Penfolds Grange Bin 95 2010

The 2010 Grange is a 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 96% Shiraz blend made from Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate fruit that was aged 17 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. Very deep purple-black in color, this is classic Grange - amongst the finest produced - replete with fresh, vibrant and youthful black fruit notes showing some blueberry aromas and accents of camphor, anise and the slightest floral hint plus a whiff of oak in the background to lend a cedar-laced lift to this textbook Shiraz nose. Medium to full-bodied in the mouth, it is very taut and finely constructed showing typically firm, grainy, uniform tannins, great concentration and wonderful persistence on the finish. If I have any very slight complaint of this near perfect wine it is that it seems a little too clinical and appears to speak less of the land and the heart of South Australia and more of the very skilled winemaking than did the Grange from the magical 2008 vintage.

Deep dark ruby garnet, violet reflections, subtle lightening at the rim. Intense bouquet, intense sweet spices, sandalwood, nougat, extremely multifaceted aroma. Full-bodied, almost port-like nuances, finely structured, perfectly integrated tannins, great length, already irresistible, ripe cherries in the finish, if only one could stop there.

Focused, elegant, powerful and layered, exhibiting plum, currant, floral, spice and coffee flavors that come together seamlessly and persist on the long, complex finish. This has presence and deftness in equal measure, with well-integrated tannins. Best from 2018 through 2030. 371 cases imported.

This inky, embryonic wine deserves to be cellared until at least 2025 and should drink well for at least 25 years after that. It takes its time opening up in the glass to reveal notes of grilled meat, vanilla and plum. In the mouth, it's full bodied and firmly built, with a wall of chewy tannins surrounding a deep ripe core.

Complex but unshowy nose. Quite a cool plate entry and some real freshness. Lip-smacking tannins. Very powerful towards the end in fact. Sweet liquorice. Charcoal finish. Very vibrant. Lots packed in here. Lovely already!

Shows super fresh and vivid blue and black berries and a defiantly primary feel to the wine. Plenty of spice and tarry elements, too. There’s a lot to like here, barely getting started. Similar to 1990, but a notch or two superior. There’s an attractive, crisp-cut edge to the tannins, immense richness and impressive resolve. A great Grange. Drink or hold.

The deep spectrum of dark flavours – wild blackberry, mulberry, liquorice – speaks in an imposing baritone. The palate is rich, full and even, riding on a velvet carpet through the mid-palate, but then the curtain falls abruptly, suggesting more than its tightly wound finish currently reveals. This vintage remains a slightly impetuous youth growing into its skin, as behind the plush fruit there are tight tannins that still have a prickly edge. Let’s look again in another decade.