden medals. The 1971 vintage was named archetypal prize victor successful the Shiraz class astatine the 2008 Paris Wine Olympics and the 1990 vintage was named Wine Spectators ‘Wine Of The Year' successful 1995. And astir recently, the 2008 vintage was awarded a cleanable people of 100 points by Wine Spectator and the Wine Advocate.   

Magill Estate Tour and Penfolds Wine Tasting Experience 

Although the bulk of Penfolds winemaking takes spot astatine their state-of-the-art installation successful the Barossa, the circuit of the Magill Estate and the spiritual location of Penfolds is simply a indispensable for immoderate vino enthusiast. The mounting is amazingly adjacent to the municipality sprawl of Adelaide astatine the ft of the Adelaide Mountain Range. In fact, to person a due vineyard successful the metropolis limits is rather antithetic and the Magill Estate is 1 of the world's fewer municipality azygous artifact vineyards.

Visitors walk the estate’s vineyards and the rows and rows of century-old grape vines inactive producing effect utilized successful production. Upon a elevation is the estate, the cellar doorway gathering flanked by the Magill Estate restaurant. In its halfway is the heritage-listed winery and a sky-scraping chimney with the motion of Penfolds lettering conscionable arsenic its been for implicit 100 years. There you’ll find the winery with century-old cobblestone buildings wherever accumulation took place.  

The sojourn includes an in-depth guided walking circuit done the aged winery to spot the underground drives and tube rooms and yet the heritage-listed bluestone cellars. Guests tin besides sojourn the archetypal Grange Cottage, built successful 1844 arsenic the Penfold’s homestead.  

After the tour, guests past sojourn the cellar doorway for a tasting experience. There are assorted options for tasting from much casual tasting to in-depth maestro classes. Master classes exposure guests to the past and vino doctrine of the Penfolds portion allowing them to admit the delicate qualities, subtle hints, and flavors of the wines. The seated masterclasses instrumentality spot successful a backstage tasting country with guests tasting 3 of Penfolds' astir coveted wines including their flagship, the Grange. 

A Gastronomic Adventure astatine the Magill Estate Restaurant

The eventual mode for the culinary connoisseur to bask Penfolds is with a eating acquisition astatine their Magill Estate Restaurant.  Pardon the pun, but 1 could see the property tour, vino tasting arsenic the appetizer, and Magill Estate edifice arsenic the main course. This is gastronomy par excellence allowing guests to afloat admit Penfolds wines with a supporting enactment of exquisite food.

Once done the doors, the decadent plan is the archetypal item of which to instrumentality notice. The good furnishings and affluent colors consciousness much similar a parlor successful an ultra-modern home. Here guests instrumentality successful the views implicit the vineyards with the cityscape of Adelaide successful the distance. In the country are chiefly well-to-do couples, groups of friends, and the occasional concern acquaintances celebrating a mega woody conscionable inked.

Unsurprisingly, you’ll besides find solo dinners, determination with intent to afloat immerse themselves successful the meal, joined lone with their thoughts connected the details of this culinary adventure.  This is good eating successful a venue that lone accommodates up to 36 patrons, truthful expect a blistery array with reservations not ever truthful casual to achieve.  

The paper changes often arsenic it is based connected seasonal cuisine sourced from the aforesaid section communities arsenic the wines themselves. Each crockery is highly imaginative nuevo Australian cuisine with Japanese and Brazilian influences based connected the chefs’ stints moving astatine Michelin-starred restaurants astir the world. During the meal, the uber-professional unit enactment much arsenic guides determination to instrumentality you connected an exploration of the intricacies of their sumptuous paper arsenic good arsenic the wines, held connected adjacent footing arsenic the cuisine.   

With that, the culinary travel begins. This is simply a seven-course gastronomic escapade truthful saddle up and get acceptable for the ride. Guests person the enactment to brace with the luxury vino lucifer astatine a premium terms oregon the sommelier’s choice. The repast begins with what they notation to arsenic “snacks” which is seemingly Aussie for the canapés oregon appetizers. They are morsels successful size but main people successful taste, each 1 analyzable with colour texture, taste, and presumption that travel unneurotic to equate to elemental deliciousness.  A azygous oyster is served connected the ammunition successful a sheet of pebbles, floating successful a oversea of food roe garnished with a delicate lilac edible flower.  One favourite that would origin an uproar if removed from the ever-changing paper is the stuffed chickenhearted wings, deboned and stuffed with lobster and scallop, crisply fried to perfection.

As sublime arsenic the snacks whitethorn person been, you’ll beryllium gladsome to person saved country for the mains. The trio begins with ling food accompanied by turnip and miso. The complexity of complimenting flavors and texture begins with the crispy skin, contrasting with the turnip puree and pickled ribbon. The duck follows again with crisped skin, a furniture of flavorful fat, and succulent meat, dry-aged for 3 weeks earlier roasting. The duck is accompanied by fennel crockery and dill sprigs. Finally, the lamb is served, lightly salted with kale crockery dotted with yellowish flowers and sprinkled with salty mullet row.  After the palate cleanser, the travel comes to a saccharine decision with an pome with conifer seed and brownish butter, an imaginative instrumentality connected pome pie. The avant-guard eating acquisition is lone made amended with the perfectly matched accompaniment of Penfolds wines.

It is arsenic if the culinary acquisition acceptable retired to beryllium this is however good, bully nutrient and bully vino tin be. This and much they’ve achieved astatine the Magill Estate Restaurant, and the effect is the eventual Penfolds culinary experience.

A Saga Over 175 Years successful the Making

In Australia, there’s a saying utilized erstwhile enjoying a delightful solid of wine. It is typically called upon aft swirling, sniffing, and past sipping.

After a fewer seconds to instrumentality successful the sensation connected the palate, 1 would past share: Oh my, that is rather the beauteous drop. Penfolds has been making vino for implicit 175 years, and the Grange has proved to beryllium the loveliest driblet of all.