At 33 years of age, this is now just coming into its own.
A medium to deep crimson, lovely bouquet of dark fruit, spice, smokiness / tobacco and mocha. Delightful and playful tannin that adds depth and complexity coming from the canbernet, earthy undertone, meaty and superbly balanced. A punchy finish adding different tones to the conversation. A wagyu fillet steak is in order with this wine!
Drink now to 8+ years.
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Looking great at 30 years of age. A very Australian blend of Cabernet and Shiraz. Just beginning to lighten through the core, fragrant blackberry/mulberry tones, medium palate, still plenty of fruit but perhaps just beginning to diminish a little, very good length. At its best now and in the next 5-10 years. I would think beyond that it will begin to fade, elegantly.
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opened for 1½ hours before decanting. a little savory soy sauce on the nose. Still good concentration with some acidity. A bit smoky. Much more open after 1 hour in the decanter, showing beautifully some vanilla notes. Two hours after decanting this was really beautiful, with some coconut butter and tropical notes.
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At 208 Restaurant Hong Kong Australia Day Rare Wine Lunch - sensibly decanted but in reality it should have been earlier. The Cabernet was very dominant such that it could have been mistaken for a Bin 707. another excellent showing from one of Penfold's special bins.
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Drunk at Bistecca in HK - This was the second bottle from the case, the previous one I had two years ago which proved to be quite tight and inexpressive. Today's bottle couldn't have been more different. Sensibly we decanted this about 90 minutes before, which proved to be optimal. Initially there was so much leafy eucalyptus on the nose that we thought it might be corked but this was not the case. We ended up with a lovely wine, most definitely Australian in character with very smooth tannins and with many years still to run. It gave both '86 Leoville Las Cases and '87 Dominus a run for their money.
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One corked bottle and one pristine replacement. Very good, still a little angular, good fruit will likely improve over the next decade or two (based on penfolds 1963 and 1982 special bins I've had recently)
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Evening guys. Just had a bottle of the above. Tasted in conjunction with Chateau Talbot 1989 with some good friends. So I accept the circumstances were good. Having said that the Talbot had a lovely cedar wood old claret feel. The Penfolds was however just amazing. It was like a young pup. Massive 'Red Red 'fruit. We all loved it. It will last easily for 20 years. It has a perfect 'new world' taste. Very Penfolds to be honest.
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A wine based primarily on Coonawarra Cabernet, with some Barossa Shiraz thrown in the mix. Mixing Cabernet and Syrah/Shiraz rarely works, but it does here, with the Cabernet fruit dominating. This wine is fully mature, and has wonderful depth and purity of fruit. It is rich, tarry and ethereal with wave after wave of cool fruit with mint and eucalyptus overlaid with mushrooms and truffles. It is an absolutely thrilling wine at its apogee.
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Dinner with JonnyG (Sydney, Australia): Mulberry, coconut, spices, cigar box, blackberry and perfume through some lifted violet notes. The palate is astonishing, with exceptional balance between red fruits, spice and the tannic core. Lovely mineral like acidity as well. A bottle in brilliant condition, similar bottles should continue to develop for some time to come.
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Some caramel oxidative notes at first but breathes up well in the glass. There’s some bitter chocolate and the most intense heart of liqueur cherries, cassis and blueberries. It is incredibly dense and intense and finishes a little sweet and sour.
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Penfolds : Rewards of Patience: Licourice mintyness shoots up the nasal passge peppered with some paine grille and minty black peppercorns. Excellent permeation into the senses. Very airy fairy with a little alc lifting this volatile wine into the inner recesses of the inner taste buds. Spicy cherry fruits wrapped in licourice and the finest of tobacco and black gunpowder tea leaves. Feels a bit earthy and finishing with like a black hacks cought drops. Immaculate length.
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Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons (Peter Gago) (Landmark Hotel, London): Made from Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Barossa Shiraz this is a special “one-off” Bin wine from an exceptional vintage. The Bin name of this wine comes from the year it was made, so in 1990, it became 90A. Aged in 100% new American oak for 20 months this wine is actually quite approachable – certainly more so that the 1990 Bin 920. The nose is a little sweet, showing fruit and oak characters – although nothing stands out. The palate is subtle and smooth with great integration of fruit and wood.
Tasted at the “Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons” session hosted by Peter Gago at the Decanter New World Fine Wine Encounter, Landmark Hotel, London on the 19th of May 2007.
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Grange Offline (1990-1975) (Alba Restuarant London): A lighter nose, with some cocoa, very tannic with lighter cherry fruit, a little brother to Grange, and the differences grew more marked with time in the glass.
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Penfolds Grange Vertical Tasting (1990-1975) (Alba Restaurant, Whitecross Street, London): Opened around three and a half hours earlier. A big blackcurrant nose, but with aeration it gains considerably in complexity. Very attractive immediately. Much clearer than the Grange 1990 and somewhat more approachable, but ultimately a bit simpler. 90/100 Re-tasted around 3-4 hours later from the same pour. The blackcurrant on the nose is more in check now. Lovely sweet fruit on the palate. Very pure. 92/100
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Deeper, rubied, touch of brick red at rim, legs; initially medicinal, more upfront, black fruits, later tarry then developed a richness; starts thick with chalky texture, fruit shows well with a spiciness, med/full. Dense but well balanced with tannin on a lingering finish. A more modern style (13.5 deg). Needs time. Score 19
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8/17/2023 - ubercuvee wrote:
Lovely bottle
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7/10/2023 - tanduybui Likes this wine: 94 Points
At 33 years of age, this is now just coming into its own.
A medium to deep crimson, lovely bouquet of dark fruit, spice, smokiness / tobacco and mocha. Delightful and playful tannin that adds depth and complexity coming from the canbernet, earthy undertone, meaty and superbly balanced. A punchy finish adding different tones to the conversation. A wagyu fillet steak is in order with this wine!
Drink now to 8+ years.
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6/29/2023 - Yank51 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking very well for its age nice bright colours with a little brown edging last bottle of this wine celebrating 33yrs of marriage
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11/29/2021 - levicn Likes this wine: 94 Points
醒酒一个小时，闻香有轻微酱味，青椒，山楂和李子一类的香气，入口的感觉要年轻很多，酸度漂亮，单宁紧致，颗粒细腻如粉，酒液咸鲜，胡椒一类的香料味，橡木桶的奶油香气，成熟黑果混合着红酸果，杨梅一类的果香，伴随着橡木桶带来的巧克力味，后段回甘，清晰的结构支撑下活跃的果味令人印象深刻，加上明亮的酸度和源源不断的回甘不停刺激你的味觉，让人眼前一亮，充满能量。初入口不觉浓郁，但是持续不断的输出从未间断，口充满了芬芳的香气，余味是杨梅一类活跃的果香和橡木桶的香草奶油味。一支非常特别的酒，也喝过一些赤霞珠+西拉的混酿，但这一支完全不同，它已经不是做到了1+1>2，而是整个脱胎换骨。很难把它归类，如果说香气还有一些赤霞珠的影子的话，口感就完全摆脱了既有的束缚，能感受到一种南法的不羁与解放，当我接着又喝了后面几款707和Grange之后，我更意识到，90A就是一个独特的存在，跨越30年还能鲜活如初，简直太惊艳。
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2/17/2021 - CamWheeler wrote: flawed
SLDS February 2021: Corked.
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1/29/2021 - Formerwinemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Looking great at 30 years of age. A very Australian blend of Cabernet and Shiraz. Just beginning to lighten through the core, fragrant blackberry/mulberry tones, medium palate, still plenty of fruit but perhaps just beginning to diminish a little, very good length. At its best now and in the next 5-10 years. I would think beyond that it will begin to fade, elegantly.
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12/25/2020 - edwardochu Likes this wine: 91 Points
surprisingly young and fresh.
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9/13/2020 - Peech Likes this wine: 96 Points
opened for 1½ hours before decanting. a little savory soy sauce on the nose. Still good concentration with some acidity. A bit smoky. Much more open after 1 hour in the decanter, showing beautifully some vanilla notes. Two hours after decanting this was really beautiful, with some coconut butter and tropical notes.
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9/12/2020 - G_H wrote: 95 Points
Quite young, lots of redcurrent jelly, some eucalyptus and mint, blueberry yogurt, creamy and long. Delicious
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1/26/2018 - KoalaHK wrote:
At 208 Restaurant Hong Kong Australia Day Rare Wine Lunch - sensibly decanted but in reality it should have been earlier. The Cabernet was very dominant such that it could have been mistaken for a Bin 707. another excellent showing from one of Penfold's special bins.
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3/13/2015 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great shiraz, balanced by the structure and leanness of the cabernet. Still tightly wound, needing even more time.
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3/9/2015 - KoalaHK wrote:
Drunk at Bistecca in HK - This was the second bottle from the case, the previous one I had two years ago which proved to be quite tight and inexpressive. Today's bottle couldn't have been more different. Sensibly we decanted this about 90 minutes before, which proved to be optimal. Initially there was so much leafy eucalyptus on the nose that we thought it might be corked but this was not the case. We ended up with a lovely wine, most definitely Australian in character with very smooth tannins and with many years still to run. It gave both '86 Leoville Las Cases and '87 Dominus a run for their money.
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12/24/2014 - ubercuvee wrote:
One corked bottle and one pristine replacement. Very good, still a little angular, good fruit will likely improve over the next decade or two (based on penfolds 1963 and 1982 special bins I've had recently)
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7/24/2014 - walsh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Evening guys. Just had a bottle of the above. Tasted in conjunction with Chateau Talbot 1989 with some good friends. So I accept the circumstances were good. Having said that the Talbot had a lovely cedar wood old claret feel. The Penfolds was however just amazing. It was like a young pup. Massive 'Red Red 'fruit. We all loved it. It will last easily for 20 years. It has a perfect 'new world' taste. Very Penfolds to be honest.
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6/28/2014 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 96 Points
A wine based primarily on Coonawarra Cabernet, with some Barossa Shiraz thrown in the mix. Mixing Cabernet and Syrah/Shiraz rarely works, but it does here, with the Cabernet fruit dominating. This wine is fully mature, and has wonderful depth and purity of fruit. It is rich, tarry and ethereal with wave after wave of cool fruit with mint and eucalyptus overlaid with mushrooms and truffles. It is an absolutely thrilling wine at its apogee.
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2/24/2014 - nmilne wrote: 80 Points
Decanted 5 hours, then re-samples next night. Well past it's time. Soft like velvet, but really a memory if what once was. Disappointing.
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10/28/2013 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aussie Night with the GrapeMates (Rocket Restaurant in Chatswood, Sydney): A tour de force and my fave of the evening, which I think put me in the minority. Classic notes of dark berries, anise and dried herbs, with a wallop of a finish.
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10/24/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with JonnyG (Sydney, Australia): Mulberry, coconut, spices, cigar box, blackberry and perfume through some lifted violet notes. The palate is astonishing, with exceptional balance between red fruits, spice and the tannic core. Lovely mineral like acidity as well. A bottle in brilliant condition, similar bottles should continue to develop for some time to come.
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2/12/2011 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Some caramel oxidative notes at first but breathes up well in the glass. There’s some bitter chocolate and the most intense heart of liqueur cherries, cassis and blueberries. It is incredibly dense and intense and finishes a little sweet and sour.
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5/4/2010 - Alex H wrote: 91 Points
Penfolds : Rewards of Patience: Licourice mintyness shoots up the nasal passge peppered with some paine grille and minty black peppercorns. Excellent permeation into the senses. Very airy fairy with a little alc lifting this volatile wine into the inner recesses of the inner taste buds. Spicy cherry fruits wrapped in licourice and the finest of tobacco and black gunpowder tea leaves. Feels a bit earthy and finishing with like a black hacks cought drops. Immaculate length.
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5/19/2007 - jamieirving wrote: 91 Points
Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons (Peter Gago) (Landmark Hotel, London): Made from Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Barossa Shiraz this is a special “one-off” Bin wine from an exceptional vintage. The Bin name of this wine comes from the year it was made, so in 1990, it became 90A. Aged in 100% new American oak for 20 months this wine is actually quite approachable – certainly more so that the 1990 Bin 920. The nose is a little sweet, showing fruit and oak characters – although nothing stands out. The palate is subtle and smooth with great integration of fruit and wood.
Tasted at the “Penfolds 1990 – Grange and Other Icons” session hosted by Peter Gago at the Decanter New World Fine Wine Encounter, Landmark Hotel, London on the 19th of May 2007.
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7/8/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 91 Points
Grange Offline (1990-1975) (Alba Restuarant London): A lighter nose, with some cocoa, very tannic with lighter cherry fruit, a little brother to Grange, and the differences grew more marked with time in the glass.
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7/7/2006 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 92 Points
Penfolds Grange Vertical Tasting (1990-1975) (Alba Restaurant, Whitecross Street, London): Opened around three and a half hours earlier. A big blackcurrant nose, but with aeration it gains considerably in complexity. Very attractive immediately. Much clearer than the Grange 1990 and somewhat more approachable, but ultimately a bit simpler.
90/100
Re-tasted around 3-4 hours later from the same pour. The blackcurrant on the nose is more in check now. Lovely sweet fruit on the palate. Very pure. 92/100
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9/11/2005 - chbeaumont wrote: 97 Points
Deeper, rubied, touch of brick red at rim, legs; initially medicinal, more upfront, black fruits, later tarry then developed a richness; starts thick with chalky texture, fruit shows well with a spiciness, med/full. Dense but well balanced with tannin on a lingering finish. A more modern style (13.5 deg). Needs time. Score 19
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