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97 Wine Spectator
A wine of surprising subtlety for the vintage, playing its ripe cherry, red plum and herb flavors against firm tannins that have a bit of grit to them. But those lively cherry and raspberry flavors burst through, and there's a nice hint of green herbs lingering around the finish, which doesn't subside easily.--Australian reds blind retrospective. 9,000 cases made. –HS
96 Robert Parker
Very deep garnet in color, the 1998 Penfolds Grange has shut itself away into a closed stage at this time, offering a subdued core of blackberry preserves and blackcurrant cordial with nuances of smoked bacon, black olives, sandalwood and sweaty leather. The full bodied, taut, muscular palate is firmly structured with chewy tannins and enlivening acidity, finishing long and savory. Consider drinking it 2016 to 2030+.
Producer
Penfolds
Since the renaissance of Australian wine in the early 1950s, Penfolds has distinguished themselves early on as one of the most important forerunners. Max Schubert became the Chief Winemaker of the almost 200-year-old estate in 1948, beginning his journey to create Bordeaux inspired wines. Located in South Australia, their key vineyards are spread across the best viticulture regions: Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, the Clare Valley, Coonawarra, the Limestone Coast and McLaren Vale. Responsible for Australia’s most iconic wine, called Grange, which remains at the pinnacle of the estate’s production, has had over five consistent decades of promising quality. Blended primarily of Barossa and McLaren Vale Syrah, with a bit of Cabernet, Grange is aged in American oak, and the end result is a complete and powerful wine, with a strong vocation for aging. Penfolds produces a handful of other top reds, each is more complex than the next, and with fruit coming from selected vineyard sites the wines are characteristically representative of their origins.