"Deep purple-black in color, the 2008 Grange puts forward a very complex nose packed with aromas of mulberries, layers of baking spices, cloves and cinnamon with nuances of minced meat, anise, potpourri and whiffs of dried mint and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, taut and very spicy in the mouth, it shows touches of sandalwood and Chinese five spice complementing the layers of dark fruit flavors. It is framed by firm, grainy tannins and a refreshing acid line before finishing very long with aniseed and lingering blackberry preserves notes. This is clearly a wonderfully opulent and a magic vintage for this label. Drink it from 2018 to 2035+." Wine Advocate #205 Feb 2013, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
"Announces itself in the mouth. No mistaking the wine, its style. Smells of toast, pan juices, Asian spice, honey and soy. Tastes of black coal, sweet plums, seaweed, black tea and old dry earth. As old school as it always is but tamed, controlled, an old school character on its best behaviour. Australians love Grange because it's a straight shooter; there's nothing effete about it. It's a wine of conviction. It knows its game and it plays to its strengths. This 2008 is a release that illustrates perfectly what Grange is, and does. Importantly, style aside, it is a wine of enormous tannic power and quite remarkable length, and while we all might disagree on style we all agree that great wine is characterised by its length and, usually, by its ability to perform in the cellar. This wine has length in spades, and cellarability guaranteed. We know this because of its track record, but also because of its performance in the glass in front of us today; it tastes of the past, and will perform in the future." - The Wine Front, 22 April 2013.
"98% Shiraz, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. 19 months in new American hogsheads. 89% Barossa Valley, 9% Clare Valley, 2% Magill Estate. Really does have something different about the nose " plums, redcurrants, beautiful supple tannins, so elegant yet powerful. Long finish with a potency to the structure that deserves long maturation. Not juicy, not fruit-cakey. Fabulous purity. Very special." - jancisrobinson.com, 28th June 2013.
