1997 Penfolds Grange

Community Tasting Notes (173) Avg Score: 93.9 points

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  11/23/2023 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Bought on release after selling a case of Cloudy Bay SB in London, early 2000s. Decanted for 5 hours and this opened with a beautiful nose of chocolate and berries. Raspberries dominated the palate, and I was pleasantly pleased with how resolved the wine was and not overly fruit driven or syrupy as I had feared. In a good drinking window but if I had more of this, i would hold for another few years (if not more) as there is plenty of life in this.

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  10/29/2023 - Cailles wrote: 92 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: Reductive notes, not much more on the nose. On the palate a bit more open with darker red berries, shy minty notes, spices. Quite clean but not overly complex. Light and airy texture and feel, good freshness but slightly coarse tannins. Probably not the strongest vintage but with a lot of air, this would have been better. 92pts
  
  Decanting: All wines were quickly double decanted 3h before the tasting. In my experience Grange usually needs hours of proper decanting. I would decant this vintage for 5+ hours.

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  10/27/2023 - Lars1974 Likes this wine: 94 Points

  The nose was fantastic. So much power and finesse, promised the world!
  But the taste could not deliver near the same experience. Lots of fruit and layers of tertiary components but a bit flat and clumsy after a while.
  Nose 97-98points, taste 91-92 points...

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  10/3/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points

  Grange vertical (Wunderbrunnen, Opfikon): Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). First a whiff of brett, but dissipating. Precise but narrow in terms of aromatics. Dark fruit profile, just accents of spice and herbs. The palate is fresh with electric acidity and a firm structure. Feels too young by probably a decade.

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  9/28/2023 - acyso wrote: 95 Points

  Four decades of Penfolds Grange (Chicago, IL): This comes off as a bit of a red-fruited version of the magnificent 1998. It is similarly on the cusp of maturity, and shows the same firm, leathery tannins, but the fruit is a little more tart and bright. The acidity is also more prominent, making this feel overall more structured. A little more time will help this soften and probably yield a slightly different, but similarly splendid wine.

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