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: A bit muted on the nose. On the palate better, more bordeaux-esque than the Burgundian 82/83 vintages with the structure a bit more prominent. Intense, complex aromatics with lots of red fruit, herbs, minty notes, spices, earthy notes, bacon fat, tobacco and truffles. Very complex and highly precise. Very fine and elegant, no hard edges, great freshness, airy texture and a long and expanding finish.
Decanting: All wines were quickly double decanted 3h before the tasting. In my experience Grange usually needs hours of proper decanting. 2-3 hours in the decanter would probably have unlocked the nose too making this an almost perfect wine.
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Grange vertical (Wunderbrunnen, Opfikon): Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). Densely packed aroma profile with herbal complexity, elements of sweet spice, a bit of dried meat that gains in intensity, and black olives. The palate still fresh with a strong structure but not as sumptuous and harmonious as 1983 and 1982. Also lacking the balance.
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Four decades of Penfolds Grange (Chicago, IL): Others liked this bottle more than I did. I found it really strange in the context of the wines -- it was oddly hyper fresh, with tart red-fruited acids, and a lightness that most of the wines didn't have. It's almost like a different product altogether. Rough, coarse tannins that didn't comport with any of the other wines. I'll have to do some homework and see if there was some sort of change between 1982 and 1979.
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One of the 79 birth year wines went down today in the presence of the "four 79ers" all present today. Amazing how youthful this is. Nose of muddled brambly toasted black fruit. The nose of this wine was so youthful moments after a 43 year sleep. Roasted peppers, eucalyptus, charred blackberry spice. The cork was about 80% saturated but a Durand had no issues. The palate was half black cherry, half blackberries on the front. Campfire roasted smoky poblano pepper, and a savory grilled meat and bacon fat note on the finish. What a wine. I debated opening this, but I still believe that it wouldn't have shown as well today as it would have yesterday, nor tomorrow. Today was the day. In the presence of the four 79ers, this wine showed impeccably well with great structure and density. My wine of the year this far over the last four years, and one of the few 99 scores that I've given in 2 decades. A year and a half after tasting this, I have revised my score from 99 to 100. First perfect wine I have had.
Had it yesterday at our holiday wine luncheon next to an 81 Grange. The 79 had more elegance, richness, smokier, but less fruit than 81. Great palate feel at 42 yrs old. While it had peaked, the brooding, fully mature flavors had most vote it supreme to the 81. Drink now full an experience of Shiraz at its apex.
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Very regal and classy. Everything in place and nothing out of balance. Lots of tertiary notes of leather and tobacco. Feels very polished. Wonderful Length. 95
Aged beauty.
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Opened an hour then decanted for three hours. Extraordinary cork. Slim and short with no markings yet the wine was young and fresh. Bit monolithic out of the gate on first taste but by the time we reached it blind with the group it was singing. Mint depth of fruit and and leather. Very complex. Impeccable balance and lift on the palate. Effortless intensity fully ready but will last. A privilege and sadly the last bottle
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The big 4-0 (Ristorante Morini): I'm whatever the right word for a Grange groupie is so pretty excited to get a back to back tasting of 70's vintage Grange. That doesn't happen that often. This was everything I love about Grange - just a blend of eucalyptus and fruit and spices and everything well put together and every time you taste the wine it's a bit different. Awesome.
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A crumbling cork, smell of some caramel and chocolate black fruit flavours , still a balanced flavour and a smooth long finish still well within the peak drinking window
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The cork came out in pieces, the Durand managed the job perfectly. It had probably been worse without it, and I understand why exactly this wine opener is considered world class.
The color is brick red in the edges. The smell is completely divine! I kept on sniffing this one for 20 minutes without tasting. There are dried fruits, vanilla, and excellent tertiary aromas dominated by dust, ancient tarred wood, and old fruit. Impressingly complex and vivid fragrance after 35 years.
The taste opens up a new dimension of velvet playing with my tongue. Accompanied by some vanilla and a hint of old wooden cabin with dust and silence, I get the feeling of standing outside a tarred stave church enjoying the fresh tar smell spread across the cold winter landscape. Marvelous experience. Too bad it was empty in the end.
50 +5 +14 +17 +9 (95p)
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Tart, tannic and tough, the wine was all about the oak, the smoke and the sweet, tart red fruits. It was drying out and not a lot of fun to drink. I would not age this any longer hoping for a better experience.
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Modest aromas to start, followed by big, lush, sweet black fruit flavors. Very Old World. Lovely and charming, I would think this is still in its peak drinking window, but wouldn't hold this for another decade.
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black licorice and dark dried cherries on the noes. A bit sour on the mouth, but good integrated tannins that lingered on the finish. Excellent fruit remains. A real treat!
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Last one of 24 bought whist still at Cambridge in the Eighties. Still in great nick. The Aussies I drank it with couldn't believe how good mature shiraz can be. Beautiful peppery, leathery and gamey nose. Palate still sweet with little sign of drying out. Not bad for £4- in the Dolamore bin end sale.....
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A crumbling cork was not a promising start, but after a quick strain/decant we were off to the races. What a wonderful nose of blackberry and chocolate. Very well balanced and still a long, silky smooth finish. A 30th birthday party wine that really delivered!
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Sydney Offline: Birthyear Wines: A fairly imposing nose with vanilla oak, caramel, chocolate, liquorice, raspberry, VA and tar. Palate showed very good length but was lacking in anything much else to get excited about.
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Tasted at Richard's Umbria house Nice garnet colour -- not too old-looking for a 27 year old wine, opaque. Nose: smoky, roasted nuts and coffee, clean earth. Palate: Extremely flavourful, rich umami character, moderate alcohol (12.9% declared), moderate acidity, smooth/supple tannins, beautifully balanced, long, layered. WOTN for some.
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IncredIbly youthful. Dusty, fruit-filled nose. Whiffs of soy/Asian spice. Roasted meats (!). Wow! And I haven't even tasted it yet! Well-balanced, with hints of the soy, coffee, and still plenty of dark fruits - blueberry and blackberry. Just awesome.
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Deep purple/black color, showing absolutlely no signs of age. Could be mistaken for a 3-4 year old barossa shiraz. Big, juicy fruit and spice flavors. Developed substantially more complexity and interest after an hour or so in the glass. Wonderful by the end. 12/02
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10/29/2023 - Cailles wrote: 95 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: A bit muted on the nose. On the palate better, more bordeaux-esque than the Burgundian 82/83 vintages with the structure a bit more prominent. Intense, complex aromatics with lots of red fruit, herbs, minty notes, spices, earthy notes, bacon fat, tobacco and truffles. Very complex and highly precise. Very fine and elegant, no hard edges, great freshness, airy texture and a long and expanding finish.
Decanting: All wines were quickly double decanted 3h before the tasting. In my experience Grange usually needs hours of proper decanting. 2-3 hours in the decanter would probably have unlocked the nose too making this an almost perfect wine.
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10/3/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Grange vertical (Wunderbrunnen, Opfikon): Part of a 7-vintage vertical (key takeaways in the tasting story). Densely packed aroma profile with herbal complexity, elements of sweet spice, a bit of dried meat that gains in intensity, and black olives. The palate still fresh with a strong structure but not as sumptuous and harmonious as 1983 and 1982. Also lacking the balance.
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9/28/2023 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Four decades of Penfolds Grange (Chicago, IL): Others liked this bottle more than I did. I found it really strange in the context of the wines -- it was oddly hyper fresh, with tart red-fruited acids, and a lightness that most of the wines didn't have. It's almost like a different product altogether. Rough, coarse tannins that didn't comport with any of the other wines. I'll have to do some homework and see if there was some sort of change between 1982 and 1979.
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6/3/2022 - mflesh wrote: 100 Points
One of the 79 birth year wines went down today in the presence of the "four 79ers" all present today. Amazing how youthful this is. Nose of muddled brambly toasted black fruit. The nose of this wine was so youthful moments after a 43 year sleep. Roasted peppers, eucalyptus, charred blackberry spice. The cork was about 80% saturated but a Durand had no issues. The palate was half black cherry, half blackberries on the front. Campfire roasted smoky poblano pepper, and a savory grilled meat and bacon fat note on the finish. What a wine. I debated opening this, but I still believe that it wouldn't have shown as well today as it would have yesterday, nor tomorrow. Today was the day. In the presence of the four 79ers, this wine showed impeccably well with great structure and density. My wine of the year this far over the last four years, and one of the few 99 scores that I've given in 2 decades. A year and a half after tasting this, I have revised my score from 99 to 100. First perfect wine I have had.
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12/11/2021 - prv530 wrote: 95 Points
Had it yesterday at our holiday wine luncheon next to an 81 Grange. The 79 had more elegance, richness, smokier, but less fruit than 81. Great palate feel at 42 yrs old. While it had peaked, the brooding, fully mature flavors had most vote it supreme to the 81. Drink now full an experience of Shiraz at its apex.
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6/28/2021 - Isaac D Likes this wine:
Very regal and classy. Everything in place and nothing out of balance. Lots of tertiary notes of leather and tobacco. Feels very polished. Wonderful Length. 95
Aged beauty.
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5/11/2021 - redders Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened an hour then decanted for three hours. Extraordinary cork. Slim and short with no markings yet the wine was young and fresh. Bit monolithic out of the gate on first taste but by the time we reached it blind with the group it was singing. Mint depth of fruit and and leather. Very complex. Impeccable balance and lift on the palate. Effortless intensity fully ready but will last. A privilege and sadly the last bottle
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2/2/2020 - JR1575 wrote: 96 Points
lovely.. lots of age left... deep flavor matched well against a grilled tomahawk
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3/15/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
The big 4-0 (Ristorante Morini): I'm whatever the right word for a Grange groupie is so pretty excited to get a back to back tasting of 70's vintage Grange. That doesn't happen that often. This was everything I love about Grange - just a blend of eucalyptus and fruit and spices and everything well put together and every time you taste the wine it's a bit different. Awesome.
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7/9/2018 - RayOB wrote: 95 Points
Drank at 67
Tasting more like a "LaLa". Wonderful stuff.
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4/8/2014 - michaelong wrote: 95 Points
A crumbling cork, smell of some caramel and chocolate
black fruit flavours , still a balanced flavour and a smooth long finish
still well within the peak drinking window
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1/12/2014 - Shiaxonna wrote: 95 Points
The cork came out in pieces, the Durand managed the job perfectly. It had probably been worse without it, and I understand why exactly this wine opener is considered world class.
The color is brick red in the edges. The smell is completely divine! I kept on sniffing this one for 20 minutes without tasting. There are dried fruits, vanilla, and excellent tertiary aromas dominated by dust, ancient tarred wood, and old fruit. Impressingly complex and vivid fragrance after 35 years.
The taste opens up a new dimension of velvet playing with my tongue. Accompanied by some vanilla and a hint of old wooden cabin with dust and silence, I get the feeling of standing outside a tarred stave church enjoying the fresh tar smell spread across the cold winter landscape. Marvelous experience. Too bad it was empty in the end.
50 +5 +14 +17 +9 (95p)
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11/20/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 87 Points
Tart, tannic and tough, the wine was all about the oak, the smoke and the sweet, tart red fruits. It was drying out and not a lot of fun to drink. I would not age this any longer hoping for a better experience.
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5/31/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Modest aromas to start, followed by big, lush, sweet black fruit flavors. Very Old World. Lovely and charming, I would think this is still in its peak drinking window, but wouldn't hold this for another decade.
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3/26/2012 - mtn_living wrote:
past time to drink, if you have it, drink it
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4/22/2011 - ORWWValley wrote: 93 Points
black licorice and dark dried cherries on the noes. A bit sour on the mouth, but good integrated tannins that lingered on the finish. Excellent fruit remains. A real treat!
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5/21/2010 - sjwshiraz wrote:
Last one of 24 bought whist still at Cambridge in the Eighties. Still in great nick. The Aussies I drank it with couldn't believe how good mature shiraz can be. Beautiful peppery, leathery and gamey nose. Palate still sweet with little sign of drying out. Not bad for £4- in the Dolamore bin end sale.....
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10/1/2009 - GoCubsGo wrote: 97 Points
A crumbling cork was not a promising start, but after a quick strain/decant we were off to the races. What a wonderful nose of blackberry and chocolate. Very well balanced and still a long, silky smooth finish. A 30th birthday party wine that really delivered!
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5/2/2009 - reichken wrote: 92 Points
Don Reids 50th @ The Landau- slight lightening around edges. slight black fruits on the nose, med weight, medium long, very well balanced
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7/20/2006 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Sydney Offline: Birthyear Wines: A fairly imposing nose with vanilla oak, caramel, chocolate, liquorice, raspberry, VA and tar. Palate showed very good length but was lacking in anything much else to get excited about.
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7/8/2006 - Russell Faulkner wrote: flawed
Grange Offline (1990-1975) (Alba Restuarant London): 87% SH 13% CS, 13%
Shit! Corked.
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7/7/2006 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: flawed
Penfolds Grange Vertical Tasting (1990-1975) (Alba Restaurant, Whitecross Street, London): 87% shiraz, 13% cabernet.
Corked.
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7/1/2006 - Barbara B wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at Richard's Umbria house
Nice garnet colour -- not too old-looking for a 27 year old wine, opaque. Nose: smoky, roasted nuts and coffee, clean earth. Palate: Extremely flavourful, rich umami character, moderate alcohol (12.9% declared), moderate acidity, smooth/supple tannins, beautifully balanced, long, layered. WOTN for some.
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3/5/2006 - MarkC wrote: 94 Points
IncredIbly youthful. Dusty, fruit-filled nose. Whiffs of soy/Asian spice. Roasted meats (!). Wow! And I haven't even tasted it yet! Well-balanced, with hints of the soy, coffee, and still plenty of dark fruits - blueberry and blackberry. Just awesome.
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12/1/2002 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
Deep purple/black color, showing absolutlely no signs of age. Could be mistaken for a 3-4 year old barossa shiraz. Big, juicy fruit and spice flavors. Developed substantially more complexity and interest after an hour or so in the glass. Wonderful by the end. 12/02
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