Wine Advisor
Penfolds, Grange Bin 95 2012
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2012 Grange sports an earthy/meaty nose with notes of tree bark, dusty earth, underbrush and chargrill over a core of dried mulberries and Christmas cake, plus hints of pepper and baking spices. Rich, medium to full-bodied and seductive, it has spicy layers and a long meaty/savory finish.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2012 Grange comes from just two sub-regions of South Australia this year: Barossa Valley (the majority) and McLaren Vale. This makes a lot of sense since 2012 was a cracking year in both of these areas, producing a number of extraordinary wines. As usual, this Grange contains a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, just 2%. Very deep purple-black in color, it opens on the nose with complex earthy/meaty/savory notes, soon giving way to baked blackberries, plum preserves, hoisin and Chinese five spice with dabs of sandalwood, licorice, menthol and vanilla. The palate reveals a surprisingly open, rich, full-bodied expression exuding a powerhouse of velvet-lined decadence. Still, it characteristically possesses that rock-solid “Grange” backbone of firm tannins and great freshness expressed in a real lively lift to the finish. And the finish is epically long. There are some stylistic similarities here to the opulent, gregarious 2008 vintage, perhaps just lacking ever so slightly in the same exhilarating abandonment of winemaking protocols for the celebration of the fruit and sites. That said, this is unquestionably a stonking great Grange!
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep, shimmering ruby. An expansive, hugely complex bouquet evokes an array of black and blue fruit, floral and exotic spice qualities, along with vanilla, espresso, licorice and tobacco notes that build as the wine opens up. Utterly stains the palate with sappy cherry liqueur, cassis, floral pastille, fruitcake and bitter chocolate flavors that show superb detail and spicy back-end cut. The cherry and floral notes drive a strikingly long, focused finish that features sneaky tannins and a touch of smokiness.
About the Producer
Since 1844, Penfolds has played a pivotal role in the evolution of wine making with a history and heritage that profoundly reflects Australia’s journey from colonial settlement to the modern era. Penfolds collection of benchmark wines were established in a spirit of innovation and the constant and endless pursuit of quality, evidenced from the secret bottling of Grange in 1951 and the unbroken line of vintages of what is now arguably Australia’s most iconic red wine. Today, the collection continues to display the distinctive and consistently recognisable Penfolds ‘House Style’; the ultimate expression of Penfolds time-honoured tradition of sourcing the best fruit from the best regions. Historic blends, significant milestones and heritage vineyards have been honoured by a lineage of custodians whose courage and imagination, precision and humility have ensured Penfolds remains true to its original values while remaining relevant for current and future generations. The stories and philosophies behind each label bring a timeless quality, making Penfolds wines special and compelling for collectors and drinkers the world over.
1967(1)1987(1)1989(1)1995(1)1996(2)1997(2)1998(3)1999(2)2000(1)2001(6)2002(1)2003(5)2004(2)2005(4)2006(4)2007(3)2008(6)2009(11)2010(1)2011(1)
Package Size
