2015 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

98% Shiraz, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. From Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Magill Estate. Aged for 20 months in new American oak hogsheads. TA 6.7 g/l, pH 3.62. At first, it's an unassuming nose. The palate has massive density and structure, almost as if the fruit has been locked down – but then on the finish, there is a lovely emergence of pure cherry and liquorice flavour with herbal, rosemary complexity and that signature oak essence adding spice. Enigmatic right now, but surely aiming for the big leagues. (RH)

A tight nose at the moment but with wonderfully dark kirsch notes, crushed ant, pepper and a note of violet. Sleek palate that has supreme intensity and concentration of fruit, still very tight and surrounded by a delightful cloak of cedarwood, vanilla and fine, fine tannins. The freshness is impressive and the finish equally so. It feels quite safe (a hark to yesteryear), but very well put together indeed – dense and intense. (AC)

The flagship 2015 Grange is a monster of wine and one of those rare wines that blends power and elegance perfectly. Revealing a saturated purple color, it’s seemingly more forward and seductive than past great vintages, which I suspect is due to the incredible purity of fruit as well as the wine’s flawless balance than any change in winemaking or stylistic shifts. I also think the acidity is healthy, and the 2015 tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, which is certainly in the sweet spot, if not tame, for beautifully ripe Syrah these days. A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in new American oak hogsheads, it offers an extraordinary perfume of sweet crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, camphor, Asian spices, licorice, and wildflowers. This is followed by a full-bodied, powerful yet incredibly seamless and elegant Shiraz that has no hard edges, a big, dense mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Coming close to rivaling the 1986, which has always been a benchmark vintage of Grange for me, the 2015 offers a more polished, elegant, approachable style. Vintage comparisons aside, this is a legendary example of Grange in the making. The savvy wine lovers out there will give this 7-8 years of bottle age (I’ll probably be out of bottles by then) and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.