Penfolds Bin 95 Grange - South Australia Shiraz - 2009 (Single Bottle)

Grape Variety - 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Colour - Youthful at rim. Dense magenta. Nose - At once Grange – formic, assertive, powerful… with overt barrel-ferment markers. Bright, and noticeably fragrant/perfumed at this time of tasting, in its fifth year immediately prior to release. Racy red fruits clasp onto red liquorice, aniseed aromatics. Red meats (corned beef ?) with pepper and spice, rumtopf. Patiently, panforte/mascarpone/malt/dried fig aromatics appear in a second wave. No hurry – the curtain is up, the stage reserved for decades! Palate - Captivating/tempting/alluring – yet another subtle variation on the theme/expression of this thing called Grange. Voluptuous and generous, yet poised and harmonious. Assured, and not attempting to overstate its weight/extract/presence. Immediately apparent flavours of chocolate, mocha, cola and juicy plum entwine and converge toward the panforte impression aromatically sensed earlier. Tight and defined, with excellent grip – savoury/tannic. These tannins are both integrated and balanced, colluding with 100% new oak that is all but completely absorbed.