2017 Penfolds Grange Hermitage

One of the few Granges to be 100% Shiraz. Tasted by both Richard and Jancis in 2021. Vanilla nose and much more candied cherry fruit on the nose than the others. It still smells of the new American oak it was aged in. Such a baby, although dangerously approachable. Front-loaded with desperately intense, sweet fruit – as if it's an essence of itself. But also very tightly sheathed in new oak and white-knuckle-clenched tannins. (TC)

70th anniversary year. 86% Barossa, 14% McLaren Vale. 100% Shiraz. Delivers absolutely everything you want from Grange: the fruit is knee-weakeningly gorgeous, the oak fits in beautifully, and there's endless length that gives a thoughtful, engaging aftertaste. (RH)

Full bottle 1,525 g. Carefully sourced fruit from Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in the relatively cool vintage of 2017. 100% Shiraz (for only the seventh time after 1951, 1952, 1963, 1999, 2000 and 2011). Aged for 18 months in new American oak hogsheads. Blackish garnet – very concentrated colour. Here we are verging on port country! Though it harks back to RWT. It's not one of the most dramatic Granges and is a little tight on the palate at the moment. It desperately needs time in bottle to show its mettle. Still very muscular and introvert, with some aromatic herbs but not much flesh for the moment. Wait! But for more immediate pleasure, head for RWT 2019. (JR)