Offers
2004 Penfolds Grange
Case order price: $435 nett per 75cl bottle ($2,610 for 6 bottles in OWC)
Jancis Robinson MW: 19.5 points
Jeremy Oliver: 98 Points
Only available in six bottle original branded wooden cases.
Available in-bond, please ask for details.
'Very dark blackish crimson. Lots buried in there - spice and tarmacadam and the merest whiff of treacle toffee but overall amazing life and energy. Lifted and above all fresh! Wonderfully subtle and savoury and with a hint of cough medicine but wonderfully dry and thick and long on the palate. Serious first growth claret build (with which comment I presumably insult all parties...) Australia lurks in the undercurrent rather than imposes itself on the flavour of this wine. No heat at all. Extremely fine tannins. Wonderfully suave and really not like any other wine I can think of. At this stage not noticeably sweet. Gago, like all those previously in charge of making Grange, insists that he has done nothing to change the style - in which case 2004 must be a particularly sophisticated vintage. So persistent!'
'...I thought I would advise purple pagers to look out for the 2004 Grange as stocks will surely sell out very fast. '
Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine
1983 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze
Price: $1,100 nett per 75cl bottle
Robert Parker: 90 points
'If you have a good cellar and plenty of discretionary income, this wine will be superb in 10-15 years.'
Robert Paker, Burgundy Book. Tasted in 1990
1995 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze
Burghound: 94 points
Price: $1,100 nett per 75cl bottle
'Superbly spice aromas just explode from the glass leads to wonderfully concentrated flavors of impressive depth and simply incredible balance for such a big, structured, powerful wine. The length though is what separates this wine from the "merely" great and it just goes on and on. The material here is so good that it would not surprise me if this eventually merits an even higher score as this is a most impressive effort and it has the rare gift of presence, something very few wines have even at the highest levels. In sum, this is killer juice.'
Allen Meadows (Burghound.com)
2005 Malescot St. Exupery
Robert Parker : 97 points
Price: $1,955 per case of 12 bottles (before Shipping, Insurance, Duty and GST)
Wine lying in Octavian England under bond
‘This estate’s finest effort - ever, the 2005 Malescot St.-Exupery should be sought out by readers looking for intensity combined with superb richness, fascinating elegance, and a surreal concoction of blue and red fruits, a silky texture, and a delicate yet powerful wine that builds incrementally, never becoming overwrought. This dense purple-colored, medium to full-bodied tour de force in winemaking is already displaying remarkable complexity. It should only get better over the next decade, and will last through 2030. I would not be surprised to see this wine merit a few more points with additional aging.'
Robert Parker
2002 Penfolds Grange
Wine Advocate : 98 points
Price: $460 nett per 75cl bottle
Only available in six bottle original branded wooden cases.
‘Last but not least is Australia’s most famous wine, the 2002 Shiraz “Grange”. The 2002 version was sourced from 77.5% Barossa Valley and 22.5% from McLaren Vale. Included in the blend is 1.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It spent 17 months in 100% new American oak. Opaque purple, it gives off an ethereal bouquet of violets, saddle leather, blueberry, blackberry, pencil lead, and chocolate. This is followed by a full-bodied wine with tremendous concentration, multiple layers of flavor, ripe tannins, and great balance. Thick and rich, with a 60-second finish, it will slowly blossom over the next 15-20 years and provide pleasure through 2050. It is a legend in the making!'
Wine Advocate
2001 Penfolds Grange
Robert Parker : 98+ points
Price: $460 nett per 75cl bottle
Only available in six bottle original branded wooden cases.
‘It is always a treat to taste Australia’s most famous wine, Penfolds’ Grange cuvee (the word Hermitage has been dropped because of legal issues). The 2001 Grange is one of the few vintages of this cuvee to be composed of 100% Shiraz (the others being 1951, 1952, 1963, 1999, and 2000). Aged 17 months in 100% American oak, and tipping the scales at 14.5% alcohol, the 2001 is undeniably one of the top examples of this wine. At this stage, it appears to eclipse the 1998 and 1996. Inky/blue/purple to the rim, with a stunning perfume of blueberries, blackberries, chocolate, graphite, and earth, it boasts good acidity, huge tannins, magnificent concentration, and a multilayered, textured mouthfeel. It is a big, but impeccably well-balanced Shiraz that should shed some of its structure and tannin over the next 4-5 years, and be at its best between 2010-2030+.'
Robert Parker