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The story of Grange began with a side trip to Bordeaux in 1950, where a wine ‘capable of staying alive for a minimum of twenty years’ first entered Max Schubert’s mind. His first experimental vintage in 1951 began a new way of thinking that would eventually lead to a signature wine style, but not before Grange was discredited and Max Schubert was forced to make the wine in secrecy.
Inspired by his trip and the venerable wines of Bordeaux, Max Schubert dreamt of making a full-bodied, well-balanced red wine capable of aging.
On his return to Australia, Max began experimenting with shiraz fruit from Magill Estate and Morphett Vale. Combining tradition, new ideas from Bordeaux and scientist Ray Beckwith’s groundbreaking findings, Max crafted his first experimental Grange in 1951 – named after ‘Grange Cottage’ – the first Australian home of our founders, Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold.
All winemakers should possess a good fertile imagination if they are to be successful in their craft.
- Max Schubert, Penfolds First Chief Winemaker
1957 marked a critical juncture in Grange’s evolution and Schubert’s dream. A tasting for senior management and wine experts rendered unfavourable criticism, leading to Grange’s dismissal by the Penfolds board. Undeterred, Max persevered. He embarked on a secret endeavour at the Magill underground cellars, and in partnership with Jeffrey Penfold Hyland, three ‘hidden’ Grange vintages (1957, 1958, 1959) were produced. By 1960, the board recognised the value of wine aging, and Grange was triumphantly reinstated, solidifying its ascent to the icon it is today.
The timeless appeal of Grange resides in its unwavering commitment to an unchanged style, from experimental vintages to the present. Grange is memorable for its aromatic complexity, intensely rich fruit, ripe tannins of shiraz and nuanced American oak. Partial barrel fermentation and 18 to 20 months of oak maturation enhance these qualities, while further ageing in the bottle allows the wine to evolve, with tannins softening and complexity building.
With an unbroken line of vintages since 1951 and enshrined as a South Australian heritage icon, the legacy continues as one of Australia’s most collected wines. Our winemakers continue to nurture each successive vintage, honouring Grange’s storied past and shaping the future through our pursuit of excellence.
The stories of Grange Shiraz epitomise how imagination and gut feel transcend numbers. Max Schubert pushed boundaries because he wasn’t constrained by scientific dogma and dared to believe in himself.
- Peter Gago, Penfolds Chief Winemaker
In a sign of Max Schubert’s determination to make his mark on Australia’s wine industry, he did whatever he could to get his foot in the door at Penfolds, joining the company as a messenger boy in 1931. By 1948, at the age of 33, Max Schubert became Penfolds first Chief Winemaker.
In the latter part of 1950, Schubert was sent to Europe to investigate winemaking practices in Spain & Portugal. On a side trip to Bordeaux, Schubert was inspired and impressed by the French cellared-style wines and dreamed of making ‘something different and lasting’ of his own.
Back in Adelaide, in time for the 1951 vintage, Max Schubert set about looking for appropriate ‘raw material’ and Shiraz was his grape of choice.
Combining traditional Australian techniques, inspiration from Europe and precision winemaking practices developed at Penfolds, Schubert made his first experimental wine in 1951.
Max Schubert was asked to show his efforts in Sydney to top management, invited wine identities and personal friends of the board. To his horror the Grange experiment was universally disliked and Schubert was ordered to shut down the project. What might have been enough to bury Grange in another winemaker’s hands, only made Max more determined to succeed.
Max continued to craft his Grange vintages in secret, hiding three vintages ’57, ’58 and ’59, in depths of the cellars. Eventually the Penfolds board ordered production of Grange to restart, just in time for the 1960 vintage. From then on, international acknowledgment and awards were bestowed on Grange, including the 1990 vintage of Grange which was named Wine Spectator’s Red Wine of the Year in 1995.
Grange’s reputation as one of the world’s most celebrated wines continues to grow today. On its 50th birthday in 2001, Grange was listed as a South Australian heritage icon, while the 2008 Grange vintage achieved a perfect score of 100 points by two of the world’s most influential wine magazines. With every new generation of Penfolds winemakers, Max Schubert’s remarkable vision is nurtured and strengthened.
The first vintage of Grange to be released commercially.
The most decorated Grange and a favourite of Max Schubert's.
The only Australian Winery to receive 100 points from Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, two of the world's leading wine magazines, for the same vintage.
