Bottle no. AV697. This vintage was destined to be one of the greatest Granges. In the flesh it is majestically complex, superbly focused and intense, and wondrously balanced. It has every black fruit flavour known to man or woman, and will become more magical with each passing decade. Oh for a screwcap.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2012 Grange sports an earthy/meaty nose with notes of tree bark, dusty earth, underbrush and chargrill over a core of dried mulberries and Christmas cake, plus hints of pepper and baking spices. Rich, medium to full-bodied and seductive, it has spicy layers and a long meaty/savory finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

A blend of 98% Shiraz and a leavening of just 2% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. This latest Grange is a typical, deeply saturated ruby in colour with an immensely seductive aromatic quality. Aromas of smoked meats, coconut and roasted coffee oak with a balsamic hint lead into a wonderful full-throttle, tongue-enveloping blackberry richness suffused with mocha, liquorice spiciness and a black olive background. A textured framework of tight but fine-grained tannins contains the fruit. The drinking window will open relatively early in three to four years and stay open for another 30 years plus. Read more at http://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/australia/south-australia/penfolds-grange-south-australia-australia-2012-7302#dvA2VLLbHCGItvrh.99

This vintage of Grange is 98 percent shiraz, the balance cabernet sauvignon, the sources limited to Barossa and McLaren Vale, where the mild 2012 season and its cool nights sustained even ripening in the grapes, with smaller-than-usual berries and bunch sizes. It’s a succulent vintage of Grange, fresh in its intensity, luscious in its elegance, cool in its lasting sense of incipient complexities. There’s nothing aggressive about the wine as it presents a range of flavors, from anise to blueberry skins and tart, fresh-picked blackberries, held in tension by the structure, which feels more fruit-driven than oak-derived (though if you consider it carefully, you can sense the oak in underlying notes of coffee and the crisp direction of the flavor). The tannins have a silky abrasion that sets this wine apart. Among the best releases of Grange in the modern era—under chief winemaker Peter Gago and his predecessor, John Duval—this is a wine to hold for decades.

Complex aromas of coffee, berry, chocolate and walnut follow through to a full-body, juicy and deep fruit and a polished, almost Teflon tannins. Deep and layered. Compressed palate. It shows incredible depth and excitement. The classic. Give it three to four years to open but already beautiful. Great for the cellar too.

Deep, shimmering ruby. An expansive, hugely complex bouquet evokes an array of black and blue fruit, floral and exotic spice qualities, along with vanilla, espresso, licorice and tobacco notes that build as the wine opens up. Utterly stains the palate with sappy cherry liqueur, cassis, floral pastille, fruitcake and bitter chocolate flavors that show superb detail and spicy back-end cut. The cherry and floral notes drive a strikingly long, focused finish that features sneaky tannins and a touch of smokiness. -- Josh Raynolds

Powerful and impressive, this seamless expression offers chai tea, sandalwood, dark chocolate, gingerbread and tobacco notes that complement the juicy black cherry fruit flavors at the core. Gains momentum on the finish. Intense but polished, revealing an air of weightlessness that lingers. Drink now through 2035. 357 cases imported. –MW

(19/20) Very dark purple. Floral notes and P Gago says ‘formic acid’. Heady and powerful. Such savour and yet breadth too. Very sweet but then cool. Great depth and reminds me of a cool pool in a wood. Spice and sweetness. Will not be disappointing. Very smart. Long and creamy. Really energetic. Luscious fruit.