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People in Wine · Grange & the patience of winemaking
Max Schubert
Max Schubert’s Grange story shows how a wine’s early reception can differ from what time in the bottle later reveals.
A closer look · Grange & the patience of winemaking
The quick profile
- Connection
- Grange & the patience of winemaking
- Where to begin
- South Australia
- A useful time marker
- First experimental Grange in 1951
An Australian idea shaped by travel
After a European research trip, Penfolds winemaker Max Schubert made an experimental Grange in 1951. The winery describes a Shiraz-led Australian wine influenced by what he had seen in Bordeaux. Its account also acknowledges the scientific contribution of Ray Beckwith. The story involves practical research and collaboration as well as individual conviction.
The difficult beginning
Penfolds records that management rejected the project in 1957. Schubert continued making the 1957–1959 vintages in secret, and official support returned in 1960 after earlier wines were reconsidered. These dates explain the famous hidden-vintage story without suggesting that every Grange vintage was made secretly.
Time is a question, not a promise
For a reader, the useful lesson is to ask when and under what conditions a wine was assessed. A youthful wine and a mature bottle are different encounters. That does not mean every bottle improves with age, or that a prestigious name eliminates storage risk. Time belongs alongside grape, method and storage when we explore what a wine may become.
Three things to notice
- Shiraz is the Australian name widely used for the grape also called Syrah.
- Bordeaux influence does not make Grange a Bordeaux wine.
- The persistence story sits alongside chemistry, cellar work and a continuing team.
A few milestones
- 1951: First experimental Grange.
- 1957–1959: Three hidden vintages, according to Penfolds.
- 1960: Production regains official backing.
Try a little discovery
Read a producer’s tasting note for a young vintage and a later assessment of the same wine. Identify which words describe present sensations and which predict future development. Mark predictions as predictions. Buying or opening an aged bottle is unnecessary.
A few questions worth uncorking
Is Grange a Bordeaux wine?
No. It is an Australian wine. Schubert’s European observations helped inform his Australian project.
Does all red wine improve with age?
No. Ageing potential depends on the wine, the bottle and storage conditions. Fame alone cannot answer the question.
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Behind this introduction
Sources checked 15 October 2026. Producer and personal accounts provide useful first-hand context and are identified below. The discovery questions and graphic are editorial interpretations.