For Aussies, it's all in the name: Grange

I met a wine writer from Aspen recently and he made a really interesting comment about how wine-producing nations identify with their iconic wines.
"If you ask a Frenchman what the best or most famous wine in France is, they'll tell you, 'well that could be either great Burgundy or great Bordeaux or Champagne', and if you ask a Kiwi the same question they'll usually say 'sauvignon blanc' or 'pinot noir'.
"Americans will more often than not pick out a producer like Screaming Eagle, Shafer or Harlan.
"But Australians will always say one wine only and that's Grange. Not a style, not a region, not a variety, not a producer - just one wine."
I've tested his theory during the past few weeks and so far he's right on the money - reminding me of how deeply the Grange brand is embedded in the Australian psyche.
Some might say the people at Penfolds are lucky to have that sort of brand recognition. Hardly; it's not luck, rather the result of decades of hard work. Grange boasts an unbroken line of vintages dating back to the experimental 1951 created by Max Schubert and it clearly demonstrates the synergy between shiraz and the soils of South Australia.
I tried the new 2005 Penfolds Grange at a sensational dinner last month at one of Australia's finest restaurants, Vue De Monde, in Melbourne. The occasion was to launch the latest of Penfolds' "icon and luxury wines", which included the Grange along with new additions such as the 2008 Reserve Bin 08A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay.
They were shown along with older vintage examples like the 2004 Yattarna Chardonnay (launched in 1998 and created as a white wine that would one day rival the standards set by Grange), 1991 St Henri Shiraz, 1998 RWT Shiraz, 1991 Bin 707 Cabernet, 1996 Grange and the gobsmackingly delicious Great Grandfather Tawny.
In the company of such great wines, you'd imagine the food would be the bridesmaid, but chef Shannon Bennet created dishes so sublime they instantly became stars in their own right.
Think risotto aux champignons, roasted marron with bisque glaze served on a hot river stone, ocean trout with wasabi and baby beetroot smoked at the table (yes, they served it inside its own little smoker), deconstructed carrot cake that resembled miniature carrots growing in their own little carrot patch.
The 08A Chardonnay was a funky, deeply complex wine with smoky, oyster-shell characters and the scent of antique lace and linen, while the 2007 Yattarna ($150) had more pronounced yellow plum and nectarine flavours combined with French oak.
Besides Grange, the other star was its alter ego, the St Henri Shiraz, which is celebrating its 50th vintage.
Penfolds' chief winemaker Peter Gago considers St Henri ($80) "the most old-fashioned wine we make" and the 2006 has subtle spices, alluring floral notes and vibrant acidity. Unencumbered by oak, it is light, elegant and beautifully soft in the mouth.
The RWT stands for Red Wine Trial or "red wine triumph", laughs Gago. It's a Barossa Valley shiraz that retails for around $170 and it's luxuriously fragrant with incredible weight, texture and length.
The 2007 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon ($170) is always made using only American oak, so that sweet cedar and vanilla notes merge with damson plum and forest berries to create a sexy, alluring and altogether plush wine with some serious weight on the finish.
What about the 2005 Grange ($500)? The 2004 was a monster wine in every sense of the word and was awarded 99 out of 100 by Robert Parker, while many other international critics gave it 100 per cent scores. It would be tough to top, but I found the 2005 to be beautifully perfumed with plum blossom, pepper, cocoa and bramble fruits. It has a velvety, sensual texture and a touch of cabernet gives some extra grip in the mouth. It has the makings of a thoroughbred vintage - the Smythson Stationery, the Burberry coat, the Savile Row suit, if you will, of shiraz.