Penfolds Grandfather 20Y Rare Tawny

Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny 20 Years is a wine made using the Solera method. This process is used for sherry, cognac, and port. For Grandfather Rare Tawny, individual batches of different grape varieties are aged in toasted oak barrels. The core varietal selection is Mourvedre, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache.

Special vinification of Penfolds Grandfather 20Y Rare Tawny

Other grape varieties are also used in separate years. After 14 years, the wines are blended for the first phase of the solera, the base wine. In six further annual phases, approximately one-third of the wine from the next younger phase is added. This can be described as a kind of rolling process. After the sixth phase, the wine has an average minimum age of twenty years before bottling. Finally, the wine is topped up with a distillate of 78 to 85% alcohol until a total volume of 20% is reached. The name Grandfather dates back to 1915, when the Penfolds family first reserved an oak barrel containing the Tawny blend for the Solera process. Because of its age, this wine was called Grandfather.

Australian Port from Penfolds 20 Years Old

The Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny 20 Years is an intense yellow-brown in color. The long barrel aging has left a characteristic yellow-green pattern on the rim. On the nose, the wine presents notes of licorice and roasted nuts, along with aromas of fruitcake and raisins. Despite its age, there is an intense freshness. The palate displays a beautiful creaminess and maturity. Classic vanilla flavors round out the palate, slightly sweet, full, and rounded. Freshness and fruit dominate the finish. The Grandfather Rare Tawny 20 Years is a highly concentrated and complex wine.