Penfolds Grange South Australia 1998
Old vintages may be labeled as different Bin numbers.
Penfolds Grange South Australia 1998 is a legendary Shiraz-dominant blend (97% Shiraz, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon) from premium Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, and Padthaway sites, matured 18 months in 100% new American oak.
Critic tasting note: (1998 vintage)
"Massive, packed and stacked with multiple layers of ripe fruit. The wine is filled with fresh blackberries, smoke and spice. This is a beefy, masculine, powerful, tannic wine that demands time. While the quality of the wine is there, and it's clearly well made, for my own palate, it is more about sheer power than finesse. 96 Points" - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate (96/100)
"A wine that flirts with perfection, and should rival the 1986 as one of the legendary Granges produced, the 1998 has one of the highest alcohol contents (nearly 15%) as well as one of the highest percentages of Shiraz in the blend (97%). Its stunning purple color is accompanied by exceptionally sweet aromas of blackberry liqueur intermixed with barbecue spices, an endearing, smoky earthiness, pepper, roasted meats, and coffee. Huge, massive, unctuously textured, and extraordinarily youthful, this impressive wine is a candidate for perfection. It should continue to evolve over the next three decades.
Grange, Penfolds’ flagship wine, is, by many accounts, the most renowned and world-famous wine produced in Australia, and these six vintages from my cellar all acquitted themselves well. These wines are almost always Shiraz, but many vintages include less than 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and there are cross-appellations blends from vineyards in the Barossa and McLaren Vale." - Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Tasting Profile
Inky purple hue with intense aromas of blackberry liqueur, dark plum, crème de cassis, licorice, violets, barbecue smoke, roasted meats, coffee, malt, and toasty oak. The massive palate layers blackcurrant, raspberry, dark chocolate, spice, and velvety tannins with extraordinary freshness and minute-long persistence.
Key Traits
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Body: Profoundly concentrated yet seamless, with ripe structure and perfect harmony.
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Aging: Drinking beautifully now through 2055+ (99-100 points RP, Halliday, WS); pairs with grilled beef, venison, or mature hard cheeses.
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Terroir: Iconic multi-district blending yields Grange's monumental power and complexity.
