Penfolds Bin 95 Grange 2003

South Australia 2003 Penfolds

"It's right up there with the strong ones," Gago said ahead of the release.
"We have had a number of reviews so far and the points given to it vary from 94 to 98 (out of 100) around the world from the few journalists who have seen it.
"From our perspective it's very solid, I have used the word stoic Grange - it's the real thing.
"Grange has never been the most alcoholic, or the most oaky, or highest extract, or most concentrated wine in Australia, it doesn't want to be.

"But the `03 has got all of those layers of complexity that will take it 30, 40, 50 years."

As chief winemaker at Penfolds, Gago acknowledges the pressure of making a wine officially declared a heritage icon by the National Trust of South Australia.

"There is more and more pressure every year," Gago said."But not only internally - obviously there are economic pressures, there are reputation pressures - but now it's a bit of a beacon for Australian wine.

"We have never been arrogant enough to say it's Australia's best wine."But it's a wine that has hung in there now for well over half a century and it's always up there, it's the sort of wine that turns heads anywhere globally. "So we're the thin edge of the wedge and others follow in the wake.

"Grange is still at the head of the pack in terms of that reputation and the perception formed offshore, so there is as much pressure from that perspective as there is about the wine in the bottle and how many points does it get."It is a flag bearer."
The 2003 Grange features primarily Barossa Valley shiraz, with smaller amounts of shiraz from McLaren Vale, south of Adelaide, and Penfolds' Magill Estate vineyard in metropolitan Adelaide. The wine's 3.5 per cent cabernet sauvignon was sourced from SA's Coonawarra region.

"I'm confident about the `03, it looks terrific, and it's not going to fall in a heap because it's already fine and it just gets better and better by the month," Gago said.