Only 50,000 bottles of the famous shiraz blend are released each year, with many heading straight to serious wine collectors both here and abroad.

However, the Australian Financial Review is today reporting that a significant number will also be heading to the Woolworths and its discount liquor stores, such as Dan Murphy's and BWS.

Woolworths spokesman, Benedict Brook, told AFR that the company expected to sell out within weeks.

This year's release also posted the highest opening price ever at the cellar door of $550 a bottle.

Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago said the wine is at the spicier end of the Grange spectrum.

Mr Gago said the palate displays dense layered liquored chocolate/mocha flavours laced with Moroccan (Middle Eastern) spices.

The 2003 Penfolds Bin 95 Grange consists of 96.5pc shiraz and 3.5pc cabernet sauvignon, sourced from the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Coonawarra, and Magill Estate.

The 2003 Grange was released by Penfolds yesterday as part of its annual Luxury and Icon Wines range, which also includes the 2005 Bin 707, 2005 RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz, 2004 St Henri Shiraz, and the 2006 Reserve Bin 06A Adelaide Hills Chardonnay.

"This year's release offers a collection of solid, stoic wines — all true to their original Penfolds style blueprints," Mr Gago said.

"This year's release confirms Penfolds track record with single and multi-regional blending, making wines to style and pursuing the highest of quality benchmarks.

"From 2003 to 2006, we often contradict many generalised vintage pronouncements."

SOURCE: Fairfax Media.