Sunday, February 8, 2009 - We gave this bottle a 4+ hour decant; to be consumed at the end of one of the most wonderful evenings of dining I have ever experienced, with many great friends, and my beautiful wife. Immediately after pouring, we passed the decanter around so that everyone could smell the wine. I believe that all were VERY intrigued by the bouquet. Personally, I had never smelled such a dark, lurking behemoth.
Once dinner was finished, after 4 hours, our server brought fresh stems, and we decided to pour five glasses - one for each couple to share.
Everyone was very quiet as they swirled and smelled the wine. It was truly a pleasure to see such gratification as they began to sip from their glasses, and I wanted everyone to vocalize their impressions of the wine. The comments from the group were: "warm blanket", "soft and smooth", "dark, concentrated, and delicious", "big and balanced", and "OK, that is ****ing good!"
Penfolds Grange has always been right near the top of my list of wines that I have wanted to enjoy, and it did not disappoint. The nose was dark, sweet, and inviting. The palate was massive, but balanced. The finish went on forever - I could still taste it this morning.
It was the finest bottle of wine I have ever tasted; made even more enjoyable by fantastic food and some of our very close friends.