Penfolds 2008 Grange Australian Trophy Wine Review

Penfolds was established by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife Mary in 1844. They purchased about 500 acres near Adelaide and planted vine cuttings they brought over from Europe. Dr. Penfold was busy with his medical practice so Mary operated the winery for many years. At that time, Penfolds was making mostly Riesling and fortified wines.

Penfolds is synonymous with Max Schubert, who started at the winery as a messenger boy in 1931. In the 1940s, Max went to Spain to study but took side trip to Bordeaux. He was so impressed that he wanted to bring back French wine making techniques and grapes to Australia. He became Penfolds' chief winemaker in 1948.

He was determined to make Shiraz his star grape. So in 1956, he made his first bottling of Grange. His superiors didn't like the wine. Undaunted, he continued to make and experiment with Grange between 1957-1959 and reintroduced in 1960.

The 2008 Penfolds Grange was given 100 points by Wine Spectator and Robert Parker. The 2008 vintage is a blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Grapes came from vineyards in the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and Magill Estate and is aged 19 months in new American oak hogsheads.

For more information about this winery, please visit their website at https://www.penfolds.com/