Grange vertical
Wunderbrunnen, Opfikon
Tasted Tuesday, October 3, 2023 by sirpat00 with 130 views
Introduction
A 7-year vertical of Grange. All wines were double-decanted and then slow-oxed for 3h+. Main observations: 1/ Unsurprisingly, a wine that needs bottle age, and lots of it. 2/ Much less consistent than I had assumed across vintages. 3/ Signature features are light extraction, precision and fine aromas rather than ripe fruit and Asian spice. 4/ Top two vintages were 1983 and 1982 while 2000 was disappointing.
2002 Penfolds Grange 96 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). This one was additionally aerated. A dark aroma profile with dark cherry, bramble berry and plum. Smoke, black tea and dried leaves. Maybe from the distance elements of black olives and meat. Not much going on in terms of Asian spice. Intense and dense palate with primary fruit, brighter than on the nose. Electric acidity and velvety texture, impeccable balance.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2001 Penfolds Grange 93 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). This one was additionally aerated. intense, dark fruit of bramble berry, but brighter than 2002. Green herbs of eucalyptus and also green vegetal notes, didn‘t come across as entirely clean. Wild palate and not what I would call a sumptuous texture. Needs more integration with slightly mouthcoating tannin.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2000 Penfolds Grange 80 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). Very mature with notable ox notes of beef juice. Underneath leather and earth as well as fig and plum confit. The palate still works and adds a nice tobacco aftertaste. But clearly approaching end of life with acidity taking over the reigns on the palate. Could be bottle variation, but 2000 was apparently a challenge vintage for them.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1998 Penfolds Grange 93 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). Earth, leather, scorched earth frame a concentrated plum and dark berry fruit - albeit with just hints of beef juice. Some mineral notes of iron. On the palate lacks freshness at first but comes popping up after a while. Otherwise good balance and a juicy character, but disintegrating into the finish whilst from an aroma perspective adding leathery notes.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1997 Penfolds Grange 93 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). First a whiff of brett, but dissipating. Precise but narrow in terms of aromatics. Dark fruit profile, just accents of spice and herbs. The palate is fresh with electric acidity and a firm structure. Feels too young by probably a decade.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1996 Penfolds Grange 94 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). A lighter fruit profile with a dark fruit base and red accents. A much more developed aging profile of sous-bois and leather. Detailed and precise even if slightly unripe. Fresh and fruit-forward with good balance and very manageable intensity.
Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1983 Penfolds Grange 97 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). Dark berries, brambleberry and plum, confit of red currant. Fine aging notes of sous-bois and leather and sparkled with spice and herbs. Adding tobacco and black coffee with aeration. The palate is full-bodied with vibrant acidity. Such a great linearity with sharp contours despite the intensity. Second bottle this year and both were outstanding.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1982 Penfolds Grange 96 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). Deep and concentrated. Leather, dark cherry fruit but also quite dominant red berry notes of red currant. Herbal paste, elements of sweet spice and just a whiff of linoleum. Electric acidity, refreshing and uplifting, but on the flip side not as grounded as 1983.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
1979 Penfolds Grange 92 Points
Australia, South Australia
Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). Densely packed aroma profile with herbal complexity, elements of sweet spice, a bit of dried meat that gains in intensity, and black olives. The palate still fresh with a strong structure but not as sumptuous and harmonious as 1983 and 1982. Also lacking the balance.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue