We had this and 11 other Grange Hermitage from 1967 to 1985 (plus 2003 as the control wine). The 75 bested the 71 by a couple points. Good crimson color, fresh dark beeey flavor, some menthol and graphite on nose. Medium body, tannins diminished. While i preferred the more symmetrical 71, this wine was the favorite and fully mature. Great wine.
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Hard to believe it’s a 44 year old wine. Slight garnet in its dark core. Mature fruit, meatiness and clean earth on nose. Nice complexity and intensity of flavours. Moderate acidity, moderate alcohol, moderate level of smooth tannins. Full bodied, complex, long, and holding up beautifully.
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Penfolds Grange dinner with Stephanie Dutton (The Musket Room in NYC): Off which was a bummer. We had a few of these a few years ago. One was ok but died early (I think for sure flawed). Other started a bit musty and then opened up into something really beautiful. This was not completely appalling, but nor was it tasty and as the other Granges in the line-up show Grange is meant to be tasty.
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A Charmed Life: night of aged Cristal, Grange, and D'Yquem (Marea): We prob opened this one a bit later than we should have. Cork was popped around 6 pm and Granges were served maybe 30 minutes later. As a result, this had one of the bigger arcs of the wines at the table I thought. Most believed it was the outlier of the group - the wine most likely to be mistaken for an aged Bordeaux. Certainly there was a great deal of leather which I do associate with the Bordeaux, but it also had this sweet, almost candied red fruit character to it. Full-bodied. And open for business. We'd tried one of these a few years ago and it was a bit shaky on it's feet originally, peaked quickly, and fell off a cliff. Not this one which four hours in was still quite lovely. Very much enjoyed.
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At first pour out of Coravin dark closed sappy viscous reminding of port and amaroné. Then unfolding into a left bank like Bordeaux blend, notable Cabernet franc notes. Thereafter signature mint and vanilla notes with deep rich fruit jam flavors and an extending lengthy finish of power and finesse, balance and striding elegance. Licorice and star anise preserve with kerosene side bar. A stunning expression of the Australian atristocatic spirit.
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Zachys Power of Packaging - Jan 2016 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): So this starts a bit musty and dies somewhat quickly, but if you get it right in the middle it's pretty good. Not the best Grange I've ever had, but even a medium level Grange is a pretty awesome wine. Ever evolving, lots of spices, leather, and wow is that nose something. I could smell this forever.
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Pulled the cork an hour before, and served out of the bottle at room temperature. I found it slightly corked, but no one noticed so I let it go. Dark color, amazing for its age. Ripe, dark fruit on the nose and palate. Dense and concentrated for its age, but very good still and my bet is I would rate it quite high if not for the TCA.
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The Grange poured out almost purple with just a faint rim of bricking. It had some coconut and vanilla along with ripe blueberry fruit and some tar and leather. There’s also a crushed ant formic acid note you often get in Grange. It is a deliciously bright wine with a heart of blueberry confiture and all sorts of delicious savoury elements countering. It has power, poise and proportion and is dense but not heavy. It is a delicious drink now but I suspect sound bottles (like this one) are still a couple of decades away from their eventual apogee.
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Now if this was served blind I would not have guessed this was 39 years old. Even after a 2 hour decant this was still opening up and the aromas out of the glass filled the room. Thick and concentrated there was no mistake this was Grange. Lots going on in this wine leather, spice, dark fruit ... it was ever changing in the glass as we consumed it. Went very well with the Chateaubriand. Apparently Max Schubert's last vintage of Grange and a credit to him. 90% Shiraz, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Well cellared bottles will still last for sometime but I do not see this getting any better.
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Top shoulder level, double-decanted 2 hours before drinking. Very little sign of age in terms of colour. Perfumed nose, remarkably vibrant fruit on the palate. Perfect balance of fruit, ripe tannin and acidity. Shows real restraint and class. Very long. Max Schubert's last vintage is a tour de force. Years of life ahead.
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Remarkably youthful opaque colour, this started out quite slowly despite having been double decanted four hours earlier, it unfurled and improved over the evening and really began to sing. A magnificent bottle! Still on the young side with subtle animal (?) and minty notes, this is a somewhat restrained rendition of Penfolds Grange. It is medium-full bodied and has years left. Drink now-2040.
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Beat your 2013 WOTY Dinner: Served next to the 1982 Mouton, this stood up to a legend and held its own. Graphite is prominent with black currant, cherry then a waft of florals along with a not unpleasant VA note. Finely balanced, the elements have melded together and deliver a lovely experience that isn't as complex as the nose but feels complete. Near to its peak.
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NobleRottersSydney - Grange night (Verde, East Sydney): {cork, 13.4} (Stephen) Solid garnet, barely fading to brick at the rim. Classic aged Grange aromas of polished leather, tar and bitumen. It’s medium/full-bodied, still with medium powdery-textured fine tannins, great presence, and I would even say power, although it’s not brutish in any way. Probably past its ideal drinking peak, but hanging on very nicely, and stayed delicious in the glass for over an hour. Magnificent. Barossa & Coonawarra fruit. 10% cabernet.
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Had this alongside a Grange 97 and a Grange 02. Decanted and served immediately. Held up remarkably well considering it was significantly older than the other 2.
Nose was still very fresh, raspberries, blueberries .... Excellent.
It still had some body considering its advance age, medium tannins initially, softening on the finish.
Nose developed through the evening, showing its age after about 3hours. This wine will still keep for some time.
Thanks LimMLG!
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Love it although obviously pasted peak. Level was at bottom neck and the cork was intact. Elegant and fragrant eucalyptus, spices, choco and black fruits. Fruit was weak for this elderly but still very enjoyable. Finish and aftertaste were charming but not superb. Drink it until your bottle was topped up.
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First bottle from the second (6 bottle) lot. Top shoulder. Decanted and immediately served. Still dark color, great nose, plenty of fruit, and a solid finish. This went through a couple of phases over dinner, and did show some drying tannins at some point, but overall was in a perfect place and seems like it will hold for a bit. Everything we expected it to be. A
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Top shoulder fill, med-dark red color. Drank well out of the bottle. Solid fruit, good complexity, no structure left - but who would expect it. Decent fruit, but dried out over a couple of hours. Enjoyable - leans toward smooth fruit vs. earth, game and secondaries. Although not the best of the Grange, it held its own. Drink now. A-
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(Bdays Brunner with Just, Ads, Geoff, Grace: this 1975/1976 Vertical Tasting report is communal) Dense dark garnet in the glass, just barely letting light through the glass. Cork was intact (barely) upon extraction but stained. Some sedimentation in the bottle, as expected.
Upon opening: Expressive vegetal nose, with extensive savoury notes, loamy almost clay-ey wet earth ("almost-like-licking-a-slab-of-rocky-shale"; geosmin), dark chocolate and espresso, along with hints of rum, and funky old socks. It tastes like it smells: more mocha espresso, dusty shale, beef stock, burnt butter, chilli seeds, slightly nutty with some light berries and plums on the side and pine/cedar notes giving it a healthy vertical lift to the luxuriously rich and velvety tannins. Powerful, focused, textured and intense without being excessive or opulent, with it's head well on its shoulders showing austere, clean and pure lines. A true old-school debonair who really knows his way around.
After decanting 4 hrs: Even more developed flavors bloom, now further revealing minty butter menthol, brand's chicken essence, tar, horse paddock, mushrooms, stewy beef consome, damp pine forest (the Pacific Rim temperate rain-forest sort), ginseng characters, undergirded with a pleasant bitterness reminiscent of blood grapefruit.
Certainly memorable and attractive on its own, but also a perfect companion, holding well on its own without insecurity: because there was simply so much complexity going on with the savoury, coffee and textural notes that it paired winningly with Adel's Bakwa, Justina's Chocolate Torte, and even Grace's Strawberry Cupcakes - perfectly!
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SAG (Blind) Tasting (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind alongside Chapoutier 1976 Hermitage Sizeranne. Spicy nose with lots of big fruit, some earthy aromas starting to emerge. Very powerful on dense in middle and finish.
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Given to me by my best man at my wedding 20 years ago. Opened for our 20th wedding anniversary. Not stored in anywhere near ideal conditions over the 20 years, so I was half expecting it to be close to vinegar. Opened and decanted 6 hours before drinking. The cork was in pretty good shape and held together on extraction. It was moist about 2 thirds of the way up and didn't have any obviously bad smells about it. Decanting the wine through a filter resulted in a very small amount of sediment, quite surprising really, and it was relatively fine as well. First opening taste, it wasn't vinegar, but still a had bite that wasn't normal. Second taste an hour later, and that bite had mostly retreated. Happy now that the wine is going to be drinkable at dinner, I didn't have any more tastes until the guests, my wife and I sat down to dinner 4 hours later. At dinner, I was just a little bit disappointed with the wine. Admittedly, drinking a 35 year old icon wine, I probably had large expectations. The taste was a little bland, not a lot of fruit taste, but enough. The body was medium to full, started at the front and lasted well into the mouth. I'm rating it 94 as it is not exceptional, but is close enough, and being 35 years, and not having anything to compare it to, ever, I have to give it a point for lasting this long and still being very drinkable. Given a good wine cellar, this wine would last another decade or two, in my cellar, probably another 5 to 10 years. I don't think it will develop any more, so if it isn't an investment wine, drink up and enjoy! [cork, no alc disclosed on bottle]
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OZ BYO Night (Providores and Tapas Room): Fill on this bottle was into the shoulder and when opened the cork came out too easily. the color was a cloudy purple and it had a stewy fruit nose to it with a touch of cough medicine. in the mouth the oxidation was pretty obvious but the wine was still drinkable. it was fairly concentrated and a bit syrupy. the taste of raisans and black fruits dominated. med finish med length. i think if the bottle was in better shape this would have been a very nice bottle of Grange
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Grange Offline (1990-1975) (Alba Restuarant London): 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.
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Penfolds Grange Vertical Tasting (1990-1975) (Alba Restaurant, Whitecross Street, London): 90% shiraz, 10% cabernet A very attractive, mature nose - very integrated with some soft black fruit and a touch of tar. This is going well. Nice restrained fruit on the palate. Gentle, soft tannins and a hint of spirit on the finish. 91/100 Re-tasted around 11 p.m. The tannins are softer and the spirit has gone, leaving all the positive characteristics pretty much unchanged. 93/100
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Medium dark ruby colour; opaque, with purple tinges. Aromas of blackberry, spice, and leather. Medium-full bodied, with pepper, spice, and black plums. Moderate finish, 30-40s, with black licorice notes.
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NobleRottersSydney - Lots of birthdays this year (Lucio's, Paddington): The 1975 was virtually identical in colour, and seemed to me to be slightly more oxidized initially. An attractive leathery nose, similar to the 72, but perhaps more savoury, with almost hint of saltiness. The 75 was even more tannic than the 72 and appeared to have a shorter finish. But as it sat, the fruit seemed to take on more weight and sweetness until it became quite full and rich in the mouth. Ultimately, I think it became the better wine, but it was a matter of degree. I suspect we had an above-average 72 and a slightly below-par 75. Still, by any standard both are very good indeed, and outstanding for 30-odd years.
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Tasting w/ Jeremy Oliver (Vintage Cellars, Abbotsford): Almost too small a sip to make anything of… brick red. Violets, blackcurrants, bitumen, tar. Soft tannins on the palate. Fully resolved wine, with the trademark volatility now starting to come to the fore. Good wine, but the bottle is well ready.
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds v Henschke (de Burgh's, Sydney): Garnet red with a touch of orange around the rim. Leathery old nose with a touch of cedar. Palate is powerful, port-like in its intensity. Fine tannins still motor through the palate. Long, powerful – a beautiful drinking experience. Near peak and ought to hold on this tasting.
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11/12/2023 - prv530 wrote: 95 Points
We had this and 11 other Grange Hermitage from 1967 to 1985 (plus 2003 as the control wine). The 75 bested the 71 by a couple points. Good crimson color, fresh dark beeey flavor, some menthol and graphite on nose. Medium body, tannins diminished. While i preferred the more symmetrical 71, this wine was the favorite and fully mature. Great wine.
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11/5/2019 - Barbara B Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hard to believe it’s a 44 year old wine. Slight garnet in its dark core. Mature fruit, meatiness and clean earth on nose. Nice complexity and intensity of flavours. Moderate acidity, moderate alcohol, moderate level of smooth tannins. Full bodied, complex, long, and holding up beautifully.
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5/17/2019 - steinersing wrote: 96 Points
a very attractive bottle, very fine and aged to perfection.
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4/30/2019 - MC2 Wines wrote: flawed
Penfolds Grange dinner with Stephanie Dutton (The Musket Room in NYC): Off which was a bummer. We had a few of these a few years ago. One was ok but died early (I think for sure flawed). Other started a bit musty and then opened up into something really beautiful. This was not completely appalling, but nor was it tasty and as the other Granges in the line-up show Grange is meant to be tasty.
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7/21/2017 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A Charmed Life: night of aged Cristal, Grange, and D'Yquem (Marea): We prob opened this one a bit later than we should have. Cork was popped around 6 pm and Granges were served maybe 30 minutes later. As a result, this had one of the bigger arcs of the wines at the table I thought. Most believed it was the outlier of the group - the wine most likely to be mistaken for an aged Bordeaux. Certainly there was a great deal of leather which I do associate with the Bordeaux, but it also had this sweet, almost candied red fruit character to it. Full-bodied. And open for business. We'd tried one of these a few years ago and it was a bit shaky on it's feet originally, peaked quickly, and fell off a cliff. Not this one which four hours in was still quite lovely. Very much enjoyed.
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3/8/2017 - bengti Likes this wine: 98 Points
At first pour out of Coravin dark closed sappy viscous reminding of port and amaroné. Then unfolding into a left bank like Bordeaux blend, notable Cabernet franc notes. Thereafter signature mint and vanilla notes with deep rich fruit jam flavors and an extending lengthy finish of power and finesse, balance and striding elegance. Licorice and star anise preserve with kerosene side bar. A stunning expression of the Australian atristocatic spirit.
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4/17/2016 - BradE wrote:
I haven't had a Grange that's impressed me for years. This was in fine shape, drank okay, but really left me uninspired.
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1/30/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Zachys Power of Packaging - Jan 2016 (Smith & Wollensky (48th & 3rd Ave)): So this starts a bit musty and dies somewhat quickly, but if you get it right in the middle it's pretty good. Not the best Grange I've ever had, but even a medium level Grange is a pretty awesome wine. Ever evolving, lots of spices, leather, and wow is that nose something. I could smell this forever.
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11/27/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: flawed
Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) - Part 2 - Penfolds Grange Vertical (Palm Beach Gardens FL): Small taste, brief note. Old, tired, very likely heat damaged. Not close to the quality of another bottle tasted blind 4 years ago.
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7/5/2015 - MC wrote:
Pulled the cork an hour before, and served out of the bottle at room temperature. I found it slightly corked, but no one noticed so I let it go. Dark color, amazing for its age. Ripe, dark fruit on the nose and palate. Dense and concentrated for its age, but very good still and my bet is I would rate it quite high if not for the TCA.
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8/4/2014 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
The Grange poured out almost purple with just a faint rim of bricking. It had some coconut and vanilla along with ripe blueberry fruit and some tar and leather. There’s also a crushed ant formic acid note you often get in Grange. It is a deliciously bright wine with a heart of blueberry confiture and all sorts of delicious savoury elements countering. It has power, poise and proportion and is dense but not heavy. It is a delicious drink now but I suspect sound bottles (like this one) are still a couple of decades away from their eventual apogee.
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5/7/2014 - sthugo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Now if this was served blind I would not have guessed this was 39 years old. Even after a 2 hour decant this was still opening up and the aromas out of the glass filled the room. Thick and concentrated there was no mistake this was Grange. Lots going on in this wine leather, spice, dark fruit ... it was ever changing in the glass as we consumed it. Went very well with the Chateaubriand. Apparently Max Schubert's last vintage of Grange and a credit to him. 90% Shiraz, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Well cellared bottles will still last for sometime but I do not see this getting any better.
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5/2/2014 - SykoWino Likes this wine: 98 Points
Top shoulder level, double-decanted 2 hours before drinking. Very little sign of age in terms of colour. Perfumed nose, remarkably vibrant fruit on the palate. Perfect balance of fruit, ripe tannin and acidity. Shows real restraint and class. Very long. Max Schubert's last vintage is a tour de force. Years of life ahead.
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1/25/2014 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 96 Points
Remarkably youthful opaque colour, this started out quite slowly despite having been double decanted four hours earlier, it unfurled and improved over the evening and really began to sing. A magnificent bottle! Still on the young side with subtle animal (?) and minty notes, this is a somewhat restrained rendition of Penfolds Grange. It is medium-full bodied and has years left. Drink now-2040.
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12/20/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
Beat your 2013 WOTY Dinner: Served next to the 1982 Mouton, this stood up to a legend and held its own. Graphite is prominent with black currant, cherry then a waft of florals along with a not unpleasant VA note. Finely balanced, the elements have melded together and deliver a lovely experience that isn't as complex as the nose but feels complete. Near to its peak.
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11/4/2013 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Grange night (Verde, East Sydney): {cork, 13.4} (Stephen) Solid garnet, barely fading to brick at the rim. Classic aged Grange aromas of polished leather, tar and bitumen. It’s medium/full-bodied, still with medium powdery-textured fine tannins, great presence, and I would even say power, although it’s not brutish in any way. Probably past its ideal drinking peak, but hanging on very nicely, and stayed delicious in the glass for over an hour. Magnificent. Barossa & Coonawarra fruit. 10% cabernet.
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6/26/2013 - alfcanada Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this alongside a Grange 97 and a Grange 02. Decanted and served immediately. Held up remarkably well considering it was significantly older than the other 2.
Nose was still very fresh, raspberries, blueberries .... Excellent.
It still had some body considering its advance age, medium tannins initially, softening on the finish.
Nose developed through the evening, showing its age after about 3hours.
This wine will still keep for some time.
Thanks LimMLG!
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4/10/2013 - burgburgburg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love it although obviously pasted peak. Level was at bottom neck and the cork was intact. Elegant and fragrant eucalyptus, spices, choco and black fruits. Fruit was weak for this elderly but still very enjoyable. Finish and aftertaste were charming but not superb. Drink it until your bottle was topped up.
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12/22/2012 - MC wrote:
First bottle from the second (6 bottle) lot. Top shoulder. Decanted and immediately served. Still dark color, great nose, plenty of fruit, and a solid finish. This went through a couple of phases over dinner, and did show some drying tannins at some point, but overall was in a perfect place and seems like it will hold for a bit. Everything we expected it to be. A
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11/18/2012 - docwines wrote: 90 Points
Past its best
Lacked the usual grange magic
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6/19/2012 - MC wrote:
Top shoulder fill, med-dark red color. Drank well out of the bottle. Solid fruit, good complexity, no structure left - but who would expect it. Decent fruit, but dried out over a couple of hours. Enjoyable - leans toward smooth fruit vs. earth, game and secondaries. Although not the best of the Grange, it held its own. Drink now. A-
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10/16/2011 - JerM wrote: 96 Points
(Bdays Brunner with Just, Ads, Geoff, Grace: this 1975/1976 Vertical Tasting report is communal) Dense dark garnet in the glass, just barely letting light through the glass. Cork was intact (barely) upon extraction but stained. Some sedimentation in the bottle, as expected.
Upon opening: Expressive vegetal nose, with extensive savoury notes, loamy almost clay-ey wet earth ("almost-like-licking-a-slab-of-rocky-shale"; geosmin), dark chocolate and espresso, along with hints of rum, and funky old socks. It tastes like it smells: more mocha espresso, dusty shale, beef stock, burnt butter, chilli seeds, slightly nutty with some light berries and plums on the side and pine/cedar notes giving it a healthy vertical lift to the luxuriously rich and velvety tannins. Powerful, focused, textured and intense without being excessive or opulent, with it's head well on its shoulders showing austere, clean and pure lines. A true old-school debonair who really knows his way around.
After decanting 4 hrs: Even more developed flavors bloom, now further revealing minty butter menthol, brand's chicken essence, tar, horse paddock, mushrooms, stewy beef consome, damp pine forest (the Pacific Rim temperate rain-forest sort), ginseng characters, undergirded with a pleasant bitterness reminiscent of blood grapefruit.
Certainly memorable and attractive on its own, but also a perfect companion, holding well on its own without insecurity: because there was simply so much complexity going on with the savoury, coffee and textural notes that it paired winningly with Adel's Bakwa, Justina's Chocolate Torte, and even Grace's Strawberry Cupcakes - perfectly!
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9/16/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote:
SAG (Blind) Tasting (Chez Weber - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind alongside Chapoutier 1976 Hermitage Sizeranne. Spicy nose with lots of big fruit, some earthy aromas starting to emerge. Very powerful on dense in middle and finish.
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10/16/2010 - anubis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Given to me by my best man at my wedding 20 years ago. Opened for our 20th wedding anniversary. Not stored in anywhere near ideal conditions over the 20 years, so I was half expecting it to be close to vinegar.
Opened and decanted 6 hours before drinking. The cork was in pretty good shape and held together on extraction. It was moist about 2 thirds of the way up and didn't have any obviously bad smells about it.
Decanting the wine through a filter resulted in a very small amount of sediment, quite surprising really, and it was relatively fine as well.
First opening taste, it wasn't vinegar, but still a had bite that wasn't normal.
Second taste an hour later, and that bite had mostly retreated. Happy now that the wine is going to be drinkable at dinner, I didn't have any more tastes until the guests, my wife and I sat down to dinner 4 hours later.
At dinner, I was just a little bit disappointed with the wine. Admittedly, drinking a 35 year old icon wine, I probably had large expectations. The taste was a little bland, not a lot of fruit taste, but enough. The body was medium to full, started at the front and lasted well into the mouth.
I'm rating it 94 as it is not exceptional, but is close enough, and being 35 years, and not having anything to compare it to, ever, I have to give it a point for lasting this long and still being very drinkable.
Given a good wine cellar, this wine would last another decade or two, in my cellar, probably another 5 to 10 years. I don't think it will develop any more, so if it isn't an investment wine, drink up and enjoy! [cork, no alc disclosed on bottle]
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4/24/2007 - reichken wrote: flawed
OZ BYO Night (Providores and Tapas Room): Fill on this bottle was into the shoulder and when opened the cork came out too easily. the color was a cloudy purple and it had a stewy fruit nose to it with a touch of cough medicine. in the mouth the oxidation was pretty obvious but the wine was still drinkable. it was fairly concentrated and a bit syrupy. the taste of raisans and black fruits dominated. med finish med length. i think if the bottle was in better shape this would have been a very nice bottle of Grange
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7/8/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 92 Points
Grange Offline (1990-1975) (Alba Restuarant London): 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.
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7/7/2006 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 93 Points
Penfolds Grange Vertical Tasting (1990-1975) (Alba Restaurant, Whitecross Street, London): 90% shiraz, 10% cabernet
A very attractive, mature nose - very integrated with some soft black fruit and a touch of tar. This is going well. Nice restrained fruit on the palate. Gentle, soft tannins and a hint of spirit on the finish.
91/100
Re-tasted around 11 p.m. The tannins are softer and the spirit has gone, leaving all the positive characteristics pretty much unchanged. 93/100
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12/1/2005 - M&D24 wrote: 99 Points
Simply amazing, profound wine.....consensus WOTN and received EVERY vote. People were simply shaking their heads.
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11/18/2005 - futronic wrote: 92 Points
Medium dark ruby colour; opaque, with purple tinges. Aromas of blackberry, spice, and leather. Medium-full bodied, with pepper, spice, and black plums. Moderate finish, 30-40s, with black licorice notes.
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2/7/2005 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Lots of birthdays this year (Lucio's, Paddington): The 1975 was virtually identical in colour, and seemed to me to be slightly more oxidized initially. An attractive leathery nose, similar to the 72, but perhaps more savoury, with almost hint of saltiness. The 75 was even more tannic than the 72 and appeared to have a shorter finish. But as it sat, the fruit seemed to take on more weight and sweetness until it became quite full and rich in the mouth. Ultimately, I think it became the better wine, but it was a matter of degree. I suspect we had an above-average 72 and a slightly below-par 75. Still, by any standard both are very good indeed, and outstanding for 30-odd years.
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7/21/2001 - graemeg wrote:
Tasting w/ Jeremy Oliver (Vintage Cellars, Abbotsford): Almost too small a sip to make anything of… brick red. Violets, blackcurrants, bitumen, tar. Soft tannins on the palate. Fully resolved wine, with the trademark volatility now starting to come to the fore. Good wine, but the bottle is well ready.
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8/2/1999 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds v Henschke (de Burgh's, Sydney): Garnet red with a touch of orange around the rim. Leathery old nose with a touch of cedar. Palate is powerful, port-like in its intensity. Fine tannins still motor through the palate. Long, powerful – a beautiful drinking experience. Near peak and ought to hold on this tasting.
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