Wine Advocate 99 points! 'The 2004 vintage was outstanding in Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Magill, the regions where the grapes were sourced for the marvelous 2004 Grange. It contains 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 16 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it displays a superb nose of wood smoke, Asian spices, incense, game, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied, satin textured, with deeply layered, succulent blackberry, plum, and chocolate flavors, it has the structure and complexity to merit extended cellaring of a decade and more. The winery estimates a drinking curve of 2016 to 2050 I-d be a bit more conservative on the long end of the range. It will ultimately be seen as one of the great vintages of Grange.' Jay Miller, Wine Advocate # 186 Dec 2009Jeremy Oliver 98 points! 'This most anticipated Grange is on the one hand a truly exceptional shiraz, but on the other is a genuine departure from Grange's typical style. It's powerful, layered and bruising to be sure, but there's nothing heavy, clunky or over the top about it. In fact, it's remarkably elegant and balanced ' a heady, deep and alluring wine whose deep violet-like aromas and wild, brambly flavours of cassis, blackberries, redcurrants and blueberries simply soak up its finely integrated sweet oak. Saturated with fruit, it's long, velvet-like and sumptuous underpinned by fine, tight and drying tannins before finishing long, savoury and mineral, with lingering nuances of licorice, cloves, bay leaf, anise and cola. Spectacular.' Jeremy Oliver, April 2009-Campbell Mattinson 99 points! 'I'm not sure that ripe, South Australian shiraz gets any better than this - in terms of depth and complexity. It's a credit to Peter Gago and his team. It tastes spectacular. Perfect structure, depth and length. Espresso, crushed ants, blood plums, earth, malt, Asian spice, bay leaf, black tea, pan juices. Tannins cut, crush and mould the wine in the most positive of manners. Massive fragrance. Much like the fabulous 1996 model, though the oak on this one is better integrated than it was with the 1996 as a young wine. Subtle, smoky, barrel ferment characters too. If you are ever going to buy a new-release Grange, this is the one. It's a fifty-year wine.' Campbell Mattinson, Winefront, April 2009'It is tempting to drink this intense yet sumptuous wine now, as many Americans would, yet its glory is its ability to age for, as Penfolds' greatest Granges do, up to 50 years. It has a deep crimson rim and shows unfolding aromas of camphor, liquorice, rhubarb, black cherry, mulberry and black pepper. The palate is tight in its graphite and black pepper top notes, then reveals mocha and leafy green notes to go with juicy mulberry and black cherry. Full, supple tannins, with great structure. Bright yet tight. (LM) 19 points' Drink 2012-30 Jancis Robinson'The wait for this Grange release has indeed been worthwhile - arguably the finest vintage since Mother Nature's endowment of a number of stellar 1990s vintages. Just how good a vintage only time will tell, but all current indicators auger (very) well. Certainly stylistically in the mould of the wonderful 1990 & 1996 vintages.' Peter Gago - Penfolds Chief Winemaker 'Watch the Winemaking team discussing 2004 Grange' Video by Penfolds Wines Australia
