Always the focus of the Collection, especially so when it hails from what has become a legendary vintage. The expectations for the 2021 Grange were simply that this had to be a great Grange. Anything short of that might even be deemed a failure and this is indeed an extraordinary Grange. Quite simply, a wow wine. As always, a variety of regions contributed – the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley. As is usual, though not inevitable, there is a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, 6% for 2021, and the wine spent a year and a half maturing in new American hogsheads. No wonder Peter Gago’s response was a face-splitting smile and to confirm he was “very, very pleased”. Maroon/black in hue, one simply gets lost in the nose, just endlessly sniffing the most glorious cassis notes, along with black fruits, blueberries, coffee beans, aniseed, mulberries, delicatessen meats, tobacco leaves, plums and graphite. The wine is seamless, intense and immaculate with knife-edge balance. It simply dances with joy. The oak is there, undeniably, but it is so well handled that you almost have to think twice. So complex already, and yet so harmonious and decadent. Silky tannins, bright acidity, the intensity never wavers for an instant and there is incredible length – Rutherglen muscat(more...)

We've been waiting patiently for the Grange release from the stellar '21 vintage and it certainly lives up to the hype. An impenetrable magenta/crimson in the glass, with the telltale aromatic clout and the light V.A. lift of an embryonic Grange clearly evident as you place your nose in the glass. There's an incredible depth of fruit here. Deep blackberry, blackcurrant and plum compote with hints of graphite, coal dust, violets, wood spice, olive tapenade, oak, blackforest cake, pan juices, panforte, Dutch licorice and earth. The tannins – strong yet powdery – provide ample structure to the wine as it finishes long and deep, resonating perfectly. There is no doubt that this will be considered one of the great Grange releases.

Long have I awaited the launch of Grange from the season I admire more than any other in recent decades across south-eastern Australia. The dream combination of a cool spring, average summer and mild autumn furnished slow and even ripening. But the outcome was never a given, as there is great challenge in capturing the energy and grace of such a cool season without compromising or contradicting the inimitable magnitude that is Grange. The wizardry of Peter Gago and his team have juggled this juxtaposition with masterful skill. A core of black fruits of all kinds reverberates with dramatic power, accented with liquorice straps, sarsaparilla and high cocoa dark chocolate. The signature volatile acidity of Grange has been impeccably judged, adding subtle hints of black olives, coal steam and crushed ants. The tannin profile is a wonder to behold, a captivating splay of fine-grained fruit and oak structure that envelops the mouth, wonderfully elevated and interlocked with cool season acidity that spiral upward in tandem, each propelling the other, setting a stance that promises to hold as long as any in the storied history of Grange. This is a vintage that demands at least 30 years before approaching, and will confidently continue to marvel for half a century and perhaps beyond.

Deep crimson. Very expressive blackberry, praline, roasted hazelnut, espresso crème brulée aromas with lifted Indian spice/ balsamic notes. Deeply concentrated blackberry, dark chocolate flavours, lovely mid-palate volume, plentiful fine chalky/ al dente tannins and well-balanced roasted chestnut, mocha, roasted coffee notes. Finishes gravelly with superb choco-berry fruits. A beautifully modulated claret-style harking back to the original blueprint. Should develop into a classic Grange.

Deep, dark dense colour; a classic Grange bouquet of mocha, dark chocolate, black fruits, tar/bitumen, espresso coffee and even a trace of licorice. A very concentrated and very tannic wine: Black Forest cake, rum-and-raisin chocolate. It has it all. Masses of mouth-coating tannins, drying the finish off cleanly. Long carry. A very good Grange indeed, and long term. (Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley. 6% cabernet sauvignon)