Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny

Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny, Australia

Producer Tasting Note:

Deep amber, mahogany in colour with the green gold tinges indicative of great age. The nose is extremely complex and fragrant, possessing an array of nutty, vanillin, aged characters melding seamlessly with hints of raisined fruit, malt and lifted spirit. The palate effortlessly displays the famed attributes of great Tawny; luscious, rich and full flavoured with mouth filling viscosity and a slightly dry finish. Intense raisined fruit, walnut and toffee flavours harmonise with subtle vanillin oak. 

With an average age above 20 years, Grandfather Rare Tawny can be kept for cellaring but is blended to drink on release. 

The Grandfather name dates back to 1915, when an oak cask containing the finest blend of Tawny was set aside for the exclusive use of the Penfold family. This wine was known as The Grandfather due to the age of the oldest Tawny in the blend.

With a core selection of Mourvedre, Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache (but not limited to these varieties), Grandfather Rare Tawny sources fruit from vineyards specifically selected for fortified wine production. Only the free run wine is used for Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny and Penfolds uses a low strength fortifying spirit which is selected specifically for the Penfolds style. This spirit accentuates primary fruit character and adds additional complexity and seamless integration. 

Critics' Tasting Notes: 

"The Grandfather name refers to the age of the oldest Tawny in the blend, which was launched in 1915 when an oak cask containing the finest blend of available Tawny material was set aside for the exclusive use of the Penfold family. Each subsequent vintage supplied best-of-the-year batches aged individually in seasoned oak casks before blending at the 14 year mark. This blend is then introduced into the ‘Grandfather Solera’ over six stages, designed to integrate all components, leaving a minimum average age of 20 years. Some 13 varieties have made their way into Grandfather, but the backbone of the blend is shiraz, grenache, mataro, and cabernet. In all, 44 vintages from 1960 to 2004 are in the current bottling. The colour is a mix of tawny walnut brown with green edges. The nose mixes buttery, rancio, nutty notes mixed with caramel, vanilla, sweet raisins, and brown spice. It has a rich, sweet, supple texture, pitching licorice fruitcake, toffee, and orange peel in perfect balance. This is a top-quality bottle of fortified wine, and certainly one of the best made outside Spain or Portugal."

94/100 points, Gismondi On Wine, November 2023

"Beautifully varnished nose – really lifted and opulent, with an emphasis on the volatility. The sweetness matches with the savoury, biscuity nose and a touch of sour fruit too – what's that flavour, tamarind? Beautifully developed and expressive. Not just sweet and old – this is properly balanced and complex, with the same level of intensity."

17.5/20 points, Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2021

Also awarded 97/100 points, James Halliday Australian Wine Companion, 2014