Penfolds - Grange 2004

WEINWISSER: "Was ist der perfekte Wein? Der 2004er Grange (96 % Shiraz, 4 % Cabernet Sauvignon) kommt dem Ideal sehr nahe, legt jedenfalls eine Messlatte. Tiefes Purpurrubin. Im noblen, zart süssen Bouquet der Inbegriff eines feinen Shiraz: schmelzendes Lakritz, Kokos- und Kakaoschimmer, frische, perfekt gereifte schwarze Beeren, Blaubeeren, Brombeeren, schwarze Johannisbeeren, dahinter zarte indische Gewürzaromen, Szechuanpfeffer, grüner und schwarzer chinesischer Tee, das alles amalgamiert und von einer atemberaubend vornehmen Intensität und perfekten Balance, ein Guss. Am Gaumen vornehmste Seide, legante, perfekt balancierte Textur mit herrlicher Fruchtintensität und samtigen, nicht mal auffallenden Tanninen, unglaublich frisch, mit üssem schwarzem Geleefruchtkern, ansonsten die Wiederkehr der Nasenaromen. Noble Fülle, fliessende Eleganz. Ein Traumwein, schlichtweg perfekt und wunderschön. Man muss sich auch nicht erst hineinarbeiten, sondern kniet sich schon beim ersten Riechen. Und nach dem ersten Schluck will man mit ihm ins Bett."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2004 vintage was outstanding in Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Magill, the regions where the grapes were sourced for the marvelous 2004 Grange. It contains 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 16 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it displays a superb nose of wood smoke, Asian spices, incense, game, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied, satin textured, with deeply layered, succulent blackberry, plum, and chocolate flavors, it has the structure and complexity to merit extended cellaring of a decade and more. The winery estimates a drinking curve of 2016 to 2050; I'd be a bit more conservative on the long end of the range. It will ultimately be seen as one of the great vintages of Grange."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe. Schwarze Oliven, dunkle Beeren, Nuancen von Brombeeren, florale Nuancen, sehr attraktives Bukett, reife Herzkirschen unterlegt, mit Luft zarte Räucherspecknote. Saftig und elegant, zart nach Kirschen und Orangen, feine Tannine, die lange tragen, angenehme Extraktsüße, etwas Nougat im Nachhall, sehr balanciert, bereits jetzt schon großes Trinkvergnügen, großes Entwicklungspotenzial."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Extraordinary scent – pure spice and wonderfully precise blackberry fruit. Plenty of firm tannin in support. A blockbuster yet with lift and grace. Stunning. Really expresses the magnificence of Grange."

WINE SPECTATOR: " Smooth and seductive, this delivers a full-throated chorus of currant, plum, blackberry and spice flavors, hinting at coffee and cardamom as the finish floats and sails easily over a bed of polished, refined tannins. A touch of black olive balances nicely against it all. Beautifully structured, expressive and very long."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This has a spicy nose with intense blackberry, cedar and strong, savory, Barossa-driven, tarry accents. The palate has a bold core of ripe blackberries and blueberries with mocha and sweetly ripe tannins that fan out long, plush and full. In a good place and still very young. Drink or hold."

DECANTER: "It may only have 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, but the bouquet is defined by the heady waft of its fresh, leafy exuberance. The palate still shows a lively riot of blackberry and mulberry wrestling with liquorice and wild sage, but it glides on a carpet of silk, despite the sustained concentrated power of the fruit. Poise and purpose unite to ensure an impossibly long sustained final note."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "A throwback to the monster Shiraz style of old, with loads of toasty, vanilla-laden oak, meaty nuances and driving, intense boysenberry fruit, the 2004 Grange should prove tremendously long-lived. Its massive concentration and firm tannins suggest cellaring through 2020, after which it should drink well for at least another decade or two."