94pts Wilfred Wong

The Penfolds Grandfather 20 Years Rare Tawny has always been a star amongst dessert wines.  This wine brings aromas and flavors of caramel, oxidative notes, cream, and black fruit. Just savory it by itself and conversations with a friend or two. (Tasted: September 24, 2021, Rutherford, CA)

92pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 20 year old Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny is a pale tawny color with a touch of brick. On the nose it is a bit spirituous and shows notes of raisins and fruit cake, some hazelnut and crème brulée. The palate shows even more nuttiness and depth along with greater freshness and acidity, though it seems drier than the Father. It finishes very long almost like a sweet oloroso or amontillado.

Winemaker Notes

Beautifully presented in an exquisite gift box featuring a Penfolds stopper and certificate of authenticity, Grandfather Rare Tawny is a highly coveted gift for life’s special milestones.

The color is a deep tawny with a distinctive yellow-green edge characteristic of extended wood maturation. On the nose are intense raisin fruits, fruitcake, liquorice, roasted walnuts all integrated together seamlessly with a freshness contradicting age.On the palate is classical Penfolds fruitcake, liquorice and vanillin oak flavours with a sweet full and round mid-palate, and a finish that persists on and on.

With each vintage, varietal batches are selected for Grandfather. These batches are individually aged in seasoned old oak casks before being blended together at 14 years of age. This blend is then introduced into the ‘Grandfather Solera’. This Solera consists of six stages that are designed to fully integrate all components offering consistency and freshness with a final minimum average blended age of 20 years.