| | A great opportunity to try 16 vintages of Grange, a wine I hadn't actually tried before, and knew very little about, having decided not to read up in advance so it was effectivly blind for me as I knew nothing of the reputations of the wines.
On the advice of Penfolds, no wines were decanted in advance (save the 1989 double decanted in the morning) All wines were just double decanted on arrival at the restaurant and as we had 18 glasses each (nearly 300 on the table) were allowed to develop in the glass. All wines were served with food. - N.V. Champagne Raymond Boulard Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature - France, Champagne
Great as ever, now 2 years post disgorged, still showing elegant light peach notes but also moving to a slightly more mature nutty style. (88 pts.)
- 2000 Penfolds Chardonnay Reserve Bin 00A - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Hills
Quite deep gold, some fresh melon, oak quite restrained, nice acid balance. (85 pts.)
- 1999 Penfolds Chardonnay Yattarna - Australia, South Australia
Lighter colour, oak much more prominent with a much more perfumed nose, showing some tropical fruit. Very full with strong acid finish, well made but not my style. (90 pts.)
- 1968 Lindeman's Sémillon Bin 3470 - Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley
Quite deep bright yellow, a nutty nose, not overly concentrated, less so that Tyrrell's Vat 1, well balanced and very young, a little bitter on the finish. A treat to try though. (88 pts.)
- 1999 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier d'Or - France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
Yeasty apples, very low but discernable oak, very creamy mousse, excellent. (89 pts.)
- 1991 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
Dark inky ruby, impenetrable. Very tight, nose screams sweet caramel and burnt nut toffee. Very big with lots of acidity, surprisingly low tannins, verly long toasty finish. (93 pts.)
- 1990 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
95% SH 5% CS, 13.5%
Just a thin hint of VA, a similar style with fruit more to the fore, more balanced (drinkable now) than the 1991, developed in the glass to a much bigger style of wine. (93 pts.)
- 1990 Penfolds Bin 90A - Australia, South Australia
A lighter nose, with some cocoa, very tannic with lighter cherry fruit, a little brother to Grange, and the differences grew more marked with time in the glass. (91 pts.)
- 1989 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
13.5%
Noticably more mature (not just from the extra decant), a lighter translucent ruby with dried fruits on the nose, lacks the plushness of the fruit of the more immature wines, although it also seemed to gain weight in the glass. The first wine that was ready to go. (92 pts.)
- 1987 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
90%SH 10% CS, 13.8%
A mushroomy more savoury nose, very tannic or perhaps just less fruit, a smaller wine. (90 pts.)
- 1986 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
87% SH 13% CS, 13.9%
A real menthol, smoked mint nose, a much bigger wine like the 1990, very young, plummy velvet fruit and black pepper, has lots of life yet, very long balanced finish, not really entering its window yet. (95 pts.)
- 1985 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
99% SH 1% CS, 13.1%
Some fresh tobacco and mushroom, very sweet acidic blackcurrent, with monolithic tannic structure, very long, needs time to loosen up. (93 pts.)
- 1983 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
96% SH 4% CS, 13.3%
Some menthol but quite a 'plain' nose, perhaps tight still? This struck me as a straight down the line grange, nothing overly exciting but all correct. Perhaps it just needs time to develop but it didn't have enough stuffing. (91 pts.)
- 1982 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
94% SH 6% CS, 13.5%
A little VA initially, quite a thin Grange, lacking in the depth of other wines, the fruit seeming to sit atop a big tannic backbone. Quite strict. (92 pts.)
- 1981 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
89% SH 11% CS, 12.7%
The first wine to show some brett, actually it stripped the fruit leaving quite harsh tannins and a metallic finish. (90 pts.)
- 1980 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
96% SH 4% CS, 12.5%
Much better, some more mature notes on the nose, sweet fat dried fruit, very deep, lush. Lots of flesh with a dried mushroom savoury element that grew in the glass, quite thich texure, with the fruit leading a 60 second finish. Beginning to drink well, but enough tannin and acidity to last a long time yet. Super. (95 pts.)
- 1979 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
87% SH 13% CS, 13%
Shit! Corked. (FLAWED)
- 1978 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
13.3%
For me easilly the wine of the night, deep dark berry fruit, very young with the same velvetty fruit as the 80, but an additional level of silk. Not a massive wine like the 1990 / 1986 but beautiful balance, kirsch, cassis and black pepper, solid but smooth tannins, only concern is a slightly thin finish. A long life ahead of it.. (97 pts.)
- 1976 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
89% SH 11% CS, 13.9%
More mature than the 1978, some full caramel/coffee flavours, like a black mars bar, quite low fruit with very nice balanced finish. (93 pts.)
- 1975 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia
90% SH 10% CS, 13.4%
Some bubblegum sweetness to the nose, fresh sweet fruit, I wonder if there was just a little brett as there was a metallic tinge to the finish. (92 pts.)
To summarise, Grange is a wine I can enjoy but not one I fell in love with, the best vintages reminded me of the textural qualities of Bonneau Celestins, with such amazing fruit quality even though they were 16 to 31 years old, not one was over the hill, in it's youth I found the acidity overpowering, but there was no sign of a change in style so no reason to think that they will not develop into such great wines as he 1978. |
