Just amazing. Last bottle at the restaurant which had been there for at least 15 years but who knows how long. The cork disintegrated almost right away so needed to be decanted but def benefitted from the air. From the beg the nose was that very intoxicating grange style and as it opened up lots of blackberry and eucalyptus and just generally lifted. It was exceptional.
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From a pristine, reliable source, this bottle was shining bright. Served blind next to ‘89 and ‘01, it was the winner, with people guessing 70’s. So much for ‘challenging vintage’. It’s the only 1969 Grange I have ever tasted, so I can’t generalize, but just from reading up, I would never have guessed that vintage. It was clearly mature, but in the best way possible. It was delicious after 5 minutes and while it didn’t improve with, it maintained the high level with air
Freshly ground espresso beans, BBQ-Sauce, Coke, malted chocolate, porcini mushrooms, reminded me of my favorite Choco-Coffee Burger (at Parkers Dubai). All this intertwined with some more traditional mature Bordeaux notes of forest-floor, dried leaves and leather.
What a wine and what a surprise!
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not blind This was a wine I dreamt of. Maybe a touch over his peak but still delicious. Spicy but ripe sweet fruits. Ripe soft tannins but still good acidity structure. Thanks Marc. 95
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Developed nose with aromas of port wine (tawny), meat broth and dark chocolate. On the palate a slightly oxidative start, but afterwards it still shows remains of dark, partially preserved fruit and chocolate; also again notes of port wine; oxidation is undoubtedly present, light maltiness and a hint of menthol. Slim on the palate, is carried by the acidity, the tannin is almost degraded and the wine is overall clearly over the hill. This was never a great wine, the year in Australia was too bad for that - a lot of rain and rotting problems. Penfolds awards 1 of 5 stars for the vintage. For lovers of tertiary aromas - hurry up when drinking. Good bottles up to 87 points.
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PR 1969 Extravaganza: Sesame, caramel, VA, black fruits and red currant on the nose. Holding up really well on the palate, medium depth and with some red fruit still in place. Gets even better with a bit of air, showing a bit more depth and texture. This bottle was at its final peak.
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One of the best examples from 1969, soft tannins, but still lovely bouquet of forest floor and mushroom, and warm soft leather on the palate. Clean finish and excellent with steak to the last drop (albeit with some sediment).
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Medium ruby/garnet, some bricking on the edges. Expressive and distinct nose: aged red fruits, leather, cedar. Palate showing dusted black cherry, earth, cedar, and coffee. Showed some caramel on mid palate and through the finish, along with classic Grange leather.. Medium weight and long finish - especially given the age of this bottle
A real treat to drink this wine, well aged Grange seems almost timeless and never confused with other wines. Pretty impressive wine approaching its 50th b-day...wine drank well for the first hour plus, peaked and rolled over about 90 minutes in.
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 2007 (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork} (Geoffrey) Double-decanted 3 hrs earlier. Very dark, with all brick tinges; more brown than red really. Leathery, earthy nose. Not too bacterial though. The palate has lost most of its tannin, offering varnished highlights of ancient red fruits. Acid has the dominant hand here now; the wine is medium-bodied, with leathery old flavours. Finish remains impressively medium/long though, despite it seeming just a bit simple for the reputation of Grange. Still, for 48 years, and from an ‘average’ vintage, heavy criticism is a bit churlish; this is a pretty spectacular effort, all things considered.
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Decidedly lighter and more easy going than the 68. Leans more on the red fruit spectrum and is well balanced by lively acidity. Burgundy lovers at the table prefered this while the bordeaux fans gave the nod to the 68.
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nose was initially plastic and a bit chalky (this should have given me the hint as old Grange can be chalky), with sweet strawberry notes giving way to coffee and Asian spices. Pretty smooth on the palate with light tannins.
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NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 2000 (Alio's, Surrey Hills): [cork, 12.4%] 5% Cabernet. A graduate of the 1992 Red Wine Clinic. The bouquet has soft leathery aromas, clearly aged, but not feeble. The palate ticks all the ‘medium’ boxes; weight, acid, finish. It’s soft and even, with hints of woody spices and a velvety kind of feel to the texture. Gently persistent, with resolved tannins, and a lingering wispy finish. Perhaps not a great Grange, but a great 40-year-old red. No improvement left, obviously, but ought to make the half-century if you’re a child of ’69…
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10/6/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Just amazing. Last bottle at the restaurant which had been there for at least 15 years but who knows how long. The cork disintegrated almost right away so needed to be decanted but def benefitted from the air. From the beg the nose was that very intoxicating grange style and as it opened up lots of blackberry and eucalyptus and just generally lifted. It was exceptional.
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3/28/2023 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
From a pristine, reliable source, this bottle was shining bright. Served blind next to ‘89 and ‘01, it was the winner, with people guessing 70’s. So much for ‘challenging vintage’.
It’s the only 1969 Grange I have ever tasted, so I can’t generalize, but just from reading up, I would never have guessed that vintage. It was clearly mature, but in the best way possible. It was delicious after 5 minutes and while it didn’t improve with, it maintained the high level with air
Freshly ground espresso beans, BBQ-Sauce, Coke, malted chocolate, porcini mushrooms, reminded me of my favorite Choco-Coffee Burger (at Parkers Dubai). All this intertwined with some more traditional mature Bordeaux notes of forest-floor, dried leaves and leather.
What a wine and what a surprise!
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2/20/2022 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
not blind
This was a wine I dreamt of. Maybe a touch over his peak but still delicious. Spicy but ripe sweet fruits. Ripe soft tannins but still good acidity structure. Thanks Marc. 95
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9/13/2020 - MQuentel@web.de wrote: 85 Points
Developed nose with aromas of port wine (tawny), meat broth and dark chocolate. On the palate a slightly oxidative start, but afterwards it still shows remains of dark, partially preserved fruit and chocolate; also again notes of port wine; oxidation is undoubtedly present, light maltiness and a hint of menthol. Slim on the palate, is carried by the acidity, the tannin is almost degraded and the wine is overall clearly over the hill. This was never a great wine, the year in Australia was too bad for that - a lot of rain and rotting problems. Penfolds awards 1 of 5 stars for the vintage. For lovers of tertiary aromas - hurry up when drinking. Good bottles up to 87 points.
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11/30/2019 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
PR 1969 Extravaganza: Sesame, caramel, VA, black fruits and red currant on the nose. Holding up really well on the palate, medium depth and with some red fruit still in place. Gets even better with a bit of air, showing a bit more depth and texture. This bottle was at its final peak.
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10/5/2019 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the best examples from 1969, soft tannins, but still lovely bouquet of forest floor and mushroom, and warm soft leather on the palate. Clean finish and excellent with steak to the last drop (albeit with some sediment).
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9/9/2019 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent bottle, been through Penfolds clinic, lovely meaty, chocolate and leather flavours.
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4/5/2019 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent condition, having been through the Penfolds Clinic. Wonderful leather and soft tannins.
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7/23/2018 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
Zurich Supper Club Rides Again...in London (CVA, Andrew, Paolo...missing Benoit...) (67 Pall Mall - London, UK): A generous contribution from Andrew, our go-to source for aged Grange in this group. He has sources with impeccable bottles with great provenance, hard to find anywhere in the world like this...cork came out clean, decanted and drank over the course of the evening.
Medium ruby/garnet, some bricking on the edges. Expressive and distinct nose: aged red fruits, leather, cedar. Palate showing dusted black cherry, earth, cedar, and coffee. Showed some caramel on mid palate and through the finish, along with classic Grange leather.. Medium weight and long finish - especially given the age of this bottle
A real treat to drink this wine, well aged Grange seems almost timeless and never confused with other wines. Pretty impressive wine approaching its 50th b-day...wine drank well for the first hour plus, peaked and rolled over about 90 minutes in.
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2/6/2017 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 2007 (360 Bar & Dining, Sydney): {cork} (Geoffrey) Double-decanted 3 hrs earlier. Very dark, with all brick tinges; more brown than red really. Leathery, earthy nose. Not too bacterial though. The palate has lost most of its tannin, offering varnished highlights of ancient red fruits. Acid has the dominant hand here now; the wine is medium-bodied, with leathery old flavours. Finish remains impressively medium/long though, despite it seeming just a bit simple for the reputation of Grange. Still, for 48 years, and from an ‘average’ vintage, heavy criticism is a bit churlish; this is a pretty spectacular effort, all things considered.
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9/5/2014 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful old chocolate and leather
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7/27/2013 - danielk168 wrote: 92 Points
Cork was perfect, and this bottle sings, complex aromas of cooked fruits, minerals, balanced and silky.
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5/10/2013 - bongos Likes this wine:
Decidedly lighter and more easy going than the 68. Leans more on the red fruit spectrum and is well balanced by lively acidity. Burgundy lovers at the table prefered this while the bordeaux fans gave the nod to the 68.
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12/27/2009 - Peech wrote: 95 Points
nose was initially plastic and a bit chalky (this should have given me the hint as old Grange can be chalky), with sweet strawberry notes giving way to coffee and Asian spices. Pretty smooth on the palate with light tannins.
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5/4/2009 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Penfolds prior to 2000 (Alio's, Surrey Hills): [cork, 12.4%] 5% Cabernet. A graduate of the 1992 Red Wine Clinic. The bouquet has soft leathery aromas, clearly aged, but not feeble. The palate ticks all the ‘medium’ boxes; weight, acid, finish. It’s soft and even, with hints of woody spices and a velvety kind of feel to the texture. Gently persistent, with resolved tannins, and a lingering wispy finish. Perhaps not a great Grange, but a great 40-year-old red. No improvement left, obviously, but ought to make the half-century if you’re a child of ’69…
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