Bob’s cellar. Dark inky be lack, black as night. Nose is full black fruit, menthol mint nose, blast of fruit aromas. Double decanted a couple of hours ago before tasting which shows grippy tannins, deep and dark black fruit. A little overpowering. Day 2, massive cassis and mocha with a swirl of smokiness on the nose., kirsch and menthol. Dry tannins, austere, fruit has mainly disappeared. A little disappointing in the end hence the low score.
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Decanted 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet-blood red color. Wonderful bouquet of macerated cherries, pomegranates, and their liqueurs; red licorice, polished stones, bacon fat, mixed herbs. Similar on the palate, medium-full body, seamless, excellent balance. Regal and refined. Improved with air. Last sip, 5 hours after opening, was the best.
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A few observations: A) The wines undoubtedly deserve their legendary status. Few wines manage to square the circle of being intense, rich in substance and structure, while at the same time being ethereal, delicate and airy. B) The wines are all complex and very precise. With age (and/or air) the wines show a Rayas-like pure red berry fruit to die for. Other defining aromas are the minty/eucalyptus notes and especially the sweet spice I find in many Aussie Shirazes. C) The wines age at a glacial pace. Even the 40+ year old wines are still quite young and all will need a lot of decanting. D) All the wines were on a high level (except for one subpar bottle of the 2000). The winner was the magical 1982 (98pts), the epitome of elegance and balance.
TN: This was a very strong showing, very complex, highly precise and with a superb structure and impeccable balance. Slightly reductive, some cola, dark fresh fruit underneath, lots of minerality. Good, intricate nose. On the palate more open and ready with lots of fresh blue and darker berries, hints of red fruit too which get a bit more prominent with time, an intense, superbly fresh mint component, some meaty notes too and just hints of spices. Superb freshness. Soft and airy. Melted tannins but good tension. 96pts.
Decanting: All wines were quickly double decanted 3h before the tasting. In my experience Grange usually needs hours of proper decanting. With this 1-2 hours of decanting should be sufficient.
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A: med, garnet with loads of bricking N: mushrooms, dried red/black plum, dried herbs, red/black cherry, earth, some green pepper, tabac, leather, graphite P: dry, med (+) fresh acidity, high very fine integrated tannins, med (+) body, 14% ABV C: outstanding = 27 years and still fresh acidity and red/black fruit remaining, perfectly balanced fruit/tertiary and structure, complex, concentrated, long finish on tabac, earth and dried plum. Drink now of for coming 5 years.
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Grange vertical (Wunderbrunnen, Opfikon): 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.
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Four decades of Penfolds Grange (Chicago, IL): Next to the 1998 and 1997, it's pretty clear that this was the weaker wine. There's a bit of that Parker black cherry/vanilla combo, but this is fortunately not over-the-top like the wines that Parker favours. Maybe a little like the 1999 in that this had very high red-fruited acids, with a bit of a candied cherry quality (though not the sweetness). Not as balanced as the best wines, and even showing a slight hint of VA.
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Bob’s cellar. Deep dark red, definite bricking. Massive plum jam, red fruit and menthol nose, tight. Pnp tasting - plenty of acidity, pepper tannins, mixed up, needs to integrate. A couple of hours later with dinner - this has integrated nicely, the nose has opened out with an open red fruit acidity, dust of pepper tannin. Flavours are crunch of redcurrants, fine acidity, depth, limited black fruit, and this is very good. There is plenty of life left in this - really good.
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Deep Garnet, fading stewed dark fruit, still lots of Oak. Medium acid, med+ alcohol, some light spice on the finish. You can really taste the 13% Cab on the finish - surprising for a Shiraz dominated wine. Initially tasted blind, thought New World Cab! (BB Night 1).
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Gather up your stiffies and bring them to the oasis, there to dip them in the Grange. Here in Boner City, Lynehamsas, we have the festival of St Stiffylas and Grange is consumed as part of the religious ceremony whilst listening to Steam Powered Giraffe's 'Brass Goggles'.
The wine is under the visious bastard closure described as cork and mine quickly assumed the texture of thick sand as I dug it out in bits after the corkscrew took a lovely core extract, but not much else. Isn't there a romance to the cork? It is akin to the romance of the inebriated teenager fumbling about trying to undo the bra by yanking it up under the chin of the alarmed and increasingly unaroused sheila.
Time to move onto the wine, after digging about and cursing the cork.
This chap climbs out of the bottle demanding battle, no quarter to be given. From the first it is drinkable - no, gulpable. But hold off for a few hours decanted and you will get a much more open weave texture and the stiffies will go forth and mulitply.
The colour is a dense inky beast. Is there bricking? I can't tell, the damned thing is like staring into a black hole.
In the glass one gets Christmas pudding, rich, potent and endless. One thinks of the abusive Albert the pudding in Norman Lindsay's 'Magic Pudding'. There is also plum, blackberry and, later, a touch of prune. I find some Eucalypt hints - a character I can tolerate only in small quantities but here it balances the rich aspects nicely. There is also a little aged Balsamic that works to provide some cut.
The overall effect is dramatic and wonderful. How much can you drink of this? I felt a bit satiated after a glass, but my drinking companions leapt into the fray as only experienced, dedicated hedonists can. How can I blame them? Alas, I can only regard myself as an effete dabbler in hedonism.
A massive, deep, powerful and structured masterpiece of a Grange. Youthful, yet also rocking tonight with explosive and layered aromatics of créme de cassis, warm cherry pie, eucalyptus and Christmas spices. They waft from the glass. The palate is rich and intense but also shows such finesse in its delivery, along with a silky smooth texture, ripe tannins and ridiculous length. Differing from my usual wines of choice, but Grange is indeed a special wine. ✨
Incredibly rich nose of lemongrass, pencil lead and black fruits.
The mouth is still very young and of a magnificent freshness. This is all the more remarkable as the juice has an enormous density. The touch is textured, very noble and silky. The wine glides like velvet. It is layered with that dominant lemongrass, something I haven't noticed on any of the Penfolds I've tasted so far. The eucalyptus side in particular is absent. Then came the graphite, then the cherry and the plum which intertwine in this wine which ultimately turns out to be more fine than concentrated. Magnificent spicy finish that sparkles on the tongue to coat the throat for long minutes.
Characters of menthol, tar and sweet damson fruit finally emerge from a hot, spicy and tannic brew. It’s big, but where is the acidity and freshness? Lacking dimension, any interesting structure and point of focus, I found this really challenging, and left me scratching my head to see what all the fuss was about. CHP 86 pts
This will go down as one of the top 5 bottles of wine I've ever consumed. It was perfect. It reminded me of the 1982 Mouton, but with an Australian twist. This is perfection. It is what I like best in a great wine. What a treat. Thank you Casey for sharing. Wow!! Unforgettable.
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Coats Family Cellar Tasting (Wine Cellar): 14.2% alcohol; 7.2 /L RS. The wine is mid-deep garnet in colour and also has sediment. Amazing aromatic intensity with sweet ripe plum, prune, blackcurrant, mulberry, salted liquorice, bilberries and Assam tea. A fabulous sweet entry, this full-bodied, densely concentrated wine manages to retain freshness and youthful vibrance with a herbal twist and focus lingering on inexorably! The palate reveals more American oak, vanilla extract, bilberries and prunes with a touch of iron fillings. There is massive berry concentration, flesh and layers of complexity. Well-balanced, the length is immense and rewarding, with 70% dark chocolate and liquorice giving a velveteen sheen to the tannins.
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Aussie Night 2.0 (Buellton, CA): One of the best encounters with Grange I can recall. Youthful, fresh and delineated, showing pencil lead, citronella and oak lactones alongside lifted rich cherries and plum. Fine-grained, integrated tannins. Superb.
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Opened up next to a 2009 Grange, decanted for two hours, then poured into glasses. At first the two wines seemed rather matched, with a bit more age and earthy/meaty/smoke on the 1996. But pretty quickly the 2009 disappeared and the 1996 became outstanding. Big wow factor with huge length.
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Same bottle as Cos65. Dark fruit, integrated flavors but has yet unresolved tannic structure. Clearly a shiraz/Cabernet blend, not as much eucalyptus as I would’ve expected. Deeply pitched, but in my opinion, a bit before its time. The 93 was more ready to go last year.
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Dense black purple with moderate sediment Huge petrol almost black rubber nose Palate just slaps you in the face. Tons of extract without too much alcohol. A beast that clearly needs time to settle down, but so much going on. 93+
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Still young. Quite spicy, dry, needed a double decant and a couple of minutes in the glass to open up. Well balanced. A good bit of acidity to give it freshness. Nose not too expressive. Meaty, black berries. Needed a steak. You can leave this alone for another 10 years at least without any trouble.
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Very youthful for a 96. This has decades to go. On opening it was a wall of almost unpleasant acidity pushing a bitter fruit bomb. It settled done quickly and was delicious after an hour or so. after 5 or 6 hours it was beautifully integrated and was showing it’s true character Decant hours before pouring if you are opening a bottle soon. It needs time to come around.
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31122022 - New Year treat at Ed’s place. What a treat. Luscious plum, cherry, cassis with exquisite aromas of toffee, macadamia butter & chocolate truffles laced with black pepper. Palate; refined tannins but still a lot of youth & energy. Velvety mouthfeel with dark fruit and forest floor finish. Exceptionally long and layered
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Took it to L’Enlume restaurant in Cumbria. Match the beautiful local tasting menu. As to be expected . Complex, extremely well balanced . An occasion wine. Bellisimo
Borderline cooked, not showing much of the character other tasters wrote about. Some dark fruit here and there, but leaning mostly on that dried fruit, mushroomy profile. Acidity is a bit out of sync, with the fruit dying down. Medium finish. Past its prime, drink up.
My fav in the lineup. minty bright nose. Palate is the most substantial so far. Ripe balanced fruit but not overdone. Dark berries and dark coffee. Balanced and enjoyable.
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Grange Vertical with Peter Gago (Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore): A decade on from the bottle I had - this is developing into a quite lovely Grange. I really liked the nose on this, with its layers of plums and blueberry pie, earth and violets, with a cheeky little kiss of baking spices, black pepper and eucalyptus at the sides. Such a pretty bouquet. Very perfumed. The palate was very fine - powerful, full, ripe, yet couched in a lovely bit of fresh acidity, with a good bit of structure lent to it by lightly chewy tannins. I liked the flavour profile on it too - fresh plums and blueberries, less sweet than the nose suggested, instead very bright and perky, and wed to a little bit of earth and spice that pulled away into a lengthy finish. Quite a compelling, challenging wine veiled behind an elegantly charming facade. This was very nice indeed, perhaps except for a little drying twist at the finish which I did not quite take too at first. With time though, even that started subsiding a bit, with a more obviously Aussie twist of eucalyptus coming out instead. A lovely expression of Grange, very elegant, and very delicious, with its best a decade or more ahead of it yet.
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Masterclass with Peter Gago. 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Not unlike the 1990, this is perhaps a tick stricter, lovely old world like, a touch of graphite. Similar in age as I like to drink Bordeaux, the 96 and 04 were in my eyes in their peak drinking window.
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Penfolds Grange vertical with Peter Gago (Singapore): Expressive nose of blackberry, torrefaction, sweet spices and earthy elements. Very good showing of this again. I wish I had some food in front of me, so appetizing this wine.
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Deep garnet, thick legs and visible glass stain. Strong aromas of overripe cassis and liquorice. Tannins still quite a good bite which softens a bit with breathing, and somewhat savoury cinnamon, liquorice and cocoa flavours, and sweetish ripe black fruits. Very long finish that lasted a few minutes, amidst waves of spices and fruits. Great wine!
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Loads of primary menthol assails the nose and palate. Gorgeous big peppery ripe rich bramble fruits. Long and complex but still too young. Gives a lot of pleasure now but will give far more in 20 years.
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Drank at 67 Loads of primary menthol assails the nose and palate. Gorgeous big peppery ripe rich bramble fruits. Long complex but still too young. Gives big pleasure now but will give far more in 20 years.
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A gorgeously sleek and elegant Grange that remains youthful and leaner in profile but with great depth and vigor. This really needed a long decant to reveal it's glory with wonderfully layered dark red fruit flavors and excellent mineral thrust. The finish is fabulously satisfying and complex with that great Grange wild spice kicking in beautifully. This went so well with the beef omakase at Cote, NYC. Tightly coiled and very pure and certainly developing into one of my favorite vintages of Grange. 95+
Blind 2014 / 2017 White Burgundy (Chez Winefool): Blind. Full, lifted nose with abundant black fruit made complex with evergreen, mint, spice and sweet herbs. The palate has rich and incredibly youthful, fresh fruit. Tasted ten years old, not twenty-five years old. Should hold for multiple decades. Fairly easy to peg as Australian Shiraz, but you'd think it's much younger.
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A Year Later in Vero...; 3/17/2021-3/21/2021 (Vero Beach): I think this might be a bit early to open a Grange (I know, 25 years... crazy), but we did decant it first out of the wines. Just made sense to show it side by side with the HoG '89. While that was clearly in a sweet spot, this was still younger. One of those wines that improved leaps and bounds through the evening and the last sip was the best. Would still let it rest, but it's a lovely wine.
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Zum 4ten Mal den 1996 Grange...ehrlich, für mich eines der geilsten Weine die es gibt...25jährig und noch so jung, trotzdem alles zusammen, Granate, und dann diese Nase...unglaublich...wie leider der Preis auch...und der Zapfen...wenn du den in einem Stück rausbringst, bist du Sommelier Weltmeister...aber jeder Schluck entschädigt für all dies...immer gerne wieder, leider nur noch eine Flasche übrig...
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Opened and poured and then evaluated the wine over a four hour period. Deep garnet. On the nose, pronounced black cherry, black plum, coffee, liquorice, chocolate, black pepper. Wonderful depth of flavours and complexity on the palate with pronounced dried fruits, Jamminess, savoury, cooked blackberry, prune and then layered with leather, gamey, smoke, charred wood, tobacco
14% alcohol but beautifully balanced with medium (+) silky tannins. High acidity, medium (+) body and a very, very long finish.
Developing with plenty of potential for more ageing.
Drank this at Tunglok Xihe for dinner with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: WInes that start with G.
Purple in colour with notes of violets, plums and cherries. The attack is impressive, followed by a gentle mellowing and softening on the palate, presenting notes of vanilla, rum, leather, gum, plum, raspberries.
A wonderful wine that evolves on the palate offering multiple dimensions and layers.
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A beautiful Grange with a claret-like texture and mouthfeel. Light on it's feet but the finish really kicks this wine into a second-gear with very complex flavors of tangy red spices and ripe red licorice. Definitely well into its drinking window but with plenty of life ahead. A very elegant and refined vintage of Grange with a steely mineral backbone. 94+
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What a beautiful expression of Grange. Give this a 2-3 hour decant and you will be happy. Lots of fruit, four-fruit jam, cherries, cassis and fruit in rum, paired with funky notes of rubber and eucalyptus. Incredibly dense and long. What a beauty!
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Rich middle of the road. Not as big and jammy as I would have like. Maybe a sour mid for the first 3 hours of sipping then rounds out. Solid but not amazing.
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It was with reluctance I opened this Grange later in the evening and after a raft of glorious (and usually my preference) cabernets. This wine stood up and pretty much bettered everything - a very tall order. Glorious fresh colour. Powerful but not overbearing - beautifully structured. Presented like a kaleidoscope of fruit dark, blue and red - had my palate in beautiful confusion. Sweet and aromatic spices and woody notes. Leather. Honestly had everything.
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Decanted 1 hour. Edge was losing color. Significant sediment throughout. Nose of burnt raspberry and cinnamon rolls. Great balance and soft mouthfeel. Medium finish
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Garnet, mostly opaque, but with some amber edges showing its age. Sweet American oak aroma, black raspberry. Viscous. Still has plenty of sweet, smooth, shiraz flavors but soft and round, plenty of American oak flavors. Long aftertaste, a bit hot. This is near the end of its peak, time to drink up. Ric
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Tasted blind. Dark purple turning garnet at the rim with a reflective edge. This is a spectacular shiraz. The fruit is apparent but balanced by savory notes, gripping acidity and exotic earth tones. Very compelling. Not New World in style. Nevertheless, lovely and delicious. Drink now until 2031.
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Initially hesitant due to concerns about cellaring. After decanting, all concerns vanished. Wonderfully rich and mature flavours and a good colour. Robust on the nose but silkiness on the tongue.
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Chave Night (with some extras) (The Grunzweig Wine Room, Los Olivos): Served blind to my guests as an ill-conceived attempt to complement the 3 Chave reds on which we were focused, but this was too much of a thing apart in that context. Nonetheless a delicious expression of the grape, one which the gents impressively tagged as an Aussie Shiraz from the mid- to late-nineties, so full credit to them. Notes of eucalyptus, dark fruit, graphite and mocha. No jamminess here. The wine was so polished and lush, delicious in its own right though surely lacking the complexity and elegance the Chaves evidenced.
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Tasted double blind, I guessed '98 Penfolds Grange. Mom's request for Christmas dinner. A little modern for my tastes but I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Pours deep in color with virtually zero bricking. The nose wafts mint chocolate, blackcurrant jam, black cherry, eucalyptus, cedar, graphite, and just a touch of nose tingling alcohol. The palate is polished and lush with surprisingly high acid, and medium minus tannin. Finish is lengthy built on the wall of deep, rich fruit. Polished and enjoyable, if a tad monolithic.
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Simply magnificent! Had not had since 25th wedding anniversary 12 years ago. This time we were celebrating the birth of our first grandchild. Big robust nose, awesome rich dark fruit, beautiful mouth feel and texture, smooth as silk ....wish we had more.
Tasted at Penfolds Magill Estate, Adelaide. 40 Vintages of Grange: We are now in the window where you begin to mistake '90's Grange for wines at least 10 or 20 years their junior. There is a little alcohol on the finish (this vintage was 14% abv, gone are the days of mid 12% or low 13's). Enter 'Optimus Prime' of Australian wine!
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A deep colour showing maturity; quite full, spicy and somewhat acidic, as Syrah/Shiraz is inclined to be. Lacks a little richness and breadth, but there is no shortage of power. Still fresh.
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This is a massive Grange that’s still very youthful. It’s been a year and half since my last bottle of the 96 Grange and after reading my last tasting notes, I feel that this bottle is consistent with that one, so I’m just going to copy and paste my last note:
Its been about 6 years since I last tasted the 96 Grange and I have to say that, although it seems to be just a baby( or perhaps a child that's just approaching adolescence,) its maturing beautifully. Opaque, impenetrable purple with a cherry rim. The nose is very expressive with abundant dark fruit, cedar, pencil shavings, tobacco and leather. The palate is rich and unctuous with penetrating blackberry flavors with a core of blueberries and mirrors all the aromas from the nose. The tannins on the long finish are fairly chalky, but well integrated and not at all obtrusive. All in all, an extraordinary Grange.
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Drank after popping the cork. Blind tasting but this is a quintessential Grange..and couldn't be anything else. The nose and palate all in harmony ... I really can't see this getting better for my palate. No need to wait. Enjoy.
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I know its a crazy high score, and this is clearly not what everone wants from their $400 Grange, but Im thrilled to taste a vintage thats closer to the best St. Joseph than to young Hermitage. A gorgeous clean perfume, like standing in a wet field of violets and plum trees. In the mouth, immediately soft and elegant, a bit of pepper and asian spice on the back end, but dominated throughout by a gentle sweetness, superbly balanced by perfect acidity. Peaking or close to it, with 15 great years ahead.
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Penfolds Grange dinner with Stephanie Dutton (The Musket Room in NYC): For many this was the wine of the flight. It's certainly a nice balance between the power and finesse. In some of these wines the fruits is so beautiful and ripe and sweet without being overripe. This was one of those cases. Some more violet style floral notes as well. A wine that has a bit of elegance under all of the power. Very nice.
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"Blue mushrooms". Smurf notes. Deliciously complex. Decidedly new world but very well balanced. Decent amount of oak on the palate. Wouldn't wait much longer to drink - I think this is peaking.
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Rich, slightly sweet, intense, smoky and with good depth. Although now mature, it is still somewhat brutal. Excellent of its type, but lacking roundness as the acidity of the grape dominates.
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Acker BYO 2018 (Tribeca Grille): Wow - still young. These crazy wines. It was towards the end of the night and had been open for many hours. Lots of blackberry which is mostly predominating. Some of the eucalyptus and other flavors are coming through too. Not fully integrated yet, but further along than the 2001. Will give ours more time.
Decanted for two hours. Excellent fruit - even after 22 years in the bottle. A touch of tobacco & mushroom, plenty of heft, but not overpowering. What struck me about this bottle was the balance. Everything was in harmony.
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Still very dark colour with little fade at the rim. Decanted 1 hour. Nose very expressive of fruits of the forest, some blackcurrant Opened in the glass and continued to improve with time. 2 bottles, same notes. Heady stuff. Plenty of life left.
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Poured with rabbit aerator and decanted for 4 hours. Deep, opaque garnet color with minimal fading to the meniscus and minor hints of rust. White pepper, mineral, cedar, pine, perfumed blackberry, forest floor and pencil lead on the nose. This is a heady kaleidoscope of flavor. Complex layers of flavor washing through the mid-palate to end. Flint, pencil, mushroom, black currant, blackberry, blueberry, sweet, buttery oak. Outstanding complexity that is hard to fully capture. Full body, medium plus acidity and silky, fine tannins. 2 Minute plus finish - the longest I have ever had. This is simply an extraordinary wine. Paired perfectly with a seasoned sirloin. The best wine I have every had the pleasure of enjoying.
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A deep colour, ruby/garnet; full, intense, smoky, slightly sweet. Still vigorous, although now well into its third decade. A touch acidic on the finish, as Syrah/Shiraz can be, but otherwise an excellent, even profound wine.
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Excellent, gorgeous wine. Highly rated vintage and I can see why. 14% all. Colour: dusty red/brown berries, purple edges Bouquet: viscous, dark cherry, very berryish character, brambly, leather Palate: rich black fruit, blackberries, dry berries and herbs, potent but so soft and generous with developed fruit and tannins, long balanced gentle clean finish. Soft and smooth. July 2018
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Weekend in Napa; 7/5/2018-7/8/2018 (Napa, CA): This was the WOTN for me. Stunningly rich dark syrah fruit, ripe and lush, tannins have started to mellow but this still feels like it has a ways to go.
Its been about 6 years since I last tasted the 96 Grange and I have to say that, although it seems to be just a baby( or perhaps a child that's just approaching adolescence,) its maturing beautifully. Opaque, impenetrable purple with a cherry rim. The nose is very expressive with abundant dark fruit, cedar, pencil shavings, tobacco and leather. The palate is rich and unctuous with penetrating blackberry flavors with a core of blueberries and mirrors all the aromas from the nose. The tannins on the long finish are fairly chalky, but well integrated and not at all obtrusive. All in all, an extraordinary Grange.
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Big but not overpowering. Nice dark cherry with a hint of leather on the nose. Also sage, nutmeg and mace. On the palate, dark cherry and fruit with a touch of pepper. very balanced. Eternal finish. Plenty of tannin but still soft and smooth. Well structured and silky. Magnificent. Drinking well now, no sign of decline.
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Masters of Syrah (Sixteen Restaurant, Chicago): I preferred this ever so slightly to a very similar 1990 in the same flight. This is a bit bigger and riper than the 1990. The nose is intense and bright with rich black fruit, smoke and American oak. Impressive palate is rich, concentrated and dense yet seamless and lifted.
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Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): I liked this a lot, but besides the silkier palate, this wine paled in comparison to the massive and monumental 1990. This is a less ripe rendition of the wine, with the fruit not quite showing as potently or sweetly, and veering off a little bit more towards the tarter, red-fruited side of the spectrum. There's still an insane amount of American oak on this (somehow, American oak doesn't bother me, unlike French oak) which has yet to integrate.
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Big but not heavy. Powerful dark cherry with a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. Some spice: cloves, nutmeg, mace. On the palate, all of the above with a note of black pepper. Tannins strong but soft -- a lot of structure but very silky going down. Magnificent. Drinking well now, not much sign of decline so should be good for at least another decade. Not sure if it will improve from here but possible.
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Penfolds Grange Vertical (Sixteen, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose wasn't as expressive as others and lacked some depth, but did show class and warmth with dark red cherries, black raspberries, soy notes, balsamico, vanilla, and eucalyptus.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and medium tannins. The structure has pulled back with dark red cherries, raspberries, vanilla tones, and eucalyptus.
Overall: This bottle was lacking a bit. It didn't have the expression or depth that everything else had.
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Opened with great friends from IL. At 20 years old, this is drinking really well right now. Opened for 4 hours before drinking... perfect. Ripe fruit but not over ripe. Still has some grip but tannins are soft now. This is why Grange is still one of the best wines from Australia. Don't think it will get any better at this point.
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Syrah vs. Shiraz - Shoot out of the best (Singapore): Dark ruby, garnet rim. Expressive nose of dark fruit with torrefaction, tar, rum pot, spices and earth. Full bodied on the palate but with good tannins providing structure. This has Barossa written all over it, in a good way. A very solid Grange.
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NobleRottersSydney - 1996 night (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork, 14%} {Gordon} Double-decanted about three hours earlier. In essence, surprisingly similar to the St Henri, although the oak treatment is obvious in comparison, and adds another dimension to the nose and palate of this. But the underlying impression - the fruit character, and the vintage quality – is similar. The oak isn’t obviously vanilla-flavoured, it just gives a brooding, malty character to rich dark plum fruit; this is still a fair way off showing much real aged Grange character. It’s a bit fuller-bodied than St Henri, and has a more lingering finish, but has the same blackberry and rich spice flavours, medium acid, and slightly stronger dusty tannins. They’re both magnificent wines; it’s bizarre to think that the auction market prices the Grange higher by a factor of 4 or so, because the quality difference certainly isn’t there in 1996.
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Level well in to the neck. Cork came out in 2 major bits, with plenty of smaller fragments. Aarrrggggg. Double decanted back in to the bottle. Dark centre with some bricking. Explosion of aromas - ripe dark berry, sweet (?coconutty) oak. The palate is a heady, dense mix of black berries, dark plums, dark chocolate, menthol. Well balanced acids and tannins. Good length, but not outrageous.
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A perfect Grange, with all its typical characteristics, and perfectly mature. Could go longer, but it can't get any better. The color still dark, mostly opaque; some sediment has developed. The nose is wonderfully blended shiraz fruit with raspberry overtones and vanillin from American oak. Rich, full fruit flavors to match, perfectly balanced. Just a hint of tannin near the end and in the long aftertaste. This has turned out to be a great Grange. Ric
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This has a deep colour and rich, full, smoky, brambly fruit, noticeable acidity and alcohol, and good length. There is also some tannin still, and the elements do not seem to be fully integrated at present, so it may benefit from more time. Certainly an impressive wine, but more from sheer power than from harmony or elegance.
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A deep colour, mid red to garnet; rich, spicy fruit, quite a lot of oak and some alcoholic heat. Quite full and concentrated on the palate, with a streak of acidity that should keep it fresh for some years yet.
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Double decanted and drank over the course of the evening. Liquorice, kirsch and plum with beautiful cedar wafting from the glass. The length is extreme and the wine matches the nose and evolves from hour to hour in its complexity. For a 19 year old wine it never looks like fading throughout the 4 hour period and it's clearly at the top of its game with no rush to consume. A sparkling example of one of the worlds great wines - just superb.
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Souper de 50 ans à la maison: Un nez très eucalyptus, menthol, épicé, qui trahit son origine. La bouche est riche et gourmande, mais avec une belle finesse en finale Ample et gourmand, c'est délicieux, mais pas un grand vin à mon sens. 93 pts
48 heures plus tard, je révise encore ma note car le vin a développé une précision beaucoup plus grande, il me parait plus frais. 95
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Had to go 100 pts on this one as after 1,525 tasting notes on CT since 3/24/06 I have not had a better wine. Debated giving it 99 but this wine had no flaws so how can I not score it perfect? Of course it was my first and only Grange so possibly the '98 or '04 would have rated higher if I had the privilege to taste such vintages but alas this was all my modest cellar contained.
I had sourced this on 6/1/05 for a bargain $165 and when I tagged it I wrote "for Retirement" on the bottle not quite knowing at that time when the day would come and stuffed it away in the wine cooler. Fast forward 10 years and a month and retirement day has arrived. Walked out after 30+ years without my laptop and company phone and I could have floated across the parking lot!
I knew this needed a serious decant so opened it at 3pm and tried a first sip and the tannins let themselves be known so into the decanter it went. Finally around 6:30 time for the first pour with my wife into our Riedel glasses and a joyous clink of the glasses on the deck. Color was a dark crimson with some bricking in the color, very unlike young Aussie' Shriaz. Swirling brought out aromas of cigar box, forest, dried fruit. First sip was mouth coating with cranberries, earthy notes, allspice. After we got to "know" the wine it exhibited many personalities. A times it had the elegance of an aged Bordeaux, other times it had the power of a Napa Cab. Kind of odd was that it never had the extracted Shiraz flavor found in many wines from down under. No this was all about class and balance. The finish would go on and on for 50-60 seconds (that was a benefit as it made every sip last and slowed down the consumption of this marvelous wine)! Paired it with prime filet and fresh corn and baked potato, the perfect accompaniment for this bottle. I told my wife that it would have been awesome if I had a bigger wine budget in 2005 and bought all 3 bottles my local wine shop had because it would be fascinating to try this one in 5 then 10 years. You could just tell it had the stuffing to last. A remarkable wine on a remarkable day in our lives. Cheers!
Tasting 1996 Penfolds Grange (during private dinner) (Restaurante Cuenllas - Madrid): Bottle was opened six hours before consumption. Double decanted in order to filter abundant sediments. It took hours to open on the nose. At first wood covered everything except that elegance. The palate was silky and wide. Very long drink. Incredible aftertaste. When finally nose appears, mouth fell at the same rate. Unbalanced in my modest opinion. Perhaps its origin was not as flawless as we presumed 'cause poor storage. Lack of harmony, we said. However the last glass, the better. Below my expectations.
Botella abierta seis horas antes de su consumo. Doblemente decantada para filtrarla de abundantes sedimentos. Tardó horas en abrirse en nariz. Al principio la madera lo tapaba todo excepto la elegancia. En boca era más sedosa y amplia. De trago muy largo. Postgusto increíble. Cuando la nariz finalmente se manifestó, la boca cayó en la misma proporción. Desequilibrada en mi modesta opinión. Quizás su origen no era tan impecable como presumíamos con un almacenaje deficiente. Dijimos que padecía de falta total de armonía. No obstante, la última copa, la mejor. Por debajo de mis expectativas.
Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant. 78 Penfold Road Rosslyn Park, South Australia, 5072, Australia.
Double decanted by our sommelier Patrick.
94% Shiraz 6% Cabernet. 14% alcohol.
Black opaque heart, dark garnet rim, showing less age than expected. Well cellared and youthful. Heady nose of cassis fruit, blackberry spice, caramel mocha undertones, new leather. Silky mouthfeel, bold fruit flavour without the heaviness of lessor marques. Chocolate, vanilla, balanced and delicious.
Two hours open, blood plum, blackberry, expresso, chocolatey tannins mid palate, mild acidity freshens through the long stalky tannin, blueberry finish. Plush fruit and black pepper spice to the last drop!
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Penfolds Grange Wine Dinner at Botrini's (Botrini's Restaurant Athens): First Grange of the night and things are looking up. A very complex wine, open and quite mature. Medicinal aromas on a background of dark fruit, ground coffee, lifted with tones of eukalyptus, mint and camphor. Excellent wine, typically Australian and now at a stage of nice maturity even if it has lots of life ahead.
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Just about a perfect Grange, with all its typical characteristics, and perfectly mature. Could go longer, but it can't get any better. The color still dark, mostly opaque; some sediment has developed. The nose is perfectly blended shiraz fruit with raspberry overtones and vanillin from American oak. Rich, full fruit flavors to match, perfectly balanced. Just a hint of tannin near the end and in the long aftertaste. This has turned out to be a great Grange. Ric
Fantastic wine! Very balanced and elegant. Shiraz at its best! Should be decanted for at least 3 hours. Even better to cellar for another 5 years. Sadly, this was my one and only bottle.
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had it with venison roastbeef, 3 hours of decantation, unbelievable dark berries compote, rum pot, pepper, spices, fullbodied, great silky tannins, still present,a lot of deepness, very long aftertaste, I had it one day later after MR 1982 and Achaval Ferrer Bella Vista 2009, for me marginal the best, still too young even it is very good drinkable, 10 years at least ahead, wonderful
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Amazing! This was WOTN and blew away the 1990 Chateau Latour that preceded it in the tasting progression. So much character, yet not overly spicy or stout.
Price means its been a few years since my last grange but Wine Club Anniversary Dinner provided the opportunity (blind tasting). This really is as good as it gets and will stick in my memory forever. It is by far the best full bodied shiraz made in the world and the 96 is a wonderful example which will continue to evolve long after I'm pushing up daisies. Sumptuous and polished with wonderful sweet plum and cherry, the oak integrated and the tannins smooth. The shiraz equivalent of the best Bordeaux First Growths which have passed my lips.
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The youngest, biggest and most powerful wine on the slate. A colossus. A wine for your grandchildren. I was more in awe of this wine than in love with it. This wine could easily last 100 years and will not be fully ready for another 15. It is also synonymous with Penfolds Grange becoming bigger, more powerful, more monolithic over time as other monstrosities compete to take its mantle. Grange is still peerless in Australian wine. Drink 2030-2100.
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NobleRottersSydney - Grange night (Verde, East Sydney): {cork, 14%} (Greg) The 96 was very similar to the 91, but with perhaps a sweeter, more sybaritic level of fruitiness on the palate. The nose has a precise purity to the juicy chocolate/blackberry aromas. The palate is immensely seductive; polished, balanced, chalkily tannic and dry, but shot through with sweet red fruit, still stupidly youthful, but just sliding far enough away from their youth to be interesting. Although this is oh-so-drinkable now, it’s clearly only part-way along the path to legendary status. Really, very difficult to describe adequately with words. Barossa, McLaren Vale, Magill. 6% cabernet.
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Drinking so beautiful right now. While this is young to drink the Grange it's at its sweet spot. Nose of a typical Grange with blackberry jam and fruit galore. I did not detect many tannins. I wish I had more of this because I would drink some now and save some for another 20 years.
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Enjoyed at Gramercy Tavern in NYC with JS and his folks, and RS and MS. Also had a '90 Grange (92 points), 2007 Mollydooker Velvet Glove (93 points) and 2009 Glaetzer's Amon-Ra (90 points).
This evening, the '96 Grange was more enjoyable than the '90, though the latter closed the gap after breathing for several hours. The younger wine is in a very nice spot at the moment, displaying the classic Grange nose of jammy fruit and sweetness, with the tannins apparent but ever so friendly. For those fortunate enough to have a stash (sadly, mine is gone), the question to hold or drink is simply a matter of whether it is likely to improve further, because it is lovely now. My guess is that it will.....
There is a separate note on the '90 Grange.
The younger two were very enjoyable, but a severe contrast to the aged Penfolds', and surely will get better with a few more years of rest.
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Langton's Penfolds Masterclass with Andrew Caillard MW. Candy plum red. Sweet nose of candied aromas. Loads of sweet black fruits and some expresso coffee on the palate. Delicious.
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Possibly a slightly off bottle, but based on a previous tasting, I think not: alcohol, soy sauce and wood smoke on the nose. The palette is a lot more compelling, with rich, dark fruit - but a layer or rough wood tannins and barrel char predominates. Overall, the wine was pretty disjointed, although it did improve in the glass over a couple of hours.
Tasted blind by a group, with consistent notes.
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Incredible depth and concentration, with masses of berried fruits and savoury spices that coat the tongue and linger for minutes. Decadent, indulgent, sublime. Decanted for two hours, though could have done with more. At the beginning of its drinking window, and feels like it will develop over the next decade or two.
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Bdx and Pizza (1201 Avenue B): Huge flamboyant nose with just a hint of alcohol, but also plum, soy, olives, and hint of pepper. Palate is immensely concentrated, with dark plummy fruits—very smooth concentrated and balanced with a little pepper, meat, and game (almost has a oily? mouthfeel as is coats the palate). Lengthy finish, adding a little mint? and mostly integrated creamy vanilla. Great wine, seems to be in its drinking window and much more expressive than 3yrs ago.
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Sunday with Warso: A big, bold beautiful Grange bursting with rich black and blue fruit with so much depth and nuance that it seems too large a task to try and name all the components. Drinking well today with some firm tannins on the finish, but needed every minute of a 3 hour double decant and continued to improve for the several hours after that it took us to finish it.
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Great bottle, still young but wildly attractive. Thick and concentrated, more syrupy little black fruits. kirsch liqueur and Asian spices. Full bodied, excellent balance with hints of eucalyptus and mint. Long lingering, stays for minutes.
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Opus One vs. Penfolds Grange (AWSEC, Hong Kong): From a long, cool vintage. Dark but a little bricking. Complex spice on the savoury nose - more evolved than the '95. Big round palate with Plum and Blackcurrant. Menthol and smoke also present. The tannins are a bit grainy - probably needs a while yet to integrate. Very good length but a slight astringent note (could this have been a little oxidised?).
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Tasting event with Artadi's Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle (Monvinic (Barcelona)): Opened for 2 hours. Dark ruby color, some brown rim. Doesn't look like it's a 16 year wine. Very intense on nose, red fresh fruit, kirsh liquor, peppermint, wet forrest floor, very balsamic, cigar box, tobacco. High acidity on palate, medium to full bodied, vibrant, present tannins, bitterness, chocolate, remarkable finish. Very, very nice (93-95).
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Aroma on opening off the scale, decanted for one hour, not enough methinks. Huge flavours of cassis and blackberry. Seemed a little inert though,perhaps too young still?
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Not sure if this bottle was a little off, but it certainly didn't show as I expected from a Grange especially from a good year as 1996. I had decanted about an hour before lunch, perhaps not giving it a chance to show. But the nose was muted, albeit with classic Shiraz, meaty, plummy notes. On the palate, the fruit seemed restrained, almost closed. Good balance altho acidity did seem a shade lacking. Over the course of the following hour after pouring, we could appreciate that this was a Grange, but it didn't evolve much more. All in all, perhaps our expectations were too high but this left us a bit disappointed.
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IWFS: Penfolds Grange vs Clarendon Hills Astralis (The Moomba, Circular Road): Clearly Aussie, clearly Grange, and clearly very good. However, even though it was more open than the Clarendon Hills Astralis that preceded it, this also needs a whole lot more time in the cellar. Nevertheless, quite a pleasure on the night. Beautiful nose showed classic Aussie Shiraz character, with plums, prunes, earth and meat scents, seasoned with eucalyptus, coconutty vanilla and just that tiny hint of crushed beetle. A little flowery lilt brought up the rear. The palate was rich, almost thick, with plenty of depth in its plums, prunes and sweet oak notes on the attack, yet it was somehow unusually clean, clear, almost pure, almost high-toned in the way the fruit expressed itself. The mid-palate had serious meaty concentration, and lots of powerful fruit riding into a finish of eucalyptus, mint and wafting vanilla tones filling the mouth. Not quite the raw power on the back-end of the 1994 Grange I last had, but this showed great balance, with juicy acidity, great velevty texture, lots of complexity and lovely lingering length too. Very yummy. The quintessential Aussie Shiraz. Like the Astralis though, still very young, with the structure and texture of the wine a lttle dominant. I would give it a good 5-6 years before broaching another bottle, and I think this will probably go on developing for far longer after that.
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Iwfs grange vs australis night (Moomba): Consistent expectable top authentic quintissential Aussie shiraz. Beautiful raspberries blueberries and plumpish ripe black Prunes. Lovely fruit juice. Juicy juicy juicy and mouthwatering. What u should expect. Some smooth spices and graphite but nit as secondary as previously tasted.
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Deep brooding blood red opaque colour. Nose is initially Dulux emulsion paint segueing into very rich raspberries. Palate is gorgeous and fully resolved tannins and harmonious acidity with gorgeous black cherry intensity on the back end. A big explosion on the back end with very long length and considerable resonance inside the head on the finish. This seemed surprisingly evolved for a Grange of this age, particularly when compared to the 1995. Gorgeous.
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An Unforgettable Birthday for Martin (Lucas @ Klapsons): God-like elegance with an extremely suprising elegant nose filled with black licourice, black florals, black tea and topped up with lifted exotic spices. On the palate, this is equally suprising in elegance with old worldish textural mouthfeel and I felt a coating of pauillac graphite / pencil lead glazing across the tongue before seamlessly slipping down the oesophagus. Wow! This is how aussie shiraz was made to be drunk and would have been so if not for Parker's "discovery". There is a light footed lift in its stride which sets it apart from the other shirazes.
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This is a black beauty. Has a nose that reminded us of certain Napa cult Cabs. Shafer HSS was suggested when the wine was blind. I understand what the tasters were getting at - there is a concentrated depth of intensity on the nose that is rarely found on wines. Also, there was the distinct smoky vanilla of American oak. On the palate, there remains great intensity (perhaps a touch less when compared to the nose...likely a good thing!). Fantastic ripe plums, icing sugar, blueberries and pancake syrup. But this is not to say this won't turn into a more savory wine with time - in fact, there are hints of those elements that I think might emerge with more time. But at the moment, this wine is all about the fruit...lip smacking good!
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So interesting to taste after the 1976, just barely showing a hint of what it will someday be it's clearly a wine with a long future ahead of it. It's still tannic, though not overwhelmingly so. Balanced and beautiful, but young. Give this tons of air if you open anytime soon.
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Grange in the 90s @ Mike J's (Wilton, CT): Soft and round in the mouth, with chunky fruit and herbs on the palate. Nicely resolved structure. Another wine that is entering a very nice drinkability window.
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Deep color.Fragrant wood on the nose. Still tight despite 2 hours decanting. Powerful and dry with deep, deep flavors. Oddly, some bubblegum showing. I was a bit disappointed that it didn't really show too well. Either it should be left in the bottle for the next 10 years or it should be decanted for 6 hours. Certainly you get the feeling that this wine is capable of greatness but it's bottled up pretty tight now.
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Conrad’s: Big giant guy, bitter choc, moster; HUGE t’s, gd concentration, gooey tho; mentol and eucalyptus in there all over. Very good, many’s wotn, but too heavy for me. Amazing that’s it’s 13 yrs! from Conrad.
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EWG Does Syrahs Blind From Around The World (Conrad Greens Abode): Very ripe notes of stewed tomatoes with some menthol and pepper adding complexity. Thick extracted and tannic with an iron quality this drops off towards the finish. I've had this before but was unfamiliar to me. Leaned toward Aussie but no real guess.
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Dinner at home with Mom & Steve & Barb. Decanted 3 hours. Very open, surprisingly so. Filled with tar, charcoal and black fruits. Clearly not French but not over the top in any way. A very pure expression of the Syrah grape that should be amazing if cellared for another 15-20 years. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
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Wonderful wine right at the open, lots of life, vibrant racey acidity, a pure form of varietal expression, iniitially seemed more Cabernet than Shiraz. With time, the wine turned huge, deep, and brooding with unimaginalble depth of flavor, lots of weight on the palete, with a long finish. Consumed with Filet Mignon.
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Decanted 3 hours then consumed over the next several hours. Deep blood red color with a bit of browning. Big expressive nose of plum, currants, fig, coffee and earth. Mouth coating palate with balanced fruit and significant oak, leather and mushrooms. Tannins perceptible and a bit chalky with strong acidity. The finish is the where the action is, with currants and dark berries lasting minutes with mocha and mineral in the background. This was like waking a sleepy monster of a wine, tightly wound and taking hours to come around, but and after 4-5hrs in the decanter, was much more accessible, showing great wood, earth, chocolate and tobacco notes. Even so, I don't think this showed its full potential. Retains impeccable balance at all times. Almost into its drinking window, but still a few years away, but likely decades from being over the hill.
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds &/or 1988 (Alio's, Surry Hills): {cork, 14%} I really did think this would be too closed to enjoy properly, but was proved hopelessly wrong. Impenetrable ruby colour, with plush, youthful berry/plum/spice/chocolate aromas. Only minimal secondary development, but calling it just ‘primary’ does no justice to the wonderful ensemble of the wine’s components. The oak is not overt, but swathed in rich fruit. Strong yet incredibly fine powdery tannins, a full body, velvety texture and latent acidity combine with the utmost class and finesse to produced a large-scale yet polished offering with a long, evenly balanced finish. An astonishing wine singing a glorious song; neither a screeching soprano or a hoarse alto, a ragged tenor, or a coarse baritone; no, this is a full symphonic chorus in glorious flight. Noble, majestic, seductive, inspiring, enthralling; in every sense a complete wine. Quite drinkable now, yet so clearly only fulfilling a fraction of its potential. Stunning.
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Blackberry, vanilla oak, cedar, earth, a hint of charcoal, mint and eucalyptus. Fruit forward but still with some old world austerity. Very Cabernet like despite being 100% Shiraz. Extremely complex and layered finish. Wow! One of the best Australian wines I've tried in recent memory.
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Decanted at 3pm for dinner tonight: Deep ruby/purple in color--a wonderful essence of cinnamon, spice and cedar arose. I poured a sample and was pleasantly surprised by the spicy element on the finish. A wonderful wine that I cannot wait to share with our Wine Group tonight. Well, at dinner this was simply a sumptuous and wonderful experience! The spicy notes on the finish had disappeared leaving a well pedigreed wine that was more of a mix of Haut Brion and Latour. I would love to try this wine again--those with bottles have years of pleasure ahead.
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Similar notes to last bottle... just an extraordinary wine. Huge sweet, black fruits, spices, tar, american oak and chocolate on the nose and palate. Big, but very nicely integrated tannins on an extremely full bodied palate. Would have scored higher if not for just a touch of heat... Drinking nicely now, but will continue to improve for many more years.
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Red with purple overtones. An obviously young, very closed nose. But with coaxing, elegantly perfumed: sweet cherry syrup, red currents, licorice, bacon fat again. Medium bodied, tart with some "bite". Medium length finish. Caught some bitterness in the tannins here, but that should fade once this gets another few years on it. Hold for another 5 years or so, then drink over the next ten.
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Tasted at Vintage 64 Club 2007 AGM. Youthful, with aromas of mixed berries with hints of tea and roast chestnuts. Full, rich and intense palate of berry fruits, thick with tannins. Loads of life left in this one!
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Spectacular... opened bottle 12 hours ahead... decanted for 5 hours with some splashing and swirling periodically... Dark, opaque purple color. Initially the nose was dominated by fresh American oak, but it was clear that there was a ton of fruit and other stuff underneath. After a couple hours, the black fruit, spices and smoke took over on the nose. Extremely full bodied and tannic even after all the decanting (this stuff will last decades longer...). Lots of black fruit, black pepper and other spices on the palate - coats your entire mouth and throat with a finish that goes on and on... Grange is not for the faint of heart... more smash mouth than elegant, but just an incredible experience with medium rare new york strips on the grill. Would have rated higher if not for the oak being a little too prominent. 4 more bottles... will try another one in a year or so...
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Still a baby. Road tar, mocha and ripe plums abound. Very aromatic. Still fairly primary but a great shiraz is hiding and only peeking out a little. Quite tannic but softened after 2+ hrs in the decanter. Great with roasted horseradish encrusted filet mignon. Many years ahead.
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Dinner at Steve & Barb's house. Decanted for about 2 hours, but still showing very, very young. Dark, deep purple, the kind of wine that really stains the glass ( and teeth, and tongue, ... ) Dark fruits and lots of tannin in a very rich package. Clearly has a great future ahead of it, and was quite enjoyable now as well. 50+12+13+8.5+8.5 = 92
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds premiums 86-96 (Darling Mills, Glebe): 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.
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Deep dark color. Lots of cassis and pepper, with a hint of coconut and oak. Very tannic. Mellowed out a bit with air, but this is definitely one for the cellar. Lots of potential.
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12/25/2023 - Cremuel Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bob’s cellar. Dark inky be lack, black as night. Nose is full black fruit, menthol mint nose, blast of fruit aromas. Double decanted a couple of hours ago before tasting which shows grippy tannins, deep and dark black fruit. A little overpowering.
Day 2, massive cassis and mocha with a swirl of smokiness on the nose., kirsch and menthol. Dry tannins, austere, fruit has mainly disappeared. A little disappointing in the end hence the low score.
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11/23/2023 - Javachip Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Clear deep dark garnet-blood red color. Wonderful bouquet of macerated cherries, pomegranates, and their liqueurs; red licorice, polished stones, bacon fat, mixed herbs. Similar on the palate, medium-full body, seamless, excellent balance. Regal and refined. Improved with air. Last sip, 5 hours after opening, was the best.
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10/29/2023 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
A few observations: A) The wines undoubtedly deserve their legendary status. Few wines manage to square the circle of being intense, rich in substance and structure, while at the same time being ethereal, delicate and airy. B) The wines are all complex and very precise. With age (and/or air) the wines show a Rayas-like pure red berry fruit to die for. Other defining aromas are the minty/eucalyptus notes and especially the sweet spice I find in many Aussie Shirazes. C) The wines age at a glacial pace. Even the 40+ year old wines are still quite young and all will need a lot of decanting. D) All the wines were on a high level (except for one subpar bottle of the 2000). The winner was the magical 1982 (98pts), the epitome of elegance and balance.
TN: This was a very strong showing, very complex, highly precise and with a superb structure and impeccable balance. Slightly reductive, some cola, dark fresh fruit underneath, lots of minerality. Good, intricate nose. On the palate more open and ready with lots of fresh blue and darker berries, hints of red fruit too which get a bit more prominent with time, an intense, superbly fresh mint component, some meaty notes too and just hints of spices. Superb freshness. Soft and airy. Melted tannins but good tension. 96pts.
Decanting: All wines were quickly double decanted 3h before the tasting. In my experience Grange usually needs hours of proper decanting. With this 1-2 hours of decanting should be sufficient.
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10/5/2023 - despore Likes this wine: 95 Points
A: med, garnet with loads of bricking
N: mushrooms, dried red/black plum, dried herbs, red/black cherry, earth, some green pepper, tabac, leather, graphite
P: dry, med (+) fresh acidity, high very fine integrated tannins, med (+) body, 14% ABV
C: outstanding = 27 years and still fresh acidity and red/black fruit remaining, perfectly balanced fruit/tertiary and structure, complex, concentrated, long finish on tabac, earth and dried plum. Drink now of for coming 5 years.
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10/3/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Grange vertical (Wunderbrunnen, Opfikon): 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.
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9/28/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Four decades of Penfolds Grange (Chicago, IL): Next to the 1998 and 1997, it's pretty clear that this was the weaker wine. There's a bit of that Parker black cherry/vanilla combo, but this is fortunately not over-the-top like the wines that Parker favours. Maybe a little like the 1999 in that this had very high red-fruited acids, with a bit of a candied cherry quality (though not the sweetness). Not as balanced as the best wines, and even showing a slight hint of VA.
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9/17/2023 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 95 Points
The most improbably dense potable substance on earth, I think.
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7/22/2023 - Cremuel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bob’s cellar. Deep dark red, definite bricking. Massive plum jam, red fruit and menthol nose, tight. Pnp tasting - plenty of acidity, pepper tannins, mixed up, needs to integrate.
A couple of hours later with dinner - this has integrated nicely, the nose has opened out with an open red fruit acidity, dust of pepper tannin. Flavours are crunch of redcurrants, fine acidity, depth, limited black fruit, and this is very good. There is plenty of life left in this - really good.
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1/22/2023 - Ch. Lafite Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep Garnet, fading stewed dark fruit, still lots of Oak. Medium acid, med+ alcohol, some light spice on the finish. You can really taste the 13% Cab on the finish - surprising for a Shiraz dominated wine. Initially tasted blind, thought New World Cab! (BB Night 1).
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1/15/2023 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Gather up your stiffies and bring them to the oasis, there to dip them in the Grange. Here in Boner City, Lynehamsas, we have the festival of St Stiffylas and Grange is consumed as part of the religious ceremony whilst listening to Steam Powered Giraffe's 'Brass Goggles'.
The wine is under the visious bastard closure described as cork and mine quickly assumed the texture of thick sand as I dug it out in bits after the corkscrew took a lovely core extract, but not much else. Isn't there a romance to the cork? It is akin to the romance of the inebriated teenager fumbling about trying to undo the bra by yanking it up under the chin of the alarmed and increasingly unaroused sheila.
Time to move onto the wine, after digging about and cursing the cork.
This chap climbs out of the bottle demanding battle, no quarter to be given. From the first it is drinkable - no, gulpable. But hold off for a few hours decanted and you will get a much more open weave texture and the stiffies will go forth and mulitply.
The colour is a dense inky beast. Is there bricking? I can't tell, the damned thing is like staring into a black hole.
In the glass one gets Christmas pudding, rich, potent and endless. One thinks of the abusive Albert the pudding in Norman Lindsay's 'Magic Pudding'. There is also plum, blackberry and, later, a touch of prune. I find some Eucalypt hints - a character I can tolerate only in small quantities but here it balances the rich aspects nicely. There is also a little aged Balsamic that works to provide some cut.
The overall effect is dramatic and wonderful. How much can you drink of this? I felt a bit satiated after a glass, but my drinking companions leapt into the fray as only experienced, dedicated hedonists can. How can I blame them? Alas, I can only regard myself as an effete dabbler in hedonism.
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1/6/2023 - finediningnyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
A massive, deep, powerful and structured masterpiece of a Grange. Youthful, yet also rocking tonight with explosive and layered aromatics of créme de cassis, warm cherry pie, eucalyptus and Christmas spices. They waft from the glass. The palate is rich and intense but also shows such finesse in its delivery, along with a silky smooth texture, ripe tannins and ridiculous length. Differing from my usual wines of choice, but Grange is indeed a special wine. ✨
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12/15/2022 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 97 Points
Incredibly rich nose of lemongrass, pencil lead and black fruits.
The mouth is still very young and of a magnificent freshness. This is all the more remarkable as the juice has an enormous density. The touch is textured, very noble and silky. The wine glides like velvet. It is layered with that dominant lemongrass, something I haven't noticed on any of the Penfolds I've tasted so far. The eucalyptus side in particular is absent. Then came the graphite, then the cherry and the plum which intertwine in this wine which ultimately turns out to be more fine than concentrated. Magnificent spicy finish that sparkles on the tongue to coat the throat for long minutes.
Great Penfolds.
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12/13/2022 - platpeeps wrote: 86 Points
Characters of menthol, tar and sweet damson fruit finally emerge from a hot, spicy and tannic brew. It’s big, but where is the acidity and freshness? Lacking dimension, any interesting structure and point of focus, I found this really challenging, and left me scratching my head to see what all the fuss was about. CHP 86 pts
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12/13/2022 - A&C Likes this wine: 100 Points
This will go down as one of the top 5 bottles of wine I've ever consumed. It was perfect. It reminded me of the 1982 Mouton, but with an Australian twist. This is perfection. It is what I like best in a great wine. What a treat. Thank you Casey for sharing. Wow!! Unforgettable.
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9/19/2022 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 98 Points
Coats Family Cellar Tasting (Wine Cellar): 14.2% alcohol; 7.2 /L RS. The wine is mid-deep garnet in colour and also has sediment. Amazing aromatic intensity with sweet ripe plum, prune, blackcurrant, mulberry, salted liquorice, bilberries and Assam tea.
A fabulous sweet entry, this full-bodied, densely concentrated wine manages to retain freshness and youthful vibrance with a herbal twist and focus lingering on inexorably! The palate reveals more American oak, vanilla extract, bilberries and prunes with a touch of iron fillings. There is massive berry concentration, flesh and layers of complexity. Well-balanced, the length is immense and rewarding, with 70% dark chocolate and liquorice giving a velveteen sheen to the tannins.
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8/22/2022 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
A really good Grange, but a bit hot on the palate... maybe a bit young!
Or, it just needed a bit more time decanted to blow off the alcohol.
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8/14/2022 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 96 Points
Aussie Night 2.0 (Buellton, CA): One of the best encounters with Grange I can recall. Youthful, fresh and delineated, showing pencil lead, citronella and oak lactones alongside lifted rich cherries and plum. Fine-grained, integrated tannins. Superb.
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8/14/2022 - Edeon Likes this wine: 99 Points
Opened up next to a 2009 Grange, decanted for two hours, then poured into glasses. At first the two wines seemed rather matched, with a bit more age and earthy/meaty/smoke on the 1996. But pretty quickly the 2009 disappeared and the 1996 became outstanding. Big wow factor with huge length.
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7/15/2022 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Same bottle as Cos65. Dark fruit, integrated flavors but has yet unresolved tannic structure. Clearly a shiraz/Cabernet blend, not as much eucalyptus as I would’ve expected. Deeply pitched, but in my opinion, a bit before its time. The 93 was more ready to go last year.
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7/15/2022 - cos65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dense black purple with moderate sediment
Huge petrol almost black rubber nose
Palate just slaps you in the face. Tons of extract without too much alcohol. A beast that clearly needs time to settle down, but so much going on.
93+
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6/14/2022 - winesteward Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young. Quite spicy, dry, needed a double decant and a couple of minutes in the glass to open up. Well balanced. A good bit of acidity to give it freshness. Nose not too expressive. Meaty, black berries. Needed a steak. You can leave this alone for another 10 years at least without any trouble.
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3/16/2022 - jpbach13C wrote: 97 Points
Very youthful for a 96. This has decades to go. On opening it was a wall of almost unpleasant acidity pushing a bitter fruit bomb. It settled done quickly and was delicious after an hour or so. after 5 or 6 hours it was beautifully integrated and was showing it’s true character Decant hours before pouring if you are opening a bottle soon. It needs time to come around.
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1/31/2022 - Romz Likes this wine: 96 Points
31122022 - New Year treat at Ed’s place. What a treat. Luscious plum, cherry, cassis with exquisite aromas of toffee, macadamia butter & chocolate truffles laced with black pepper. Palate; refined tannins but still a lot of youth & energy. Velvety mouthfeel with dark fruit and forest floor finish. Exceptionally long and layered
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1/14/2022 - steveyboy17 wrote: 95 Points
Took it to L’Enlume restaurant in Cumbria. Match the beautiful local tasting menu. As to be expected . Complex, extremely well balanced . An occasion wine. Bellisimo
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11/28/2021 - grapenomad wrote: 85 Points
Borderline cooked, not showing much of the character other tasters wrote about. Some dark fruit here and there, but leaning mostly on that dried fruit, mushroomy profile. Acidity is a bit out of sync, with the fruit dying down. Medium finish. Past its prime, drink up.
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11/28/2021 - Andice wrote: 94 Points
My fav in the lineup. minty bright nose. Palate is the most substantial so far. Ripe balanced fruit but not overdone. Dark berries and dark coffee. Balanced and enjoyable.
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11/27/2021 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Grange Vertical with Peter Gago (Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore): A decade on from the bottle I had - this is developing into a quite lovely Grange. I really liked the nose on this, with its layers of plums and blueberry pie, earth and violets, with a cheeky little kiss of baking spices, black pepper and eucalyptus at the sides. Such a pretty bouquet. Very perfumed. The palate was very fine - powerful, full, ripe, yet couched in a lovely bit of fresh acidity, with a good bit of structure lent to it by lightly chewy tannins. I liked the flavour profile on it too - fresh plums and blueberries, less sweet than the nose suggested, instead very bright and perky, and wed to a little bit of earth and spice that pulled away into a lengthy finish. Quite a compelling, challenging wine veiled behind an elegantly charming facade. This was very nice indeed, perhaps except for a little drying twist at the finish which I did not quite take too at first. With time though, even that started subsiding a bit, with a more obviously Aussie twist of eucalyptus coming out instead. A lovely expression of Grange, very elegant, and very delicious, with its best a decade or more ahead of it yet.
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11/27/2021 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 94 Points
Masterclass with Peter Gago. 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Not unlike the 1990, this is perhaps a tick stricter, lovely old world like, a touch of graphite. Similar in age as I like to drink Bordeaux, the 96 and 04 were in my eyes in their peak drinking window.
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11/26/2021 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
Penfolds Grange vertical with Peter Gago (Singapore): Expressive nose of blackberry, torrefaction, sweet spices and earthy elements. Very good showing of this again. I wish I had some food in front of me, so appetizing this wine.
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11/9/2021 - Marshmallowman Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely wine. Sweet black fruit, medium bodied with spicy silky lingering finish.
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10/7/2021 - despore Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just gets better with age and with air.
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9/26/2021 - peterk Likes this wine:
Lovely wine - seemed more youthful than it is.
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9/15/2021 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep garnet, thick legs and visible glass stain. Strong aromas of overripe cassis and liquorice. Tannins still quite a good bite which softens a bit with breathing, and somewhat savoury cinnamon, liquorice and cocoa flavours, and sweetish ripe black fruits. Very long finish that lasted a few minutes, amidst waves of spices and fruits. Great wine!
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8/12/2021 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Loads of primary menthol assails the nose and palate. Gorgeous big peppery ripe rich bramble fruits. Long and complex but still too young. Gives a lot of pleasure now but will give far more in 20 years.
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8/4/2021 - RayOB Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at 67
Loads of primary menthol assails the nose and palate. Gorgeous big peppery ripe rich bramble fruits. Long complex but still too young. Gives big pleasure now but will give far more in 20 years.
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8/3/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A gorgeously sleek and elegant Grange that remains youthful and leaner in profile but with great depth and vigor. This really needed a long decant to reveal it's glory with wonderfully layered dark red fruit flavors and excellent mineral thrust. The finish is fabulously satisfying and complex with that great Grange wild spice kicking in beautifully. This went so well with the beef omakase at Cote, NYC. Tightly coiled and very pure and certainly developing into one of my favorite vintages of Grange. 95+
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6/17/2021 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Blind 2014 / 2017 White Burgundy (Chez Winefool): Blind. Full, lifted nose with abundant black fruit made complex with evergreen, mint, spice and sweet herbs. The palate has rich and incredibly youthful, fresh fruit. Tasted ten years old, not twenty-five years old. Should hold for multiple decades. Fairly easy to peg as Australian Shiraz, but you'd think it's much younger.
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6/11/2021 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 96 Points
Magnificent; lively fruit, long finish. Amazing balance … and this still has 10 years to go (if needed).
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5/8/2021 - Viking Highlander Likes this wine: 95 Points
3 hour decant.. opened up beautiful.. still 5 to 7 left in my opinion if cellared well . Enjoy
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3/20/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
A Year Later in Vero...; 3/17/2021-3/21/2021 (Vero Beach): I think this might be a bit early to open a Grange (I know, 25 years... crazy), but we did decant it first out of the wines. Just made sense to show it side by side with the HoG '89. While that was clearly in a sweet spot, this was still younger. One of those wines that improved leaps and bounds through the evening and the last sip was the best. Would still let it rest, but it's a lovely wine.
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3/13/2021 - MM29 wrote: 98 Points
Zum 4ten Mal den 1996 Grange...ehrlich, für mich eines der geilsten Weine die es gibt...25jährig und noch so jung, trotzdem alles zusammen, Granate, und dann diese Nase...unglaublich...wie leider der Preis auch...und der Zapfen...wenn du den in einem Stück rausbringst, bist du Sommelier Weltmeister...aber jeder Schluck entschädigt für all dies...immer gerne wieder, leider nur noch eine Flasche übrig...
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3/3/2021 - alistairassheton Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened and poured and then evaluated the wine over a four hour period.
Deep garnet. On the nose, pronounced black cherry, black plum, coffee, liquorice, chocolate, black pepper.
Wonderful depth of flavours and complexity on the palate with pronounced dried fruits, Jamminess, savoury, cooked blackberry, prune and then layered with leather, gamey, smoke, charred wood, tobacco
14% alcohol but beautifully balanced with medium (+) silky tannins. High acidity, medium (+) body and a very, very long finish.
Developing with plenty of potential for more ageing.
Outstanding
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2/22/2021 - stayhappy21 wrote: 96 Points
Drank this at Tunglok Xihe for dinner with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: WInes that start with G.
Purple in colour with notes of violets, plums and cherries. The attack is impressive, followed by a gentle mellowing and softening on the palate, presenting notes of vanilla, rum, leather, gum, plum, raspberries.
A wonderful wine that evolves on the palate offering multiple dimensions and layers.
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2/5/2021 - wineian Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a very good place right now. velvety mouthfeel with smooth tannins, plush and tasty. Oak is well integrated.
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1/30/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 94 Points
A beautiful Grange with a claret-like texture and mouthfeel. Light on it's feet but the finish really kicks this wine into a second-gear with very complex flavors of tangy red spices and ripe red licorice. Definitely well into its drinking window but with plenty of life ahead. A very elegant and refined vintage of Grange with a steely mineral backbone. 94+
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1/11/2021 - G_H wrote: 97 Points
What a beautiful expression of Grange. Give this a 2-3 hour decant and you will be happy. Lots of fruit, four-fruit jam, cherries, cassis and fruit in rum, paired with funky notes of rubber and eucalyptus. Incredibly dense and long. What a beauty!
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12/25/2020 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich middle of the road. Not as big and jammy as I would have like. Maybe a sour mid for the first 3 hours of sipping then rounds out. Solid but not amazing.
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11/6/2020 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 97 Points
It was with reluctance I opened this Grange later in the evening and after a raft of glorious (and usually my preference) cabernets. This wine stood up and pretty much bettered everything - a very tall order. Glorious fresh colour. Powerful but not overbearing - beautifully structured. Presented like a kaleidoscope of fruit dark, blue and red - had my palate in beautiful confusion. Sweet and aromatic spices and woody notes. Leather. Honestly had everything.
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10/9/2020 - lewisrise wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Edge was losing color. Significant sediment throughout. Nose of burnt raspberry and cinnamon rolls. Great balance and soft mouthfeel. Medium finish
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10/5/2020 - despore Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich, round, deep, black cherry, plum, raisin, earth, mushroom, dense forest floor, menthol, char, leather. Fantastic acidity and fine grain med (+) tannins, long, long finish. Excellent wine!
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10/3/2020 - Larslatour wrote: 93 Points
Mature, classic, eucalyptus, soft, elegant.
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5/7/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 96 Points
Garnet, mostly opaque, but with some amber edges showing its age. Sweet American oak aroma, black raspberry. Viscous. Still has plenty of sweet, smooth, shiraz flavors but soft and round, plenty of American oak flavors. Long aftertaste, a bit hot. This is near the end of its peak, time to drink up.
Ric
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3/12/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 96 Points
Tasted blind. Dark purple turning garnet at the rim with a reflective edge. This is a spectacular shiraz. The fruit is apparent but balanced by savory notes, gripping acidity and exotic earth tones. Very compelling. Not New World in style. Nevertheless, lovely and delicious. Drink now until 2031.
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12/31/2019 - GB80 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Initially hesitant due to concerns about cellaring. After decanting, all concerns vanished. Wonderfully rich and mature flavours and a good colour. Robust on the nose but silkiness on the tongue.
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12/29/2019 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chave Night (with some extras) (The Grunzweig Wine Room, Los Olivos): Served blind to my guests as an ill-conceived attempt to complement the 3 Chave reds on which we were focused, but this was too much of a thing apart in that context. Nonetheless a delicious expression of the grape, one which the gents impressively tagged as an Aussie Shiraz from the mid- to late-nineties, so full credit to them. Notes of eucalyptus, dark fruit, graphite and mocha. No jamminess here. The wine was so polished and lush, delicious in its own right though surely lacking the complexity and elegance the Chaves evidenced.
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12/28/2019 - Alex G. wrote: flawed
Volatile acidity rendered this undrinkable.
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12/25/2019 - Wine Canuck wrote:
Tasted double blind, I guessed '98 Penfolds Grange. Mom's request for Christmas dinner. A little modern for my tastes but I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Pours deep in color with virtually zero bricking. The nose wafts mint chocolate, blackcurrant jam, black cherry, eucalyptus, cedar, graphite, and just a touch of nose tingling alcohol. The palate is polished and lush with surprisingly high acid, and medium minus tannin. Finish is lengthy built on the wall of deep, rich fruit. Polished and enjoyable, if a tad monolithic.
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11/29/2019 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 98 Points
Simply magnificent!
Had not had since 25th wedding anniversary 12 years ago. This time we were celebrating the birth of our first grandchild.
Big robust nose, awesome rich dark fruit, beautiful mouth feel and texture, smooth as silk ....wish we had more.
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8/22/2019 - KoalaHK wrote:
Tasted at Penfolds Magill Estate, Adelaide. 40 Vintages of Grange: We are now in the window where you begin to mistake '90's Grange for wines at least 10 or 20 years their junior. There is a little alcohol on the finish (this vintage was 14% abv, gone are the days of mid 12% or low 13's). Enter 'Optimus Prime' of Australian wine!
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8/16/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
A deep colour showing maturity; quite full, spicy and somewhat acidic, as Syrah/Shiraz is inclined to be. Lacks a little richness and breadth, but there is no shortage of power. Still fresh.
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7/27/2019 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is a massive Grange that’s still very youthful. It’s been a year and half since my last bottle of the 96 Grange and after reading my last tasting notes, I feel that this bottle is consistent with that one, so I’m just going to copy and paste my last note:
Its been about 6 years since I last tasted the 96 Grange and I have to say that, although it seems to be just a baby( or perhaps a child that's just approaching adolescence,) its maturing beautifully. Opaque, impenetrable purple with a cherry rim. The nose is very expressive with abundant dark fruit, cedar, pencil shavings, tobacco and leather. The palate is rich and unctuous with penetrating blackberry flavors with a core of blueberries and mirrors all the aromas from the nose. The tannins on the long finish are fairly chalky, but well integrated and not at all obtrusive. All in all, an extraordinary Grange.
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6/16/2019 - smenzies wrote: 98 Points
Drank after popping the cork. Blind tasting but this is a quintessential Grange..and couldn't be anything else. The nose and palate all in harmony ... I really can't see this getting better for my palate. No need to wait. Enjoy.
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4/30/2019 - OenoEd Likes this wine: 97 Points
I know its a crazy high score, and this is clearly not what everone wants from their $400 Grange, but Im thrilled to taste a vintage thats closer to the best St. Joseph than to young Hermitage. A gorgeous clean perfume, like standing in a wet field of violets and plum trees. In the mouth, immediately soft and elegant, a bit of pepper and asian spice on the back end, but dominated throughout by a gentle sweetness, superbly balanced by perfect acidity. Peaking or close to it, with 15 great years ahead.
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4/30/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Penfolds Grange dinner with Stephanie Dutton (The Musket Room in NYC): For many this was the wine of the flight. It's certainly a nice balance between the power and finesse. In some of these wines the fruits is so beautiful and ripe and sweet without being overripe. This was one of those cases. Some more violet style floral notes as well. A wine that has a bit of elegance under all of the power. Very nice.
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2/6/2019 - DRK III Likes this wine: 92 Points
"Blue mushrooms". Smurf notes. Deliciously complex. Decidedly new world but very well balanced. Decent amount of oak on the palate. Wouldn't wait much longer to drink - I think this is peaking.
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2/2/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Rich, slightly sweet, intense, smoky and with good depth. Although now mature, it is still somewhat brutal. Excellent of its type, but lacking roundness as the acidity of the grape dominates.
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12/11/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Acker BYO 2018 (Tribeca Grille): Wow - still young. These crazy wines. It was towards the end of the night and had been open for many hours. Lots of blackberry which is mostly predominating. Some of the eucalyptus and other flavors are coming through too. Not fully integrated yet, but further along than the 2001. Will give ours more time.
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10/19/2018 - agebob wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for two hours. Excellent fruit - even after 22 years in the bottle. A touch of tobacco & mushroom, plenty of heft, but not overpowering. What struck me about this bottle was the balance. Everything was in harmony.
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10/13/2018 - maranoli Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still very dark colour with little fade at the rim.
Decanted 1 hour.
Nose very expressive of fruits of the forest, some blackcurrant
Opened in the glass and continued to improve with time.
2 bottles, same notes. Heady stuff. Plenty of life left.
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8/25/2018 - Lazlo Toth wrote: 97 Points
Poured with rabbit aerator and decanted for 4 hours. Deep, opaque garnet color with minimal fading to the meniscus and minor hints of rust. White pepper, mineral, cedar, pine, perfumed blackberry, forest floor and pencil lead on the nose. This is a heady kaleidoscope of flavor. Complex layers of flavor washing through the mid-palate to end. Flint, pencil, mushroom, black currant, blackberry, blueberry, sweet, buttery oak. Outstanding complexity that is hard to fully capture. Full body, medium plus acidity and silky, fine tannins. 2 Minute plus finish - the longest I have ever had. This is simply an extraordinary wine. Paired perfectly with a seasoned sirloin. The best wine I have every had the pleasure of enjoying.
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7/25/2018 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
A deep colour, ruby/garnet; full, intense, smoky, slightly sweet. Still vigorous, although now well into its third decade. A touch acidic on the finish, as Syrah/Shiraz can be, but otherwise an excellent, even profound wine.
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7/10/2018 - rmarkey Likes this wine: 96 Points
Excellent, gorgeous wine. Highly rated vintage and I can see why. 14% all.
Colour: dusty red/brown berries, purple edges
Bouquet: viscous, dark cherry, very berryish character, brambly, leather
Palate: rich black fruit, blackberries, dry berries and herbs, potent but so soft and generous with developed fruit and tannins, long balanced gentle clean finish. Soft and smooth.
July 2018
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7/6/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 96 Points
Weekend in Napa; 7/5/2018-7/8/2018 (Napa, CA): This was the WOTN for me. Stunningly rich dark syrah fruit, ripe and lush, tannins have started to mellow but this still feels like it has a ways to go.
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2/14/2018 - seattlecook wrote: 95 Points
Amazing wine. Chocolate and a sensual feeling off the nose. A perfect valentines wine
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2/4/2018 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 96 Points
Its been about 6 years since I last tasted the 96 Grange and I have to say that, although it seems to be just a baby( or perhaps a child that's just approaching adolescence,) its maturing beautifully. Opaque, impenetrable purple with a cherry rim. The nose is very expressive with abundant dark fruit, cedar, pencil shavings, tobacco and leather. The palate is rich and unctuous with penetrating blackberry flavors with a core of blueberries and mirrors all the aromas from the nose. The tannins on the long finish are fairly chalky, but well integrated and not at all obtrusive. All in all, an extraordinary Grange.
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12/2/2017 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 96 Points
5hr decant. Drank blind against 1999 Chave and the Grange was the better of the two wines to me but the room was split.
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9/24/2017 - GFWeaver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big but not overpowering. Nice dark cherry with a hint of leather on the nose. Also sage, nutmeg and mace. On the palate, dark cherry and fruit with a touch of pepper. very balanced. Eternal finish. Plenty of tannin but still soft and smooth. Well structured and silky. Magnificent. Drinking well now, no sign of decline.
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4/28/2017 - Nanda wrote: 95 Points
Masters of Syrah (Sixteen Restaurant, Chicago): I preferred this ever so slightly to a very similar 1990 in the same flight. This is a bit bigger and riper than the 1990. The nose is intense and bright with rich black fruit, smoke and American oak. Impressive palate is rich, concentrated and dense yet seamless and lifted.
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4/28/2017 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): I liked this a lot, but besides the silkier palate, this wine paled in comparison to the massive and monumental 1990. This is a less ripe rendition of the wine, with the fruit not quite showing as potently or sweetly, and veering off a little bit more towards the tarter, red-fruited side of the spectrum. There's still an insane amount of American oak on this (somehow, American oak doesn't bother me, unlike French oak) which has yet to integrate.
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3/19/2017 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Big but not heavy. Powerful dark cherry with a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. Some spice: cloves, nutmeg, mace. On the palate, all of the above with a note of black pepper. Tannins strong but soft -- a lot of structure but very silky going down. Magnificent. Drinking well now, not much sign of decline so should be good for at least another decade. Not sure if it will improve from here but possible.
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3/8/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 89 Points
Penfolds Grange Vertical (Sixteen, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose wasn't as expressive as others and lacked some depth, but did show class and warmth with dark red cherries, black raspberries, soy notes, balsamico, vanilla, and eucalyptus.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and medium tannins. The structure has pulled back with dark red cherries, raspberries, vanilla tones, and eucalyptus.
Overall: This bottle was lacking a bit. It didn't have the expression or depth that everything else had.
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9/24/2016 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened with great friends from IL. At 20 years old, this is drinking really well right now. Opened for 4 hours before drinking... perfect. Ripe fruit but not over ripe. Still has some grip but tannins are soft now. This is why Grange is still one of the best wines from Australia. Don't think it will get any better at this point.
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8/14/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 97 Points
Syrah vs. Shiraz - Shoot out of the best (Singapore): Dark ruby, garnet rim. Expressive nose of dark fruit with torrefaction, tar, rum pot, spices and earth. Full bodied on the palate but with good tannins providing structure. This has Barossa written all over it, in a good way. A very solid Grange.
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7/5/2016 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - 1996 night (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork, 14%} {Gordon} Double-decanted about three hours earlier. In essence, surprisingly similar to the St Henri, although the oak treatment is obvious in comparison, and adds another dimension to the nose and palate of this. But the underlying impression - the fruit character, and the vintage quality – is similar. The oak isn’t obviously vanilla-flavoured, it just gives a brooding, malty character to rich dark plum fruit; this is still a fair way off showing much real aged Grange character. It’s a bit fuller-bodied than St Henri, and has a more lingering finish, but has the same blackberry and rich spice flavours, medium acid, and slightly stronger dusty tannins. They’re both magnificent wines; it’s bizarre to think that the auction market prices the Grange higher by a factor of 4 or so, because the quality difference certainly isn’t there in 1996.
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5/9/2016 - fizz wrote: 93 Points
Level well in to the neck. Cork came out in 2 major bits, with plenty of smaller fragments. Aarrrggggg. Double decanted back in to the bottle. Dark centre with some bricking. Explosion of aromas - ripe dark berry, sweet (?coconutty) oak. The palate is a heady, dense mix of black berries, dark plums, dark chocolate, menthol. Well balanced acids and tannins. Good length, but not outrageous.
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3/24/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
A perfect Grange, with all its typical characteristics, and perfectly mature. Could go longer, but it can't get any better. The color still dark, mostly opaque; some sediment has developed. The nose is wonderfully blended shiraz fruit with raspberry overtones and vanillin from American oak. Rich, full fruit flavors to match, perfectly balanced. Just a hint of tannin near the end and in the long aftertaste. This has turned out to be a great Grange.
Ric
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2/16/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
This has a deep colour and rich, full, smoky, brambly fruit, noticeable acidity and alcohol, and good length. There is also some tannin still, and the elements do not seem to be fully integrated at present, so it may benefit from more time. Certainly an impressive wine, but more from sheer power than from harmony or elegance.
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11/27/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) - Part 2 - Penfolds Grange Vertical (Palm Beach Gardens FL): Tasting in 30 vintage Grange vertical, late night, brief note. Similar overall profile to the 1995 but less concentration. Certainly good.
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11/23/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
A deep colour, mid red to garnet; rich, spicy fruit, quite a lot of oak and some alcoholic heat. Quite full and concentrated on the palate, with a streak of acidity that should keep it fresh for some years yet.
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9/19/2015 - Paco55 wrote: 97 Points
Double decanted and drank over the course of the evening. Liquorice, kirsch and plum with beautiful cedar wafting from the glass. The length is extreme and the wine matches the nose and evolves from hour to hour in its complexity. For a 19 year old wine it never looks like fading throughout the 4 hour period and it's clearly at the top of its game with no rush to consume. A sparkling example of one of the worlds great wines - just superb.
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9/13/2015 - hongkongtom Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fruity, great nose, on the night then 1998 was better
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8/28/2015 - d'Artagnan wrote: 95 Points
Souper de 50 ans à la maison: Un nez très eucalyptus, menthol, épicé, qui trahit son origine.
La bouche est riche et gourmande, mais avec une belle finesse en finale
Ample et gourmand, c'est délicieux, mais pas un grand vin à mon sens.
93 pts
48 heures plus tard, je révise encore ma note car le vin a développé une précision beaucoup plus grande, il me parait plus frais. 95
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6/30/2015 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Had to go 100 pts on this one as after 1,525 tasting notes on CT since 3/24/06 I have not had a better wine. Debated giving it 99 but this wine had no flaws so how can I not score it perfect? Of course it was my first and only Grange so possibly the '98 or '04 would have rated higher if I had the privilege to taste such vintages but alas this was all my modest cellar contained.
I had sourced this on 6/1/05 for a bargain $165 and when I tagged it I wrote "for Retirement" on the bottle not quite knowing at that time when the day would come and stuffed it away in the wine cooler. Fast forward 10 years and a month and retirement day has arrived. Walked out after 30+ years without my laptop and company phone and I could have floated across the parking lot!
I knew this needed a serious decant so opened it at 3pm and tried a first sip and the tannins let themselves be known so into the decanter it went. Finally around 6:30 time for the first pour with my wife into our Riedel glasses and a joyous clink of the glasses on the deck. Color was a dark crimson with some bricking in the color, very unlike young Aussie' Shriaz. Swirling brought out aromas of cigar box, forest, dried fruit. First sip was mouth coating with cranberries, earthy notes, allspice.
After we got to "know" the wine it exhibited many personalities. A times it had the elegance of an aged Bordeaux, other times it had the power of a Napa Cab. Kind of odd was that it never had the extracted Shiraz flavor found in many wines from down under. No this was all about class and balance. The finish would go on and on for 50-60 seconds (that was a benefit as it made every sip last and slowed down the consumption of this marvelous wine)! Paired it with prime filet and fresh corn and baked potato, the perfect accompaniment for this bottle.
I told my wife that it would have been awesome if I had a bigger wine budget in 2005 and bought all 3 bottles my local wine shop had because it would be fascinating to try this one in 5 then 10 years. You could just tell it had the stuffing to last. A remarkable wine on a remarkable day in our lives. Cheers!
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5/27/2015 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
Tasting 1996 Penfolds Grange (during private dinner) (Restaurante Cuenllas - Madrid): Bottle was opened six hours before consumption. Double decanted in order to filter abundant sediments.
It took hours to open on the nose. At first wood covered everything except that elegance. The palate was silky and wide. Very long drink. Incredible aftertaste.
When finally nose appears, mouth fell at the same rate. Unbalanced in my modest opinion. Perhaps its origin was not as flawless as we presumed 'cause poor storage. Lack of harmony, we said.
However the last glass, the better.
Below my expectations.
Botella abierta seis horas antes de su consumo. Doblemente decantada para filtrarla de abundantes sedimentos.
Tardó horas en abrirse en nariz. Al principio la madera lo tapaba todo excepto la elegancia. En boca era más sedosa y amplia. De trago muy largo. Postgusto increíble.
Cuando la nariz finalmente se manifestó, la boca cayó en la misma proporción. Desequilibrada en mi modesta opinión. Quizás su origen no era tan impecable como presumíamos con un almacenaje deficiente. Dijimos que padecía de falta total de armonía.
No obstante, la última copa, la mejor.
Por debajo de mis expectativas.
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4/18/2015 - MyCellar01 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Barossa Vintage Festival 2015.
Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant.
78 Penfold Road
Rosslyn Park, South Australia, 5072, Australia.
Double decanted by our sommelier Patrick.
94% Shiraz 6% Cabernet. 14% alcohol.
Black opaque heart, dark garnet rim, showing less age than expected. Well cellared and youthful.
Heady nose of cassis fruit, blackberry spice, caramel mocha undertones, new leather.
Silky mouthfeel, bold fruit flavour without the heaviness of lessor marques. Chocolate, vanilla, balanced and delicious.
Two hours open, blood plum, blackberry, expresso, chocolatey tannins mid palate, mild acidity freshens through the long stalky tannin, blueberry finish. Plush fruit and black pepper spice to the last drop!
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4/16/2015 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 96 Points
Penfolds Grange Wine Dinner at Botrini's (Botrini's Restaurant Athens): First Grange of the night and things are looking up.
A very complex wine, open and quite mature.
Medicinal aromas on a background of dark fruit, ground coffee,
lifted with tones of eukalyptus, mint and camphor.
Excellent wine, typically Australian and now at a stage of nice
maturity even if it has lots of life ahead.
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4/16/2015 - Yiannis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Penfolds Grange Wine Dinner at Botrini's (Botrini Restaurant, Athens, Greece): Very similar to the 1997 but more complex. Eukalyptus, camphor, blueberry, floral and spicy notes alongside raspberry and cumin. Full-bodied, silky-textured, balanced and long. At a great stage to enjoy now.
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3/1/2015 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
Just about a perfect Grange, with all its typical characteristics, and perfectly mature. Could go longer, but it can't get any better. The color still dark, mostly opaque; some sediment has developed. The nose is perfectly blended shiraz fruit with raspberry overtones and vanillin from American oak. Rich, full fruit flavors to match, perfectly balanced. Just a hint of tannin near the end and in the long aftertaste. This has turned out to be a great Grange.
Ric
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1/24/2015 - Tony T Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic wine! Very balanced and elegant. Shiraz at its best! Should be decanted for at least 3 hours. Even better to cellar for another 5 years. Sadly, this was my one and only bottle.
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7/28/2014 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 98 Points
had it with venison roastbeef, 3 hours of decantation, unbelievable dark berries compote, rum pot, pepper, spices, fullbodied, great silky tannins, still present,a lot of deepness, very long aftertaste, I had it one day later after MR 1982 and Achaval Ferrer Bella Vista 2009, for me marginal the best, still too young even it is very good drinkable, 10 years at least ahead, wonderful
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7/26/2014 - Matt D Likes this wine: 99 Points
Amazing! This was WOTN and blew away the 1990 Chateau Latour that preceded it in the tasting progression. So much character, yet not overly spicy or stout.
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2/2/2014 - Georgez Likes this wine: 98 Points
Price means its been a few years since my last grange but Wine Club Anniversary Dinner provided the opportunity (blind tasting). This really is as good as it gets and will stick in my memory forever. It is by far the best full bodied shiraz made in the world and the 96 is a wonderful example which will continue to evolve long after I'm pushing up daisies. Sumptuous and polished with wonderful sweet plum and cherry, the oak integrated and the tannins smooth. The shiraz equivalent of the best Bordeaux First Growths which have passed my lips.
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1/25/2014 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 93 Points
The youngest, biggest and most powerful wine on the slate. A colossus. A wine for your grandchildren. I was more in awe of this wine than in love with it. This wine could easily last 100 years and will not be fully ready for another 15. It is also synonymous with Penfolds Grange becoming bigger, more powerful, more monolithic over time as other monstrosities compete to take its mantle. Grange is still peerless in Australian wine. Drink 2030-2100.
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11/4/2013 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Grange night (Verde, East Sydney): {cork, 14%} (Greg) The 96 was very similar to the 91, but with perhaps a sweeter, more sybaritic level of fruitiness on the palate. The nose has a precise purity to the juicy chocolate/blackberry aromas. The palate is immensely seductive; polished, balanced, chalkily tannic and dry, but shot through with sweet red fruit, still stupidly youthful, but just sliding far enough away from their youth to be interesting. Although this is oh-so-drinkable now, it’s clearly only part-way along the path to legendary status. Really, very difficult to describe adequately with words. Barossa, McLaren Vale, Magill. 6% cabernet.
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8/29/2013 - charleshetzel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking so beautiful right now. While this is young to drink the Grange it's at its sweet spot. Nose of a typical Grange with blackberry jam and fruit galore. I did not detect many tannins. I wish I had more of this because I would drink some now and save some for another 20 years.
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7/17/2013 - bobbubbabs wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed at Gramercy Tavern in NYC with JS and his folks, and RS and MS. Also had a '90 Grange (92 points), 2007 Mollydooker Velvet Glove (93 points) and 2009 Glaetzer's Amon-Ra (90 points).
This evening, the '96 Grange was more enjoyable than the '90, though the latter closed the gap after breathing for several hours. The younger wine is in a very nice spot at the moment, displaying the classic Grange nose of jammy fruit and sweetness, with the tannins apparent but ever so friendly. For those fortunate enough to have a stash (sadly, mine is gone), the question to hold or drink is simply a matter of whether it is likely to improve further, because it is lovely now. My guess is that it will.....
There is a separate note on the '90 Grange.
The younger two were very enjoyable, but a severe contrast to the aged Penfolds', and surely will get better with a few more years of rest.
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5/7/2013 - MyCellar01 Likes this wine:
Langton's Penfolds Masterclass with Andrew Caillard MW.
Candy plum red. Sweet nose of candied aromas. Loads of sweet black fruits and some expresso coffee on the palate. Delicious.
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4/14/2013 - MGrange wrote: 95 Points
Great wine. Got all you expect from a Grange, fruit, slightly chewy Shiraz. Give it another 5 to 10 years to soften a bit more.
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1/24/2013 - cybergod wrote:
Possibly a slightly off bottle, but based on a previous tasting, I think not: alcohol, soy sauce and wood smoke on the nose. The palette is a lot more compelling, with rich, dark fruit - but a layer or rough wood tannins and barrel char predominates. Overall, the wine was pretty disjointed, although it did improve in the glass over a couple of hours.
Tasted blind by a group, with consistent notes.
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1/8/2013 - Mark_yyz wrote:
Not tainted this time. Fantastic wine. Well balanced. Great finish.
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1/4/2013 - ianprimrose Likes this wine: 96 Points
Incredible depth and concentration, with masses of berried fruits and savoury spices that coat the tongue and linger for minutes. Decadent, indulgent, sublime. Decanted for two hours, though could have done with more. At the beginning of its drinking window, and feels like it will develop over the next decade or two.
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11/11/2012 - Mark_yyz wrote:
Tainted. Very sad.
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7/15/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 95 Points
Bdx and Pizza (1201 Avenue B): Huge flamboyant nose with just a hint of alcohol, but also plum, soy, olives, and hint of pepper. Palate is immensely concentrated, with dark plummy fruits—very smooth concentrated and balanced with a little pepper, meat, and game (almost has a oily? mouthfeel as is coats the palate). Lengthy finish, adding a little mint? and mostly integrated creamy vanilla. Great wine, seems to be in its drinking window and much more expressive than 3yrs ago.
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7/1/2012 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sunday with Warso: A big, bold beautiful Grange bursting with rich black and blue fruit with so much depth and nuance that it seems too large a task to try and name all the components. Drinking well today with some firm tannins on the finish, but needed every minute of a 3 hour double decant and continued to improve for the several hours after that it took us to finish it.
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6/2/2012 - Ary wrote: 96 Points
Great bottle, still young but wildly attractive. Thick and concentrated, more syrupy little black fruits. kirsch liqueur and Asian spices. Full bodied, excellent balance with hints of eucalyptus and mint. Long lingering, stays for minutes.
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4/27/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 93 Points
Opus One vs. Penfolds Grange (AWSEC, Hong Kong): From a long, cool vintage.
Dark but a little bricking. Complex spice on the savoury nose - more evolved than the '95.
Big round palate with Plum and Blackcurrant. Menthol and smoke also present. The tannins are a bit grainy - probably needs a while yet to integrate. Very good length but a slight astringent note (could this have been a little oxidised?).
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4/25/2012 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
Penfolds tasting with Grange etc (Osia): over dinner - found this a bit introvert; would wait. not as impressive as some of the others.
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4/2/2012 - Periko wrote: 94 Points
Tasting event with Artadi's Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle (Monvinic (Barcelona)): Opened for 2 hours. Dark ruby color, some brown rim. Doesn't look like it's a 16 year wine. Very intense on nose, red fresh fruit, kirsh liquor, peppermint, wet forrest floor, very balsamic, cigar box, tobacco. High acidity on palate, medium to full bodied, vibrant, present tannins, bitterness, chocolate, remarkable finish. Very, very nice (93-95).
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8/26/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
Wine Watch
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6/26/2011 - hpchew7 wrote: 95 Points
Fabulous. What a nose. What a wine. Power and elegance in the glass. Still plenty of life.
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3/27/2011 - MR.CG wrote: 96 Points
didn't suck
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1/11/2011 - wino31 wrote: 98 Points
At Scott Bass dinner -- superb, WOTN (except perhaps for the '71 Petrus)
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12/27/2010 - mariolanza wrote: 92 Points
Aroma on opening off the scale, decanted for one hour, not enough methinks. Huge flavours of cassis and blackberry. Seemed a little inert though,perhaps too young still?
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12/24/2010 - hpchew7 wrote: 89 Points
Not sure if this bottle was a little off, but it certainly didn't show as I expected from a Grange especially from a good year as 1996. I had decanted about an hour before lunch, perhaps not giving it a chance to show. But the nose was muted, albeit with classic Shiraz, meaty, plummy notes. On the palate, the fruit seemed restrained, almost closed. Good balance altho acidity did seem a shade lacking. Over the course of the following hour after pouring, we could appreciate that this was a Grange, but it didn't evolve much more. All in all, perhaps our expectations were too high but this left us a bit disappointed.
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11/6/2010 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
IWFS: Penfolds Grange vs Clarendon Hills Astralis (The Moomba, Circular Road): Clearly Aussie, clearly Grange, and clearly very good. However, even though it was more open than the Clarendon Hills Astralis that preceded it, this also needs a whole lot more time in the cellar. Nevertheless, quite a pleasure on the night. Beautiful nose showed classic Aussie Shiraz character, with plums, prunes, earth and meat scents, seasoned with eucalyptus, coconutty vanilla and just that tiny hint of crushed beetle. A little flowery lilt brought up the rear. The palate was rich, almost thick, with plenty of depth in its plums, prunes and sweet oak notes on the attack, yet it was somehow unusually clean, clear, almost pure, almost high-toned in the way the fruit expressed itself. The mid-palate had serious meaty concentration, and lots of powerful fruit riding into a finish of eucalyptus, mint and wafting vanilla tones filling the mouth. Not quite the raw power on the back-end of the 1994 Grange I last had, but this showed great balance, with juicy acidity, great velevty texture, lots of complexity and lovely lingering length too. Very yummy. The quintessential Aussie Shiraz. Like the Astralis though, still very young, with the structure and texture of the wine a lttle dominant. I would give it a good 5-6 years before broaching another bottle, and I think this will probably go on developing for far longer after that.
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11/6/2010 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
Iwfs grange vs australis night (Moomba): Consistent expectable top authentic quintissential Aussie shiraz. Beautiful raspberries blueberries and plumpish ripe black
Prunes. Lovely fruit juice. Juicy juicy juicy and mouthwatering. What u should expect. Some smooth spices and graphite but nit as secondary as previously tasted.
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8/1/2010 - Sennma wrote: 95 Points
An amazing bottle of wine that has many years to come. Evolved in the glass for two hours even after an hour of decanting.
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5/22/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 93 Points
Deep brooding blood red opaque colour. Nose is initially Dulux emulsion paint segueing into very rich raspberries. Palate is gorgeous and fully resolved tannins and harmonious acidity with gorgeous black cherry intensity on the back end. A big explosion on the back end with very long length and considerable resonance inside the head on the finish. This seemed surprisingly evolved for a Grange of this age, particularly when compared to the 1995. Gorgeous.
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4/10/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 92 Points
Penfolds Grange among Australias greatest (Heemstede - Rest. Southern Cross): 1996 Penfolds Grange (Australië, South Australië) Kleur: Diep robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Gebrande neus, heftig en zwaar kruidig, petroleum-hintje, cederhout, menthol / anijs en drop. Smaak / Afdronk: Veel van alles… Zwoel en heftig. Relatief uitgesproken zuren, superkrachtige tannines, veel concentratie… wow, heftig glas. Algemeen / potentieel: Heftig en dik glas… 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 92/100
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3/24/2010 - La Grappe wrote: 95 Points
Fine, complex wine, with rich, brambly, smoky flavours; very full and long. This has much more to it than most Rhône syrahs. An excellent wine.
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1/23/2010 - Alex H wrote: 92 Points
An Unforgettable Birthday for Martin (Lucas @ Klapsons): God-like elegance with an extremely suprising elegant nose filled with black licourice, black florals, black tea and topped up with lifted exotic spices. On the palate, this is equally suprising in elegance with old worldish textural mouthfeel and I felt a coating of pauillac graphite / pencil lead glazing across the tongue before seamlessly slipping down the oesophagus. Wow! This is how aussie shiraz was made to be drunk and would have been so if not for Parker's "discovery". There is a light footed lift in its stride which sets it apart from the other shirazes.
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10/11/2009 - Blair Curtis wrote: 93 Points
This is a black beauty. Has a nose that reminded us of certain Napa cult Cabs. Shafer HSS was suggested when the wine was blind. I understand what the tasters were getting at - there is a concentrated depth of intensity on the nose that is rarely found on wines. Also, there was the distinct smoky vanilla of American oak. On the palate, there remains great intensity (perhaps a touch less when compared to the nose...likely a good thing!). Fantastic ripe plums, icing sugar, blueberries and pancake syrup. But this is not to say this won't turn into a more savory wine with time - in fact, there are hints of those elements that I think might emerge with more time. But at the moment, this wine is all about the fruit...lip smacking good!
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9/11/2009 - Alex G. wrote:
So interesting to taste after the 1976, just barely showing a hint of what it will someday be it's clearly a wine with a long future ahead of it. It's still tannic, though not overwhelmingly so. Balanced and beautiful, but young. Give this tons of air if you open anytime soon.
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7/19/2009 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
Grange in the 90s @ Mike J's (Wilton, CT): Soft and round in the mouth, with chunky fruit and herbs on the palate. Nicely resolved structure. Another wine that is entering a very nice drinkability window.
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3/22/2009 - winesteward wrote: 89 Points
Deep color.Fragrant wood on the nose. Still tight despite 2 hours decanting. Powerful and dry with deep, deep flavors. Oddly, some bubblegum showing. I was a bit disappointed that it didn't really show too well. Either it should be left in the bottle for the next 10 years or it should be decanted for 6 hours. Certainly you get the feeling that this wine is capable of greatness but it's bottled up pretty tight now.
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2/15/2009 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Conrad’s: Big giant guy, bitter choc, moster; HUGE t’s, gd concentration, gooey tho; mentol and eucalyptus in there all over. Very good, many’s wotn, but too heavy for me. Amazing that’s it’s 13 yrs! from Conrad.
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2/15/2009 - WetRock wrote:
EWG Does Syrahs Blind From Around The World (Conrad Greens Abode): Very ripe notes of stewed tomatoes with some menthol and pepper adding complexity. Thick extracted and tannic with an iron quality this drops off towards the finish. I've had this before but was unfamiliar to me. Leaned toward Aussie but no real guess.
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1/10/2009 - JeffGMorris wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at home with Mom & Steve & Barb. Decanted 3 hours. Very open, surprisingly so. Filled with tar, charcoal and black fruits. Clearly not French but not over the top in any way. A very pure expression of the Syrah grape that should be amazing if cellared for another 15-20 years. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
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1/9/2009 - wineotim wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful wine right at the open, lots of life, vibrant racey acidity, a pure form of varietal expression, iniitially seemed more Cabernet than Shiraz. With time, the wine turned huge, deep, and brooding with unimaginalble depth of flavor, lots of weight on the palete, with a long finish. Consumed with Filet Mignon.
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12/25/2008 - kgh wrote: 95 Points
Very rich and complex mouthfeel. Loads of dark berry fruit along with spice, pepper flavors. Dark, heavyweight shiraz.
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12/18/2008 - Nutty08 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 3 hours then consumed over the next several hours. Deep blood red color with a bit of browning. Big expressive nose of plum, currants, fig, coffee and earth. Mouth coating palate with balanced fruit and significant oak, leather and mushrooms. Tannins perceptible and a bit chalky with strong acidity. The finish is the where the action is, with currants and dark berries lasting minutes with mocha and mineral in the background. This was like waking a sleepy monster of a wine, tightly wound and taking hours to come around, but and after 4-5hrs in the decanter, was much more accessible, showing great wood, earth, chocolate and tobacco notes. Even so, I don't think this showed its full potential. Retains impeccable balance at all times. Almost into its drinking window, but still a few years away, but likely decades from being over the hill.
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3/3/2008 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds &/or 1988 (Alio's, Surry Hills): {cork, 14%} I really did think this would be too closed to enjoy properly, but was proved hopelessly wrong. Impenetrable ruby colour, with plush, youthful berry/plum/spice/chocolate aromas. Only minimal secondary development, but calling it just ‘primary’ does no justice to the wonderful ensemble of the wine’s components. The oak is not overt, but swathed in rich fruit. Strong yet incredibly fine powdery tannins, a full body, velvety texture and latent acidity combine with the utmost class and finesse to produced a large-scale yet polished offering with a long, evenly balanced finish. An astonishing wine singing a glorious song; neither a screeching soprano or a hoarse alto, a ragged tenor, or a coarse baritone; no, this is a full symphonic chorus in glorious flight. Noble, majestic, seductive, inspiring, enthralling; in every sense a complete wine. Quite drinkable now, yet so clearly only fulfilling a fraction of its potential. Stunning.
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3/2/2008 - kstoddard wrote: 96 Points
Blackberry, vanilla oak, cedar, earth, a hint of charcoal, mint and eucalyptus. Fruit forward but still with some old world austerity. Very Cabernet like despite being 100% Shiraz. Extremely complex and layered finish. Wow! One of the best Australian wines I've tried in recent memory.
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2/2/2008 - BradA wrote: 94 Points
Decanted at 3pm for dinner tonight:
Deep ruby/purple in color--a wonderful essence of cinnamon, spice and cedar arose. I poured a sample and was pleasantly surprised by the spicy element on the finish. A wonderful wine that I cannot wait to share with our Wine Group tonight.
Well, at dinner this was simply a sumptuous and wonderful experience! The spicy notes on the finish had disappeared leaving a well pedigreed wine that was more of a mix of Haut Brion and Latour. I would love to try this wine again--those with bottles have years of pleasure ahead.
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8/20/2007 - bmarshall wrote: 94 Points
Similar notes to last bottle... just an extraordinary wine. Huge sweet, black fruits, spices, tar, american oak and chocolate on the nose and palate. Big, but very nicely integrated tannins on an extremely full bodied palate. Would have scored higher if not for just a touch of heat... Drinking nicely now, but will continue to improve for many more years.
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2/13/2007 - KPB wrote: 90 Points
Red with purple overtones. An obviously young, very closed nose. But with coaxing, elegantly perfumed: sweet cherry syrup, red currents, licorice, bacon fat again. Medium bodied, tart with some "bite". Medium length finish. Caught some bitterness in the tannins here, but that should fade once this gets another few years on it. Hold for another 5 years or so, then drink over the next ten.
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1/22/2007 - V64 wrote:
Tasted at Vintage 64 Club 2007 AGM. Youthful, with aromas of mixed berries with hints of tea and roast chestnuts. Full, rich and intense palate of berry fruits, thick with tannins. Loads of life left in this one!
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1/5/2007 - winemike wrote:
Another 5 years and then it should really be great
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11/3/2006 - bmarshall wrote: 96 Points
Spectacular... opened bottle 12 hours ahead... decanted for 5 hours with some splashing and swirling periodically... Dark, opaque purple color. Initially the nose was dominated by fresh American oak, but it was clear that there was a ton of fruit and other stuff underneath. After a couple hours, the black fruit, spices and smoke took over on the nose. Extremely full bodied and tannic even after all the decanting (this stuff will last decades longer...). Lots of black fruit, black pepper and other spices on the palate - coats your entire mouth and throat with a finish that goes on and on... Grange is not for the faint of heart... more smash mouth than elegant, but just an incredible experience with medium rare new york strips on the grill. Would have rated higher if not for the oak being a little too prominent. 4 more bottles... will try another one in a year or so...
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6/4/2006 - ssouth wrote: 93 Points
Still a baby. Road tar, mocha and ripe plums abound. Very aromatic. Still fairly primary but a great shiraz is hiding and only peeking out a little. Quite tannic but softened after 2+ hrs in the decanter. Great with roasted horseradish encrusted filet mignon. Many years ahead.
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6/3/2006 - JeffGMorris wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Steve & Barb's house. Decanted for about 2 hours, but still showing very, very young. Dark, deep purple, the kind of wine that really stains the glass ( and teeth, and tongue, ... ) Dark fruits and lots of tannin in a very rich package. Clearly has a great future ahead of it, and was quite enjoyable now as well. 50+12+13+8.5+8.5 = 92
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2/4/2002 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds premiums 86-96 (Darling Mills, Glebe): 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.
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12/16/2001 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Deep dark color. Lots of cassis and pepper, with a hint of coconut and oak. Very tannic. Mellowed out a bit with air, but this is definitely one for the cellar. Lots of potential.
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