Collection: Penfolds Grange | Australia's Greatest Wine

Penfolds Grange — Australia's Greatest Wine

Penfolds Grange is not merely Australia's most celebrated wine — it is one of the greatest wines produced anywhere in the world. A Heritage Icon of South Australia, a consistent recipient of perfect and near-perfect scores from the world's most respected critics, and the wine that single-handedly established Australia's reputation as a producer of world-class fine wine, Grange is in a category entirely its own. To own a bottle of Penfolds Grange is to hold a piece of Australian cultural history — a wine of extraordinary depth, complexity, and longevity that has been captivating collectors and connoisseurs for over seven decades.

History & Heritage

The story of Penfolds Grange begins in 1951, when Max Schubert — Penfolds' chief winemaker and one of the most visionary figures in the history of Australian wine — returned from a study trip to Bordeaux with an audacious ambition: to create an Australian red wine capable of ageing for twenty years or more, in the tradition of the great First Growth châteaux of the Médoc. Working against the prevailing wisdom of the time — which held that Australian red wines were meant to be drunk young — Schubert produced his first experimental Grange in 1951 from Shiraz sourced from the Magill Estate vineyard on the outskirts of Adelaide.

The wine was initially rejected by Penfolds' board of directors, who ordered Schubert to cease production. He continued in secret, producing vintages in 1957 and 1958 that were eventually tasted by the board and recognised as wines of extraordinary quality. Production resumed officially, and Grange went on to become the most awarded and celebrated wine in Australian history — a vindication of Schubert's vision that stands as one of the great stories of perseverance and genius in the world of wine.

Grange was declared a Heritage Icon of South Australia in 2001 — the only wine in the world to hold such a designation — placing it alongside the Sydney Opera House and the Adelaide Oval as one of the state's most significant cultural treasures.

The Wine: Philosophy & Production

Grange is a multi-regional, multi-vineyard blend — a philosophy that sets it apart from the single-vineyard, single-region approach of most of the world's great wines. Rather than being tied to a single site, Grange is assembled each year from the finest Shiraz parcels available across South Australia's greatest wine regions, including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, and the historic Magill Estate in Adelaide. The wine is matured for 17–19 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads — a signature of the Grange style that imparts characteristic vanilla, mocha, and toasty oak notes. Grange is produced only in years when fruit quality meets the extraordinary standard the wine demands.

Awards & Critical Acclaim

• 100 Points — Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (Grange 2008)
• 100 Points — Wine Spectator (Grange 2008)
• 99 Points — Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (Grange 1998, declared 'legendary')
• Heritage Icon of South Australia — the only wine in the world to hold this designation
• Named Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator in 1995 (1990 vintage) — the first Australian wine to receive this honour
• Over 70 consecutive vintages produced since 1951

Our Range

Penfolds Grange 1998 — South Australia — One of the classic Grange vintages of the modern era. A blend of 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 18 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Drinking now through 2045. 99 Points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate — declared 'legendary'. Heritage Icon of South Australia.

Penfolds Grange 2008 — South Australia — Widely regarded as one of the greatest Granges ever produced. A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, and Magill Estate, matured for 19 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Drinking 2025 to 2060. 100 Points, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate. 100 Points, Wine Spectator. Heritage Icon of South Australia.

Penfolds Grange 2011 — South Australia — One of the rarest Granges of the modern era — the only 100% Shiraz Grange produced across six decades, released at half the volume of an average vintage. Drinking 2025 to 2060. Heritage Icon of South Australia.

Cellaring & Serving

All three vintages are at or approaching their secondary drinking window. Decant for a minimum of two hours before serving at 17–19°C. Grange pairs naturally with aged prime beef, slow-roasted lamb, game, truffle-based dishes and fine hard cheeses.

Learn more about Penfolds and the story behind Grange on our Penfolds Producer Authority Page →