Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny in Gift Box
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Wong
Wilfred -
Parker
Robert
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Winemaker Notes
The color is a deep tawny with a distinctive yellow-green edge characteristic of extended wood maturation. On the nose are intense raisin fruits, fruitcake, liquorice, roasted walnuts all integrated together seamlessly with a freshness contradicting age. On the palate is classical Penfolds fruitcake, liquorice and vanillin oak flavours with a sweet full and round mid-palate, and a finish that persists on and on.
With each vintage, varietal batches are selected for Grandfather. These batches are individually aged in seasoned old oak casks before being blended together at 14 years of age. This blend is then introduced into the ‘Grandfather Solera’. This Solera consists of six stages that are designed to fully integrate all components offering consistency and freshness with a final minimum average blended age of 20 years.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The Penfolds Grandfather 20 Years Rare Tawny has always been a star amongst dessert wines. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings aromas and flavors of caramel, oxidative notes, cream, and black fruit. Just savory it by itself and conversations with a friend or two. (Tasted: September 24, 2021, Rutherford, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 20 year old Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny is a pale tawny color with a touch of brick. On the nose it is a bit spirituous and shows notes of raisins and fruit cake, some hazelnut and crème brulée. The palate shows even more nuttiness and depth along with greater freshness and acidity, though it seems drier than the Father. It finishes very long almost like a sweet oloroso or amontillado.
Penfolds has been producing remarkable wines since 1844 and indisputably led the development of Australian fine wine in the modern era. The introduction of Penfolds Grange in 1951 forever changed the landscape of Australian fine wine. Since then a series of stand-out wines both white and red have been released under the Penfolds masthead.
Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker and only the 4th custodian of Grange, relishes the opportunity to bring Penfolds to the world stage and is an enthusiastic ambassador and natural educator. Penfolds came to the attention of the US market when 1990 Grange was Wine Spectator’s ‘Wine of the Year’. Since then, Penfolds Grange has become one of the most collectable wines of the world and was honored to grace the front cover, once again, of Wine Spectator, with declarations of Grange as Australia’s Icon.
Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.
A large, climatically diverse country with incredibly diverse terrain, producing just about every wine style imaginable, Australia has a grand winemaking history and some of the oldest vines on the planet. Both red wine and white wine from Australian are wildly popular and beloved. Most of Australia's wine regions are concentrated in the south of the country with those inland experiencing warm, dry conditions and those in coastal areas receiving tropical, maritime or Mediterranean weather patterns. Australia has for several decades been at the forefront of winemaking technology and has widely adopted the use of screwcaps, even for some premium and ultra-premium bottles. Thanks to the country’s relatively agreeable climate throughout and the openness of its people, experimentation is common and ongoing.
Shiraz is indeed Australia’s most celebrated and widely planted variety; Barossa Valley leads the way, producing exceptionally bold and supple versions. Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia's second most planted variety, can be blended with Shiraz but also shines on its own particularly in Coonawarra and Margaret River. Grenache and Mourvèdre are also popular, both on their own and alongside Shiraz in Rhône Blends. Chardonnay is common throughout the country and made in a wide range of styles. Sauvignon Blanc has recently surged in popularity to compete with New Zealand’s distinctive version and Semillon is often blended in Margaret River or shines on its own in the Hunter Valley. Riesling thrives in the cool-climate Clare and Eden Valleys. Sticky-sweet fortified wine Rutherglen is a beloved regional specialty of Victoria.