Penfolds Grange 2020 is the house’s flagship red, built as a multi-regional South Australian blend rather than a single-vineyard statement. The wine is confirmed at 97% Shiraz and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from McLaren Vale (48%), Barossa Valley (40%) and Clare Valley (12%), notably with no Magill Estate Shiraz in the mix. It was matured for 20 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads and comes in at 14.5% alcohol (pH reported as 3.6).
The 2020 season context matters. Penfolds describes 2020 as drought-affected, with the Barossa recording its driest year on record, and yields reduced to small, concentrated fruit. Even so, the finished Grange is positioned as controlled rather than heavy. Penfolds characterizes the wine as “more opulent and slightly less muscular” than is typical, with ripe dark and blue fruits, plum cake, spice, dark chocolate, and herbal notes such as star anise, sage, and bay leaf.
Independent critical reception is consistently strong. James Suckling’s 97-point score stands out as the top published rating cited here, marking an excellent review in a lineup where the floor is already high. Wine Spectator also rates it an excellent 96 points. Wine Advocate (Erin Larkin) and Vinous (Antonio Galloni) each score it 95 points, reinforcing that the wine’s quality is widely agreed upon across major outlets.
A useful stylistic read comes from Campbell Mattinson, who notes a distinctive aromatic profile—“crushed ant” alongside plum sweetness—plus lifted mint, woodsmoke, and “vanilla cream,” a nod to Grange’s signature relationship with new American oak. Overall, Grange 2020 looks like a confident release from a difficult year: ripe, oak-framed, and polished, with enough restraint to avoid feeling simply forceful.
