outlooks. The progress through the ages highlights the generations of effort associated with over seven decades of winemaking. The 1950s are mainly experimental wines, but they also highlight a very high level of technical knowledge and expertise. The 1951 vintage was never meant to be released, and bottles were stored in the cellars at Penfolds Magill for over 30 years before the vintage was rediscovered. Previously, 1952 was considered to be the first vintage. However, 1951 was really a disappointment, as it never had the fruit power, structure or complexity to last the distance. It is somewhat ironic that 1951 Grange commands such a massive price at auction. On the other hand, it represents an important fragment of Australian history. When Max Schubert was deprived of resources, he still carried on with his Grange project, but the secret vintages, with the exception of 1959, never had the fruit power, the volume, or the oak integration to go the distance. But all things considered, including the wisdom of hindsight, 1952, 1953 and 1955 were simply outstanding examples of highly skilled winemaking. Grange became well known in the 1960s with some stellar vintages and show results, but the last few vintages of the decade were average, reflecting the challenges of the growing seasons. By this time some younger members of the winemaking team believed that Grange had an unacceptable level of volatile acidity. Max Schubert saw it as a way to achieve more lift and complexity, but this could become accentuated with age. During 1970s this feature disappeared, and the wines were better for it. Also, maturation and bottling times were adjusted to bring more freshness to the style. By the 1980s the wines showed more clarity and polish. While still ethereal and buoyant, Grange enjoyed increasing stature. Vineyard sourcing and tannin management saw the wines improve, with increasing pure fruit definition and chocolaty textures, effectively lifting the transparency of the vintage and evening out lesser years. By the 1990s Grange became recognised as an international First Growth. This was helped by a more visible multi-media and rapid forms of communication. The combination of improved sourcing, classification, winemaking and oak maturation during this decade elevated the style even further, giving the wines more complexity, density and integration.
12
The Vintage Journal – Verticals
Powered by FlippingBook