Penfolds Grange has maintained its place as Australia's most prestigious red wine over four decades. An Australian icon, Grange represents a tradition in winemaking that is totally uncompromising. Grange has bypassed the fads and trends of modern winemaking in the sense that it has maintained an integrity of style and remained true to its origins in the mind of Max Schubert. An unusually wet (but hot) growing season, the 1979 was sourced from the Kalimna and other Barossa vineyards, the Clare Valley, Magill Estate and the McLaren Vale

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

By the early sixties, Penfolds Grange had secured its future. The experimental work carried out by Max Schubert left lasting impressions. Penfolds work in research and development, working hand in hand with new ideas within the constraints of the knowledge of the time, resulted in an emerging Penfolds house style. This is the first Grange to use grapes from the cool-climate Coonawarra district. The wine won two Gold and three Silver medals in Australian wine shows between 1963 and 1968. Bottles labelled Bin numbers 95 and 395

Winemaker John Duval called the 1981 a big, tannic Grange. A warm to hot, drought-affected summer yielded a powerfully concentrated wine with chocolate raisin fruit, earthy nuances, and pleasant oak. "Fresh white-toast aromas sit above a sea of blackberry jam and leather – this is a very fragrant wine, with a citrussy lift built in and a palate that, while drying out, has complexity to burn: old leather, dried herbs, dried meat, earth, a sweet stemminess and toffee-topped licorice. The finish is tired, but there’s still life left" -Winefront.com.au

Winemaker John Duval called the 1981 a big, tannic Grange. It is just that, a very powerful, inky, purple-colored wine that is still almost primary and unevolved in its surprising youthfulness. This formidably endowed, broodingly backward, thick, full-bodied, muscular wine has a boatload of chocolate-infused plum, caramel, and cassis flavors. With high tannin, huge grip, and some propensity toward austerity, this is a monster Grange that may not totally assimilate the high levels of tannin, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about its future" -Robert Parker Feb 2002

1975 was the year Max Schubert retired from his post as Chief Winemaker, although he remained a consultant to Penfolds and kept an office at Magill Estate. He was succeeded by Don Ditter, who had worked with Penfolds as a winemaker since 1946. Penfolds 1975 Grange won two Gold and five other medals at Australian wine shows between 1976 and 1981. "A very powerful, rich, deep, muscular wine with enormous concentration, plenty of glycerin and sweetness, and remarkable freshness and vigor!" -Robert Parker Feb 2002