Penfolds Grange & others

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Tasted Wednesday, April 22, 2015 by Derek Darth Taster with 401 views

Flight 1 - Appetiser wines (2 Notes)

  • 2010 Tenuta L'Impostino Montecucco Rosso 90 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Montecucco

    Tasted blind. Pop and poured.
    Appearance is clear, medium intensity, purplish ruby colour. Legs.
    Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of saline minerality and sour red cherries. Youthful.
    On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, soft medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of sour red cherries, red plums, and some saline minerality. Medium+ finish.
    Good quality. Soft easy drinking food wine. Drink now, unlikely to improve much further with age. Clearly Sangiovese dominant with Merlot softening the blend.
    80% Sangiovese, with 20% Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot, aged for 2 years in steel tanks, but with a light passage in wood.

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  • 2008 Castello di Farnetella Chianti Colli Senesi 90 Points

    Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Colli Senesi

    Tasted blind. Pop and poured.
    Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
    Nose is clean, medium intensity, with aromas of earth, slight barnyard and soy sauce, sour red cherries. Developed.
    On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol, medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of earth, sour red cherries, redcurrant. Medium+ finish.
    I guessed this was an averagely good Chianti Classico.
    Good quality Chianti Colli Senesi. Has improved slightly since last year, with the oak integrated in and tertiary character development. Drink up over the next 2 years.

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Flight 2 - Syrah/Shiraz blind tasting (4 Notes)

  • 2001 Penfolds Grange 97 Points

    Australia, South Australia

    Aired in decanter for 1 hour before tasting.
    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, purple colour. Legs.
    Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of vanilla, coconut, licorice, cinnamon, eucalyptus, cocoa, blueberries, blackberries all exuberantly showing and vying for attention. Developing.
    On the palate, dry, high acidity, high alcohol, very refined smooth medium+ tannins, full body. Pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of blueberries, blackberries, licorice, vanilla, cinnamon spice, coconut, cocoa. So many flavours. Extremely long finish.
    Outstanding quality. Unbridled in its intensity today. I preferred this the last time when it was more controlled. This exuberant showing is probably the effect of the air time in decanter. Drinking young now, this still needs another 10 years to show its best. But no doubt this is a really great wine, so nice to drink even now.

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  • 2003 Clarendon Hills Astralis 95 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon

    Aired in decanter for 2 hours before tasting.
    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, purple colour. Legs.
    Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of concentrated ripe blackberry jam, blueberries, licorice, chocolate. Developing.
    On the palate, dry, high acidity, high alcohol, fine high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackberry jam, sweet blueberries, dark black cherries, licorice, and chocolate. Long finish. Even though the fruit concentration is there, but I just get the feeling this is still a little restrained and tight.
    Very good quality. Nonetheless, this showed significantly better than my last experience with it. More air time certainly makes a difference. The best years are still ahead for this. Keep another 5+ years and maybe it will open up better.

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  • 2002 Penfolds Grange 98 Points

    Australia, South Australia

    Aired in decanter for 1 hour before tasting.
    Appearance is clear, deep intensity, purple colour. Legs.
    Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of earth, smoky meat, dark black plums, blackberries, licorice. Developing.
    On the palate, dry, high acidity, high alcohol, very fine medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of earth, slight smoky meat, dark black plums, blackberries, licorice, spice. Very long finish. Deep, dark and brooding. Interestingly showing some hints of tertiary development. But tightness of the concentrated black fruit could still be loosened up more with further ageing.
    Outstanding quality. This should be even more wonderful in 10 years' time.

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  • 1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

    Aired in decanter for 1 hour before tasting. Pronounced aroma of smoky meat on pouring into decanter.
    Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
    Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with a bouquet of truffles, mushrooms, dark earth, soy sauce, smoky meat, tea leaves, and some black fruit. Developed.
    On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol, high tannins, full body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of meat, earth, tea leaves, dark black plums, and some blackberry. Long finish.
    Good quality. Nice tertiary nose. However the palate does not match up, with the thin fruit quality failing to support. Drink up before it's too late.

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