NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds premiums 86-96

The First Monday Dinner Club kicked off the year in style, with a Penfolds evening. For the first time I can remember, we had all 11 members, and no guests. 11 is a good number - you don’t have to worry too much about missing out on anything! The theme restriction was Bin 407 and up (excluding Bin 389, since we’ve a vertical of that wine booked later in the year) from 86-96.

• 1990 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407

  Australia, South Australia

  Still plenty of red, with a brickish edge. A really roasted, toasty, meaty nose, with a fair dollop of coconutty oak. On the palate, it’s hollowing out a bit, Some aged, slightly sweet oaky notes combined with a bit of menthol & spearmint, still with some acid; tannins have softened nicely, yet it’s not together for me - quite loose, if that makes sense. The finish was a bit short too. Ho-hum.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1993 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 407

  Australia, South Australia

  A brighter red than the ‘90. The wine was in many ways similar to the ‘90, but the components of the wine seemed to stay a lot nearer the centre and front of the palate. A cabernet with very little back palate - unusual. Clearly more youthful than the 90, I preferred this wine, if only bacause it seemed to finish a little longer. Still no great shakes though - and I have to say my Bin 407 buying days are over, I think.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1992 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707

  Australia, South Australia

  There was here a distinct leap in quality! Deep red, with no hint of fading. Lots of fresh mulberry fruit, overlain with coconut oak. The nose seemed to be at the point where the fruit hasn’t quite let much in the way of secondary aromas emerge. The oak tannins have softened considerably, making the wine appear almost sweet on the palate. I suppose it’s a matter of personal taste whether you consider a wine flabby or rich. This was very full - no mid-palate hole here. The finish is lusciously long, and I find it well balanced - a little trio of fruit acid and tannin playing away harmoniously. I wouldn’t call it massively complex, but it’s most enjoyable to drink now. I doubt it’ll improve significantly, but should be good for 10 years yet.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1988 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707

  Australia, South Australia

  Brick red, a little lighter on the rim. A really blowsy nose that fairly leaps from the glass (I was using Riedel Vinums). That ‘brand resemblance’ between 707s is as consistent that between the two 407s. This is a lot looser & more disjointed than the 92 - it’s also looking a little boney - the structure is holding up OK, but the fruit is gradually fading. There’s not a wealth of ethereal aged complexity to replace it - it’s aging gracefully, with a little spark still left in the acid, and a whiff of astringency in the tannins. I’m probably being a little harsh - it was actually very palateable indeed - I think I always have high expectations for 1988 wines, but I suspect it was quite a difficult year in South Aust. We were all a little disappointed that no-one had brought a 1990, because that is a stupendous wine indeed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1988 Penfolds Shiraz Magill Estate

  Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Plains

  The single vineyard wine from the Adelaide suburbs, this was a distinct fading brick red - and in fact looked quite brown beside the other wines. Magill is a bit of a problem child, I sometimes think. This was very much away from the mainstream house style, and was quite soft, dusty earthy and spicy. Not much primary fruit character remains now, and the tannins are a lot more grapey than the US-oaked wines. The single thing that indicates the wine is past it’s best, if a long way still from decrepit, is that the finish is quite short.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1989 Penfolds Grange

  Australia, South Australia

  Remarkable mulberry, almost porty, nose. Exactly as I remembered it from my last tasting of this wine about 2 years ago! Strong, but fine tannins. In many ways this tastes almost raisiny in the glass -as if in the dreadful 89 vintage they had to leave the grapes so long on the vine to get them even reasonably ripe that they’ve begun to rot. The finish is not particularly long either, and I’m inclined to agree with the note in the recent ‘Rewards of Patience’ book, which described the wine as ‘a bit simple for Grange’. An attractive wine, but hardly characteristic of the breed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 707

  Australia, South Australia

  A glowing deep red. There’s just a hint of fruit bloom on this searingly tight nose of small black berries and submerged roasted coconut oak. It’s absolutely seamless on the palate, a wellspring of rich ripe cabernet that floods all parts of the mouth. And yet it’s still tight as a drum. The acid & tannins seemed to journey together down the palate, entwined arm in arm, quite reluctant to put on a show. The sensationally rich flavours linger on and on at the finish, yet the wine is still closed. This is a wine that needs at least another 10 years to be worth opening I reckon. Pity I have none!

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Penfolds Grange

  Australia, South Australia

  Deep, deep red-purple. Very meaty nose, with rich spicy tones. This is hugely tannic - they just build and build on the palate. 1995 was a pretty lousy year, and I recall this wine got some pretty lukewarm reviews when it came out. I think it’s a better wine than the 89 , but I think it’s only average at best for Grange. I wouldn’t presume to judge it, but I suspect the tannins will always outlive the fruit. It’s a good wine, but was quite overshadowed by the 96...

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Penfolds Grange

  Australia, South Australia

  This came to be on the table because 2 members brought bottles of the 89 Grange, so we arranged a swap with the restaurant’s cellar. Under no other circumstances would I recommend the drinking of this wine before 2020! It’s a red/black colour. The nose is a smooth dark intense focussed blend of black berries, spice, oak, tar, and some crushed ant smells. Almost a work in progress. Tannins are strong, but ultra-fine. It’s quite monolithic, yet only revealing a fraction of it’s character. Extraordinary. Drinking it now is really vinfanticide - this is going to be a great experience one day! To drink it at 6 years and try to imagine how it will develop is like hearing the first 2 minutes of Beethoven’s Ninth, saying “Yeah, I get the idea”, then leaving the room. Something quite special.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1995 Penfolds St. Henri Shiraz - Cabernet

  Australia, South Australia

  The Grange is a hard act to follow! Bright glowing red. Plummy fruit, with a distinct whiff of herbaceousness. Nothing on the label indicates why they put used so much cabernet in 95 (it’s normally labelled just Shiraz). Only short-medium length. Pleasant enough, but nothing really special. We might have to ban the 95 vintage at future dinners!

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1996 Penfolds Shiraz St. Henri

  Australia, South Australia

  Glowing deep red. This is a stunning wine. A radiant nose of plums and ripe black cherries. A rich chocolatey, spicy intensity is present on the palate, with lots of furry grape tannins and a lovely contribution from some spinal acid. The components are all there, but they are undeniably all over the place. It’s vital not to touch good vintages of St Henri for 10 years. This is another wine which is only revealing a fraction of it’s potential at the moment - when these components come together this wine will really sing. The long finish is the giveaway, this is a wine to keep. Just beautiful.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

An interesting bag of wines. Nothing corked, nothing undrinkable. Rereading these notes I feel I’ve been a little harsh. One thing stood out - that was the greatness of the 1996 vintage. Stunning wines. My only complaint was that it would have been great to have some of the top wines from 86, 90 or 91. Ah well, there’s always another time.