Grange 2013 Aevum Limited Edition Decanter
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Rated 100/100 by Wine Advocate (top 1% of their reviews).
From our sommelier team
The 2013 Penfolds Grange (predominantly Shiraz with a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced across South Australia) presented in a special hand-blown Saint-Louis crystal decanter — a packaging/collector release rather than a distinct wine.
Producer history
Penfolds Grange traces to 1951, when winemaker Max Schubert produced an experimental batch after studying Bordeaux winemaking techniques on a European trip. Company management initially found the wine's dense, powerful style commercially unappealing and ordered production halted in 1957; Schubert continued making it in secret for several vintages before it was reinstated and went on to become Australia's most acclaimed and internationally recognized wine, often described as the country's 'first growth.' The Aevum decanter program itself is a modern marketing/packaging initiative layered on top of that heritage rather than part of the wine's founding history — it reflects Penfolds' broader strategy of releasing limited packaging editions of top vintages, but it is not a separate winemaking lineage.
Signature pairings
- Char-grilled dry-aged sirloin — Grange's density and dark fruit need the fat and char of a well-marbled steak to balance its concentration and tannin.
- Kangaroo loin with native pepperberry jus — A domestic pairing echoing Grange's own origins — lean, gamey kangaroo with a peppery jus complements the wine's spice and savory depth without the heaviness of fattier cuts.
- Slow-braised beef massaman (แกงมัสมั่นเนื้อ) — Massaman's low chili heat and warm baking spices (cinnamon, star anise) sit comfortably alongside Grange's espresso and dark-spice character, avoiding the capsaicin clash that would occur with spicier Thai dishes against this tannic a wine.
When Lisa Perrotti-Brown awarded the 2013 Grange a perfect 100 points for Wine Advocate, she was scoring a wine built on a deliberate act of winemaking transgression: Max Schubert's original decision to complete fermentation inside new American oak hogsheads — a technique borrowed from Bordeaux but executed in a vessel slightly larger than a barrique, producing a textural integration no post-fermentation racking can replicate. That founding logic remains unchanged in 2013.
The fruit draws primarily from Barossa Valley (typically 77–82% of the blend), where ancient, deep alluvial and sandy loam soils — phylloxera-free, ungrafted — force vines to root deep for water, concentrating flavour into small, thick-skinned berries. McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, and Clare Valley fill the remaining parcels, each selected by Chief Winemaker Peter Gago for fruit quality over geographic consistency — the deliberate anti-terroir philosophy that defines the house.
The blend runs ~93–98% Shiraz with up to 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in small open-top stainless steel tanks before barrel completion, then aged 18–20 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads, followed by extended bottle maturation under natural cork at 14.5% ABV. The Aevum decanter format is a limited-release presentation of the same wine, not a separate cuvée.
The 2013 is described as concentrated and precise — a structured, cellar-demanding expression drinking well from now through the 2040s and beyond.
Details
- Country
- Australia
- Region
- South Australia
- Variety
- Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage
- 2013 **
- Bottle size
- 750 ml
** Vintage may change — please confirm with our team before ordering.
Taste profile
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- Medium
- Tannin
- High
Pairs well with
- Cured meats & charcuterie
- Mushroom & truffle dishes
- Indian & spiced dishes
- Creamy pasta & risotto
- Hard & aged cheese
- Game meats
Sommelier’s pick: Slow-roasted Wagyu short rib with bone marrow jus · Char-grilled dry-aged T-bone with truffle butter · Braised lamb shoulder with harissa and preserved lemon
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