This vintage was seriously affected by drought, and the devastating Ash Wednesday bushfires. Summer rainfall was half the average, following by record rains and flooding in March. "Deep brick red with brown edges, this smoky, meaty, cigarboxy and slightly varnishy Grange reveals a powerful bouquet of developed leathery complexity. Tannic, thickly structured and muscular, its deep, briary flavours of licorice, plums and cassis culminates in a drying, lingering finish. A powerful, still rather closed wine with a very long future indeed" -JeremyOliver.com

Penfolds Grange, blossoms with fifteen to twenty years of bottle age, when most other reds have past their best, and better vintages can live and continue developing for decades longer. A self-taught, practical winemaker with a natural inquisitiveness for winemaking theory, creator Max Schubert embraced a romantic view of winemaking. Though he retired as Chief Winemaker at Penfolds in 1973, Max remained involved as a mentor and Winemaker Emeritus for another 20 vintages. 1993 is an earlier maturing vintage under Magnum, kept optimumly cellared

The 1991 Grange shocked me with its sweet, forward display of jammy black fruits, smoke, roasted coffee, and copious toasty oak scents and flavors. This mouthfilling Grange, inevitably becomes more complex and civilized with ten or more years of cellaring" -Apr 1997 Robert Parker. "This wine is generous, open, and sweet in its personality. A very lush, open-knit style with full body, high glycerin, low acidity, and superb purity. It is a very jammy, voluptuous wine, dominated by its creme de cassis fruit intermixed with tar and licorice" -Robert Parker Feb 2002

Deep plum-red colour. Brooding nose of praline, plum and blueberry. Layered succulent and stylish full oak palate. Earthy fruit flavours of plum and chocolate and very rich chunky chewy tannins. Excellent balance and length!" -Winestate.com, "A massive wine, with cascades of potent plum, cherry and blackberry fruit swirling around wafts of black pepper, bay leaf and exotic spice, which last and last on the finish, hinting at smoky, meaty notes. It's all packed in tightly, suggesting this should evolve spectacularly with age!" -Winespectator.com

Sourced from Kalimna in the Barossa, McLaren Vale, the Magill Estate and Padthaway. An exceptional vintage in both quality and quantity. "Perfectly profound Grange. As bouncingly youthful as can be imagined – though remarkably approachable too. Gorgeous plum-fruit depth, choc-and-vanilla richness, sumptuous depth and length and a terrific pull of tight, ploughing, statuesque tannins. Impeccable South Australian shiraz!" -Winefront.com.au, "A mighty Grange, syrupy in texture, thick with good fruit and flawless oak, unblemished and refined!" -Vinicraft.com

The wait for this Grange 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 wonderful vintages. "It tastes spectacular. Perfect structure, depth and length. Espresso, crushed ants, blood plums, earth, malt, Asian spice, bay leaf, black tea, pan juices. If you are ever going to buy a new-release Grange, this is the one, 99 points!" -Winefront.com.au