1996 Penfolds Wines Grange South Australia

The most important element of the vast Beringer Blass/Southcorp group, Penfolds is best known for its legendary Grange Shiraz, Australia's most famous wine since it was established in the early 1950s. But Penfolds is a top source for red wines in every price range. (The cheap Koonunga Hill Shiraz/Cabernet, incidentally, is a terrific value in everyday red wine.) The Penfolds Cabernets are sometimes overshadowed by the Shiraz bottlings, but they are flamboyantly rich, structured wines that need time to absorb their tannins and reveal their underlying fruit. There's also a large white wine portfolio anchored by the Yattarna Chardonnay.

The most important element of the vast Beringer Blass/Southcorp group, Penfolds is best known for its legendary Grange Shiraz, Australia's most famous wine since it was established in the early 1950s. But Penfolds is a top source for red wines in every price range. (The cheap Koon... more