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2014 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

2014 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

98 RP

Featured Review
Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker | 98 RP

Critic Reviews

Rich, concentrated and intense, the 2014 Grange delivers exactly what we've come to expect from this Penfolds icon wine. It's full-bodied, velvety in feel and loaded with plummy fruit, framed in vanilla and cedar. Dense, powerful and tannic, it should prove to be long lived, even by Grange standards. Gago doesn't rate the vintage overall that highly, but he says the selection this year for Grange was a bit more stringent and that production levels were just average. There are still over 1,000 cases for the United States.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RP
At first glance, this is a purely indulgent wine, with gobs of creamy, milk chocolate–laden maraschino cherry, raspberry framboise and Earl Grey tea aromas. Then wave after wave of elements start filling in, with toasted cumin, peppermint oil, Kalamata olive and white pepper notes, combining into an almost overwhelming amount of details. Becomes indulgent again on the long, lush finish. Drink now through 2035. 1,088 cases imported.

Wine Spectator | 98 WS
It’s always a pleasure to taste what unquestionably the reference point wine for Australia, and the 2014 Grange doesn’t disappoint. From a more difficult vintage for South Australia, it’s a blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon that spent 20 months in all new American oak hogsheads, hitting a normal alcohol level of 14.5 with a healthy pH and acidity. Inky purple/blue colored, it offers a rocking bouquet of ripe plums, blueberries, vanilla bean, espresso, and graphite, with hints of mint and flowers developing with time in the glass. Deep, rich, fabulously concentrated, and pure on the palate, it stays tight and compact, with notable precision and length. It’s a seriously structured yet impeccably balanced effort that needs a solid 5-6 years to shed some tannin and gain volume, and will keep for 2+ decades after that.

Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JD
The latest vintage of this iconic wine is more approachable and elegant than in previous years. This 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon blend offers an ocean of aromas: plum, mocha, coffee, tomato leaf, black olive, ground pepper, cedar, wet tarmac and sage. These tones swell toward a beautifully balanced palate that is powerful yet poised and silky in texture. The American oak is there but feels quieter than it has in the past, letting other nuances wash ashore, all held afloat by fine-grained herb and salt-flecked tannins. While other vintages seem untouchable in their youth, the 2014, with time in decanter, could offer immediate gratification yet still cellar well through 2044.

Wine Enthusiast | 97 WE
Shows a cooler and more savory style from the get go. Darker, spicy aromas with notes of clove and soy, blackberries, bracken and wood, dried orange and dark chocolate. The depth of flavor is undeniable. There's elegance here too, in the sense that it is chiseled and contained, only broadening out at the finish. This has some growth to come in the bottle. Peter Gago’s description of the tannins as 'slaty' is spot on; they are dark, stony and slick, smooth and strong. The flavors hang long into a tight, toasty and spicy finish. Luxuriant, long and powerful. A blend of 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Wrattonbully, Coonawarra, Clare Valley and Magill Estate. 20 months in 100 per cent new American-oak hogsheads. Try from 2025 and best after 2030.

James Suckling | 96 JS
Grange is a blend from Penfolds’ top vineyards and best growers, including fruit from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Wrattonbully (a first for Grange), Coonawarra, Clare Valley and the Magill Estate in the Adelaide Hills, where the winery got its start. That fruit selection finishes fermentation in new American oak barrels, where it then ages for 20 months. Peter Gago, who oversees the winemaking team, notes that winter and early-season rains differed substantially from Barossa and Clare down to McLaren Vale and Coonawarra. It was a warm summer to the north, with heat spikes in the south; then rain delayed harvest, allowing the fruit to ripen under generally cooler weather. That, in turn, allowed Gago to blend a plump, succulent Grange with complex layers of flavor, completely savory and ripe. The flavors might bring to mind black olive, black currant and seedy blackberries, accelerated by the espresso scents of new oak. There’s a restrained, slow-motion mineral explosion in the end, taking days to develop, lasting with a formality and elegance that belies the wine’s intoxicating richness. Great vintages of Grange last for decades; the original wines from the 1950s and ’60s are still remarkably fit, as this one should be decades from now. Treasury Wine Estates, Napa, CA

Wine & Spirits | 96 W&S
Hill of Grace's rival for Shiraz supremacy is surely the fabled Grange from Penfold's, which, in complete contrast, is and has always been, a multiregional blend. It's opaque in colour, with dense aromas of plums and fruitcake, cloves, raw meat, and mint cake - truly complex if rather overbearing. The palate is similarly bold and full-bodied, with immense tannins though not overblown. Robust and structured, of course, showing great energy and texture, but essentially monolithic. Very long. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042

Decanter | 94 DEC

Wine Details for 2014 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

Type of Wine Australia Red : Australia is one of the New World's most innovative and reputable regions, and a sip or two of their glorious red wines can quickly explain why. Infused with the essence of noble grapes such as Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, these reds will take your senses on a thrill ride.
Varietal Shiraz/Syrah : Something magical occurred when two ancient French grapes procreated and the varietal of Syrah entered the world of winegrowing. The exact time period of its inception is still undetermined; however, the origin of Syrah’s parentage confirms it was birthed in the Rhone Valley. DNA testing performed by UC Davis has indicated that Syrah is the progeny of the varietals Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche, both of Rhone origin. Syrah dominates its native homeland of Northern Rhone and has become one of the most popular grape varietals in the world.

Syrah, Shiraz and Petite Sirah have often been confused and misunderstood, some consumers believing them to all be the same grape, while others thinking the opposite. Petite Sirah is actually the offspring of Syrah and Peloursin and though related, is an entirely different grape variety. Its official name is Durif, for the name of the French nurseryman who first propagated the varietal in the 1880s; it is called Petite Sirah in California (due to the resemblance of Syrah, but smaller berries). Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape. Producers in Australia have been labelling Syrah as “Shiraz” since James Busby first introduced the varietal to the continent. The Scottish viticulturist brought Syrah from France to Australia in the middle of the 18th century and labelled the cuttings as “Sycras” and “Ciras,” which may have led to the naming. Most California vintners label their bottlings as Syrah and of course in French style and tradition, the name of the village or area the grape is cultivated dictates the label name.

The Syrah grape is at home in Northern Rhone where the climate is cool and the terroir is filled with gravel, schist, limestone, iron, granite and sandy soils. It thrives on rocky, hilly terrain with a southern exposure, due to its need for sunlight. Syrah is a very vigorous grape with a spreading growth habit. The berries are small to medium oval shaped blue-black and tend to shrivel when ripe.

Today, Syrah is one of the most popular and widely planted grape varietals in the world, covering almost 190,000 hectares across the earth’s surface. It is the only red grape variety permitted by AOC regulations in the appellations of Hermitage and Cote-Rotie, where it has breathed life into some of the most tremendous wines on the planet. Languedoc-Roussilon has the most surface area planted in France with 43,200 hectares dedicated to Syrah. The varietal is used for blending in Southern Rhone, Provence and even Bordeaux. Syrah has spread worldwide from Australia to California and South Africa to Spain creating the ‘New World’ hype of the varietal. Since the 1990’s, Syrah winegrowing and production has increased exponentially; for example, in 1958 there were a mere 2,000 hectares planted in France. By 2005 that number increased to over 68,000 hectares and today it is well over 70,000. The same holds true for California, Australia and other ‘New World’ producers that have jumped “all in.” World-wide there are approximately 190,000 hectares of Syrah currently being cultivated.

The allure of Syrah has taken the world by storm, but is important to note where the hype began. Long before Syrah was being stamped with ‘New World’ or of ‘cult status,’ the tremendous quality of Hermitage was being written about in Thomas Jefferson’s diary. Today, the grape variety can be grown, fashioned, named and enjoyed in a myriad of ways, but the quality of Syrah grape remains the same – incredible.

Country Australia : In the past few decades, Australian wine has broken through the “Rest of the World” category and into one of the top players in today’s market. It burst onto the scene in the 1980s offering the world vibrant, fruit forward wines of exceptional value. A decade later, Australian vintners were producing intense, concentrated examples of Shiraz (Syrah), Grenache and red blends which began to dominate the wine market. Today, it is an extremely important wine producing country, both in terms of quality and scale.



Australia boasts 150,000 hectares under vine with an annual output of 10.6 million hectoliters, placing it sixth among all leading wine producers in the world. The country has 2,500 wineries and around 6,000 growers, who operate under a complex appellation system with over 65 distinct designations. Many of today’s brands, such as Penfold’s, Clarendeon Hills and D’Arenberg, have a strong international presence as do its well-trained and well-qualified wine professionals, who have spread their expertise to many corners of the world.



Shiraz (Syrah) has greatly contributed to the country’s success and rise to international recognition. Of the 150,000 hectares currently being cultivated in Australia, 99,000 are planted to Syrah. The country remains behind only France in regards to vineyard space and export proportion. Chardonnay has become its second largest export and together with Syrah, have propelled the Australian economy, which sees $40 billion in wine exports each year. The country now boasts a plethora of grape varieties, from Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir to Riesling and Semillon. This is greatly possible due to Australia’s vast topography, climate and terroir.



Australia’s vast size and huge range of climatic geographical conditions, makes it one of the most versatile winegrowing countries in the world. Overall, the climate is affected by the latitude, but regional features such as altitude and proximity to the oceans also plays a significant role. From coastal influenced areas using cooler climate varietals in Victoria to the northern reaches and its Mediterranean climatic influence to Tasmania in the south, which is known for graceful Pinot Noir and sparkling wines. The portfolio of grape varieties greatly reflects this immense geographical and climatic diversity.



The country has played a major role in the globalization of wine over the past 40 years, with its many brands and its global awareness of Syrah. It has long been at the forefront of the New World winemaking renaissance and dedicated to research and development of new industry implantation of technology in the vineyard and cellar. There is a bit of irony in its New World methods, as Australia boasts some of the oldest productive grape vines in the world (due to the fact that it has not yet been affected by phylloxera). This polarizing idea makes the region even more intriguing but also allows for a large range of production, from inexpensive Chardonnay to intense, complex Shiraz.


Region South Australia : The South Australian landscape is almost surreal in its beauty. It's a seemingly endless expanse of fields stretching out into the horizon, and it's easy to appreciate what a mixture of soils like this contributes to mouth-watering, delicious wines. With a variety of grapes ranging from Syrah (or as it's known in Australia, Shiraz), Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to Riesling, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, it's no surprise that South Australia is easily considered one of the biggest powerhouses in the wine world.

Given the sheer number of represented varietals, it's hard to pinpoint a signature taste, but that just means you get to enjoy exploring this region to your heart's content, always discovering new pleasures as you go. The quality is consistently high, and every wine offers something unique and different, making them a joy to collect. Whether you prefer reds or whites, Australian winemakers should at least be near the top of your priority list, as their wines are inspirational, compelling and powerful. We've prepared a selection of fine wines from every important sub-region of South Australia. There's something in here for everyone, and you can be sure that your guests will suddenly become very inquisitive about where you obtained the bottles you decide to uncork in front of them.

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