98 Points James Halliday — Australia's Most Iconic Wine at Its Absolute Peak

My Wine Man on Penfolds Grange

Penfolds Grange is not merely Australia's greatest wine — it is one of the most celebrated and collected wines on earth. Created by the visionary Max Schubert in 1951 against the wishes of Penfolds management, Grange was initially rejected and nearly discontinued before being recognised as a masterpiece of winemaking. Today it stands as Australia's only First Growth equivalent, a wine that commands the attention of the world's finest collectors, sommeliers, and auction houses. Grange is a multi-regional blend, drawing on the finest Shiraz fruit from South Australia's most distinguished vineyards — Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Magill Estate, and beyond — unified by Penfolds' signature use of American oak and the extraordinary skill of its winemaking team. The 2004 vintage is widely regarded as one of the greatest Granges ever produced: a perfect storm of exceptional fruit quality, masterful blending, and two decades of patient cellaring that has transformed this wine into something truly transcendent.

Tasting Notes

Saturated purple-crimson colour; has an amazing depth to the bouquet, oak and black fruits already seamlessly woven. The longer you spend inhaling the aromas, the more you learn about the wine within — in much the same way as a Grand Cru red Burgundy. The palate delivers all that the bouquet promises, and then some; it has absolutely perfect proportions to the river of flavours running through blackberry, Satsuma plum, licorice and spice. The tannins are quite active, but totally balanced and ripe. 98 Points — James Halliday

Style & Drinking Window

Full-bodied and monumental in structure, the 2004 Grange is a wine of extraordinary power and precision. Now in its prime drinking window after two decades of cellaring, the tannins have fully integrated into a seamless, velvety frame that carries the wine's immense fruit concentration with effortless grace. Drink now through 2035 and beyond. Decant for a minimum of 2 hours — or better yet, open the bottle the morning of your dinner and allow it to breathe slowly throughout the day.

Food Pairing

The monumental depth, blackberry intensity, and perfectly ripe tannins of the 2004 Penfolds Grange make it the ultimate partner for Australian Sher Wagyu Rump Cap M8/9 from My Meat Man. The wine's licorice, plum, and spice complexity mirrors the extraordinary fat marbling and umami depth of M8/9 Wagyu beautifully — whether slow-roasted whole, reverse-seared and rested, or carved thick and served medium-rare with nothing more than sea salt and a resting jus.

Why This Is a Smart Buy

At HK$3,888, the 2004 Penfolds Grange Bin 95 represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of the greatest vintages of Australia's most iconic wine at a price that remains well below its international auction value. The 2004 Grange regularly trades at HK$5,000–8,000+ through Langton's, Christie's, and Sotheby's wine auctions — making this a compelling buy for both the serious collector and the wine lover who simply wants to experience one of the world's great bottles at its absolute peak.

Looking for a Different Style?

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